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Chaffey College

Public Rancho Cucamonga, CA · Suburban · Far West · 80% data
A Value A Affordability C+ Earnings
Graduation Rate
34% D
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$42,975 C+
Roughly in line with national averages
Net Price
$5,672 A
67% less than the typical college
Enrollment
18,132
Earnings +5% vs avg
Graduation -40% vs avg
Net Price +-67% vs avg

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 53.1× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $53.1 over 20 years.

53.1× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $53.1 over 20 years. Net gain: $1,182,136.

What The Data Says

  1. A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.

  2. Graduation of 34% — 40% below the national average.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $53.1 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Chaffey College Matters

Chaffey College is a public community college in Rancho Cucamonga, CA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: measurable returns for the students it serves.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public Community College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
18,132
Setting
Suburban
Designations
HSI
Primary Strengths
Business & Marketing, Humanities, Health Professions, Psychology

Why students choose Chaffey College

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings
Strength in Business & Marketing
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C+
Top 37% overall
C+
Earnings
$42,975 median
A
Value
7.6× net price
A
Affordability
$5,672/yr net
D
Graduation
34% graduate
C-
Diversity
0.55 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

Chaffey College serves over 18,000 students, making it a significant hub for education in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. With a net price of just $5,672, it stands out as an affordable option for many seeking higher education.

While the graduation rate is 34%, students who complete their degrees see a median earning of $42,975 ten years after enrollment. This suggests that while not all students finish their programs, those who do can expect a reasonable return on their investment, especially in fields like Business & Marketing and Health Professions.

Chaffey College is ideal for students looking for a cost-effective path to a degree. With a diverse range of programs, from Humanities to Criminal Justice, it attracts individuals who thrive in a supportive community environment. The 29% Pell Grant rate indicates that many students receive financial aid, helping to ease the burden of college expenses.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Chaffey College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Chaffey College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Rancho Cucamonga, California, Chaffey College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 34%.

Retention Rate
69%
Full-Time Faculty
21%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$12,395
Student–Faculty Ratio
22:1
Diversity Index
0.55
First-Gen Students
56%

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Chaffey College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Chaffey College is $11,120, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $5,672. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $4,529 after need-based grants.

In-State Tuition
$1,184
Out-of-State
$11,120
Avg Net Price
$5,672
Pell Grant Rate
29%
Federal Loan Rate
0%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$4,529
Family Income $30K–$48K
$4,666
Family Income $48K–$75K
$7,498
Family Income $110K+
$11,905

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Chaffey College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Chaffey College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Chaffey College report median earnings of $42,975, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$33,265
8 Years
$37,516
10 Years
$42,975
Earning > $25K
45%

Earnings Trajectory

$33,265 6yr $37,516 8yr $42,975 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (178)
10%
100% (178)
10%
100% (178)
10%
100% (178)
10%

How Chaffey Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation34%Earnings 10yr$43KNet Price$6KRetention69%Pell Grant Rate29%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$5K$0-30K$5K$30-48K$7K$48-75K$12K$110K+

College ROI Calculator

Is Chaffey College Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Chaffey College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $5,672/year ($22,688 total). Graduates earn $42,975 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,204,824 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,182,136 (53.1× your investment).. With a 34% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$22,688
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,204,824
Net Return
$1,182,136
ROI Multiple
53.1×
Cost Per Year
$5,672
Graduation Rate
34%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Chaffey College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Chaffey College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.23, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.03), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.23
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.03
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
2.8%
Support Ratio
0.88
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Endowment
$2,512,047

Top Programs

The fields Chaffey College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Chaffey College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Rancho Cucamonga, California, Chaffey College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 34%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Chaffey College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Chaffey College is $11,120, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $5,672. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $4,529 after need-based grants.

Is Chaffey College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Chaffey College report median earnings of $42,975, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

How Connected Is Chaffey College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Chaffey College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.23, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.03), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Chaffey College.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

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