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Diablo Valley College

Public Pleasant Hill, CA · Suburban · Far West · 87% data
A Diversity A- Value B+ Affordability
Graduation Rate
47% D+
About half of students who start complete their degree
Earnings (10yr)
$51,378 B
Well above the typical college graduate
Net Price
$8,312 B+
51% less than the typical college
Enrollment
15,358
Earnings +26% vs avg
Graduation -17% vs avg
Net Price +-51% vs avg

Bottom line: A B overall grade — strong outcomes across the board. 46.1× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $46.1 over 20 years.

46.1× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $46.1 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,499,254.

What The Data Says

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

  2. Earnings 26% above the national college median.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $46.1 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Diablo Valley College Matters

Diablo Valley College is a public community college in Pleasant Hill, CA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.

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
15,358
Setting
Suburban
Designations
HSI
Primary Strengths
Business & Marketing, Health Professions, Computer Science & IT, Humanities

Why students choose Diablo Valley 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.

B
Top 26% overall
B
Earnings
$51,378 median
A-
Value
6.2× net price
B+
Affordability
$8,312/yr net
D+
Graduation
47% graduate
A
Diversity
0.77 index

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

How we grade →

Overview

Diablo Valley College enrolls over 15,000 students, making it a significant player in California’s community college landscape. This public institution is located in Pleasant Hill, CA, and offers a diverse range of programs, particularly strong in Humanities, Computer Science & IT, and Health Professions.

The Opportunity Insights data highlights that students from Diablo Valley College have an average 10-year earnings of $51,378. While the graduation rate stands at 47%, the outcomes suggest that many students see a solid return on investment, especially those who complete their programs. However, the data lacks detailed mobility and success rates for lower-income students, which limits a full picture of economic advancement for all attendees.

With a net price of $8,312 and a median debt of $10,021, the financial landscape is manageable for many students. Graduates typically earn enough to support a comfortable lifestyle, reflecting a pathway to upward mobility. This college is ideal for students who thrive in a supportive environment and are looking to gain practical skills in fields like Business, Social Sciences, and Health Professions.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Diablo Valley 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 Diablo Valley College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Pleasant Hill, California, Diablo Valley College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 47%.

Retention Rate
76%
Full-Time Faculty
37%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$11,323
Student–Faculty Ratio
24:1
Diversity Index
0.77
First-Gen Students
45%

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 Diablo Valley College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Diablo Valley College is $10,320, 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 $8,312. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $6,411 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $10,021 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$1,312
Out-of-State
$10,320
Avg Net Price
$8,312
Median Debt
$10,021
Pell Grant Rate
18%
Federal Loan Rate
1%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$6,411
Family Income $30K–$48K
$7,103
Family Income $48K–$75K
$10,390
Family Income $110K+
$6,953

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 Diablo Valley 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 Diablo Valley College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Diablo Valley College earn a median of $51,378, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

6 Years After Entry
$38,306
8 Years
$45,663
10 Years
$51,378
Debt-to-Earnings
0.2x
Earning > $25K
52%

Earnings Trajectory

$38,306 6yr $45,663 8yr $51,378 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (371)
27%
100% (371)
27%
100% (371)
27%
100% (371)
27%

How Diablo Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation47%Earnings 10yr$51KNet Price$8KRetention76%Median Debt$10KPell Grant Rate18%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$6K$0-30K$7K$30-48K$10K$48-75K$7K$110K+

College ROI Calculator

Is Diablo Valley College Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, Diablo Valley College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $8,312/year ($33,248 total). Graduates earn $51,378 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,532,502 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,499,254 (46.1× your investment). The median debt is $10,021, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 47% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$33,248
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,532,502
Net Return
$1,499,254
ROI Multiple
46.1×
Cost Per Year
$8,312
Median Debt
$10,021
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
47%

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 Diablo Valley 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 Diablo Valley College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.52, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.04), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.52
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.04
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
4.9%
Support Ratio
0.96
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
$7,760,595

Top Programs

The fields Diablo Valley 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 Diablo Valley College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Pleasant Hill, California, Diablo Valley College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 47%.

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

Published tuition at Diablo Valley College is $10,320, 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 $8,312. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $6,411 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $10,021 in federal student loans.

Is Diablo Valley College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Diablo Valley College earn a median of $51,378, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

How Connected Is Diablo Valley 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 Diablo Valley College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.52, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.04), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Diablo Valley 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.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys