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Fresno City College

Public Fresno, CA · Urban · Far West · 80% data
B+ Affordability B+ Value C- Earnings
Graduation Rate
24% F
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$37,361 C-
Below average for college graduates
Net Price
$8,069 B+
53% less than the typical college
Enrollment
21,251
Earnings -8% vs avg
Graduation -59% vs avg
Net Price +-53% vs avg

Bottom line: A C overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 30.6× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $30.6 over 20 years.

30.6× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $30.6 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $953,973.

What The Data Says

  1. A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Graduation of 24% — 59% below the national average.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $30.6 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

About Fresno City College

Fresno City College is profiled below with full outcomes data from federal sources.

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

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
21,251
Setting
Urban
Designations
HSI
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Criminal Justice

Why students choose Fresno City College

Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings
Strength in Humanities
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

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

C
Top 48% overall
C-
Earnings
$37,361 median
B+
Value
4.6× net price
B+
Affordability
$8,069/yr net
F
Graduation
24% graduate
C-
Diversity
0.52 index

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

How we grade →

Overview

Fresno City College serves over 21,000 students, making it a significant hub for higher education in California's Central Valley. The college's net price stands at $8,069, making it a cost-effective option for many students seeking postsecondary education without incurring substantial debt.

The Chetty/Opportunity Insights data on outcomes indicates that graduates from Fresno City College earn a median salary of $37,361 ten years after enrollment. While the graduation rate is 24%, the college serves a diverse population, with 31% of students receiving Pell Grants, highlighting its role in supporting low-income individuals pursuing higher education.

Students who thrive here typically seek programs in fields like Humanities, Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Criminal Justice, and Mechanic & Repair Tech. The median debt for graduates is only $4,058, allowing many to enter the workforce with less financial burden. This affordability, combined with the college's focus on practical career paths, attracts students looking for a solid return on their educational investment.

Can I Get In?

How selective Fresno City 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 Fresno City College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Fresno, California, Fresno City College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 24%.

Full-Time Faculty
42%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$11,391
Student–Faculty Ratio
25:1
Diversity Index
0.52
First-Gen Students
52%

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 Fresno City College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Fresno City College is $10,154, 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 $8,069. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $7,450 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $4,058 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$1,334
Out-of-State
$10,154
Avg Net Price
$8,069
Median Debt
$4,058
Pell Grant Rate
31%
Federal Loan Rate
0%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$7,450
Family Income $30K–$48K
$8,107
Family Income $48K–$75K
$10,285
Family Income $110K+
$13,965

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 Fresno City 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 Fresno City College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Fresno City College report median earnings of $37,361, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$30,049
8 Years
$31,711
10 Years
$37,361
Debt-to-Earnings
0.11x
Earning > $25K
36%

Earnings Trajectory

$30,049 6yr $31,711 8yr $37,361 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (228)
11%
100% (228)
11%
100% (228)
11%
100% (228)
11%

How Fresno Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation24%Earnings 10yr$37KNet Price$8KMedian Debt$4KPell Grant Rate31%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$7K$0-30K$8K$30-48K$10K$48-75K$14K$110K+

College ROI Calculator

Is Fresno City College Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, Fresno City College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $8,069/year ($32,276 total). Graduates earn $37,361 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $986,249 in total earnings — a net gain of $953,973 (30.6× your investment). The median debt is $4,058, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 24% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$32,276
Projected 20yr Earnings
$986,249
Net Return
$953,973
ROI Multiple
30.6×
Cost Per Year
$8,069
Median Debt
$4,058
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
24%

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 Fresno City College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs below average at Fresno City College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.65, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.08). Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
0.65
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.08
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
3.1%
Support Ratio
0.93
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
$7,503,993
Federal Grants
$5,376,309
Investment Income
$-8,800,445

Top Programs

The fields Fresno City 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.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Based in Fresno, California, Fresno City College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 24%.

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

Published tuition at Fresno City College is $10,154, 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 $8,069. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $7,450 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $4,058 in federal student loans.

Is Fresno City College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Fresno City College report median earnings of $37,361, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

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

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs below average at Fresno City College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.65, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.08). Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Fresno City 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