Two years in
the San Fernando Valley
You're deciding whether to spend your first two years at Los Angeles Valley College before finishing a bachelor's degree elsewhere. That choice comes down to real numbers: transfer rates, earnings after enrollment, what it costs out of pocket, and whether the programs here are developed enough to support your path.
~16,000 undergrads, 24% transfer out by year 8, median $43k 10-yr earnings, $10,500 median debt.
A solid Valley Glen CC with a functioning transfer track and low debt
Los Angeles Valley College enrolls nearly 16,000 undergrads in Valley Glen and moves 24% of them to a four-year institution within eight years — a result that clears the national community college benchmark. Median earnings reach $42,678 ten years out, and median borrower debt is $10,500. Liberal Arts and Sciences leads completions at 1,118, followed by Biological and Physical Sciences at 402 and Business Administration at 252. In-state tuition is $1,196 and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. The part-time majority (78%) explains extended timelines, but the transfer signal is real.
Los Angeles Valley College sits in Valley Glen — a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley — and enrolls close to 16,000 undergraduates. Nearly 78% attend part-time, which means most students here are balancing other commitments alongside coursework, and that shapes realistic timelines. The top program by completions is Liberal Arts and Sciences at 1,118, a direct transfer-prep path; Biological and Physical Sciences follows at 402, and Business Administration and Management at 252. Twenty-four percent of LAVC students transfer to a four-year institution within eight years — a figure that meets or exceeds what most community colleges produce. Median earnings ten years after enrollment are $42,678. Median borrower debt is $10,500, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. In-state tuition is $1,196; average net price is $12,152. For a San Fernando Valley student who needs a cost-controlled, transfer-accessible starting point, those numbers make a credible case.
What this CC teaches at scale
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 1,118 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences. | 402 |
| Business Administration and Management, General. | 252 |
| Child Care Provider/Assistant. | 203 |
| Small Business Administration/Management. | 168 |
| Economics, General. | 166 |
| Psychology, General. | 129 |
| Sociology, General. | 100 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. | 64 |
| Real Estate. | 52 |
Source · IPEDS completions (all undergraduate credentials).
Where California transfers tend to go
Reflects state-aggregated IPEDS transfer-in volume — CC-specific destinations are not publicly available from IPEDS or the College Scorecard.
Frequently asked
- Is Los Angeles Valley College a good place to start a bachelor's degree?
- The data is reasonably supportive. LAVC's eight-year transfer-out rate is 24%, which clears the national community college average. In-state tuition is $1,196 and average net price is $12,152 — not the absolute lowest in California, but the 0% three-year loan default rate and $10,500 median borrower debt suggest students aren't leaving buried in obligation. Median earnings ten years after enrollment are $42,678. The part-time share is 78%, so if you're working or have family responsibilities, you're in the majority here. Go in with a clear transfer target and a plan for which of LAVC's high-volume programs aligns with your intended major, and the cost-to-outcome equation is defensible.
- How does Los Angeles Valley College's transfer-out rate compare to typical community colleges?
- LAVC's eight-year transfer-out rate is 24%. National research puts the typical community college transfer rate in the 15–25% range, so LAVC sits near the top of that band. The 24% figure matters in context: 78% of LAVC students attend part-time, which reliably extends timelines and reduces apparent transfer counts. That the rate reaches 24% despite a heavily part-time student body suggests students who set a transfer goal are following through. Another 1.4% were still enrolled at the eight-year mark, and 27% had completed a credential at LAVC itself. Together, these numbers indicate the college is functioning as an active pipeline — not a holding pattern.
- What programs does Los Angeles Valley College offer at meaningful scale?
- LAVC's highest-volume programs by completions are Liberal Arts and Sciences (1,118), Biological and Physical Sciences (402), Business Administration and Management (252), Child Care Provider/Assistant (203), Small Business Administration and Management (168), Economics (166), and Psychology (129). Sociology produced 100 completions, Registered Nursing 64, and Real Estate 52. The Liberal Arts volume is notably strong — more than twice the next program — making it the clearest transfer-prep pathway here. Business and economics fields together represent a substantial cluster. If your transfer target requires a STEM or business foundation, LAVC has the course volume and completion history to support it.
Methodology — Transfer signals reflect IPEDS Outcome Measures 8-year cohorts; earnings and debt come from the College Scorecard. Destinations are state-aggregated; we do not claim CC-specific transfer destinations without authoritative per-student tracking data.