Start smart
at Pasadena City College
You're deciding whether to spend your first two years at Pasadena City College before finishing a bachelor's elsewhere in California. That choice involves real numbers: transfer rates, earnings after graduation, and what it actually costs you out of pocket.
~25,000 undergrads, 28% transfer out by year 8, median $44k 10-yr earnings, $6,651 median debt.
A large, affordable Pasadena CC with a real transfer-out track record
Pasadena City College enrolls nearly 25,000 undergrads and sends 28% of students to a four-year institution within eight years — above the national community college norm. Median earnings land at $44k ten years out, and median debt is a low $6,651. Liberal Arts, Biological and Physical Sciences, and Business Administration each produce 900-plus completions annually, giving transfer-bound students multiple well-worn paths. In-state tuition is $1,104 and net price is $3,864, making cost almost a non-issue. The 0% three-year loan default rate adds confidence.
Pasadena City College sits in Pasadena, California, and enrolls nearly 25,000 undergraduates — a genuinely large campus, though 64% attend part-time. That part-time majority matters: many students here are balancing work or family alongside coursework, and completion timelines reflect that reality. The college's top program by volume is Liberal Arts and Sciences, with 1,208 completions, followed closely by Biological and Physical Sciences at 1,021 and Business Administration at 969 — all fields with direct transfer-prep applications. The eight-year transfer-out rate sits at 28%, a meaningful signal that this CC functions as a real pipeline, not just a parking lot. Median earnings ten years out are $44k, median debt is $6,651, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. In-state tuition is $1,104 annually, with a net price of $3,864. For a cost-conscious California student with transfer intentions, the numbers make a strong case.
What this CC teaches at scale
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 1,208 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences. | 1,021 |
| Business Administration and Management, General. | 969 |
| Humanities/Humanistic Studies. | 908 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General. | 785 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General. | 319 |
| Psychology, General. | 297 |
| Economics, General. | 287 |
| Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician. | 214 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. | 160 |
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 Pasadena City College a good place to start a bachelor's degree?
- The data supports it more than most community colleges. Twenty-eight percent of PCC students transfer to a four-year institution within eight years, which is a solid result given that 64% of undergrads attend part-time. In-state tuition is $1,104 and the average net price is $3,864, so you're unlikely to accumulate serious debt here — median borrower debt is just $6,651. Median earnings ten years after enrollment are $44k, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. That combination of low cost, functional transfer rate, and clean debt profile makes PCC a reasonable foundation for a bachelor's, provided you go in with a clear transfer plan.
- How does Pasadena City College's transfer-out rate compare to typical community colleges?
- PCC's eight-year transfer-out rate is 28%. National research consistently places the average community college transfer rate in the 15–25% range, so PCC sits at or above that benchmark. The 28% figure is measured over eight years, and given that nearly two-thirds of PCC students attend part-time — which extends timelines — it reflects a real pattern of students reaching and completing the transfer step. An additional 1.4% were still enrolled at the eight-year mark, and 34% had completed a credential at PCC itself. Taken together, these numbers suggest PCC is functioning as an active feeder into the four-year system, not just an enrollment holding pattern.
- What programs does Pasadena City College offer at meaningful scale?
- PCC's highest-volume programs by completions are Liberal Arts and Sciences (1,208), Biological and Physical Sciences (1,021), Business Administration and Management (969), Humanities (908), and Health Sciences (785). Engineering Technologies produced 319 completions, Psychology 297, and Economics 287. Automotive Technology (214) and Registered Nursing (160) round out the top ten. The breadth matters: whether you're aiming at a STEM transfer path, a business degree, or a health-related field, PCC has enough volume in those areas that advising resources, course sections, and completion infrastructure are genuinely developed — not thin offerings.
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.