Glendale Community College
- Graduation Rate
- 35% D
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $41,540 C
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $8,365 B+
- 51% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 10,509
Bottom line: A B- overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 34.4× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $34.4 over 20 years.
Every $1 spent returns $34.4 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,117,728.
What The Data Says
-
A B- overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
-
Graduation of 35% — 38% below the national average.
-
Social mobility rate of 7.08% — an engine of upward economic mobility.
-
Every $1 invested returns $34.4 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Glendale Community College Matters
Glendale Community College is a public community college in Glendale, CA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network and a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: durable upward mobility for the students it enrolls.
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
- 10,509
- Setting
- Urban
- Designations
- HSI
- Primary Strengths
- Business & Marketing, Humanities, Social Sciences, Health Professions
Why students choose Glendale Community College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
This school does not report a competitive admit rate — most qualified applicants are admitted.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $8,365 a year after grants and scholarships — 51% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $41,540 ten years after enrolling — 2% above the typical college, against $8,972 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 7.1% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 1% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.22 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Glendale Community College serves over 10,500 students, with a net price of just $8,365 after grants. This affordability makes it an attractive option for those looking to minimize student debt while pursuing higher education. With a median debt of $8,972, students can graduate with a manageable financial burden.
Opportunity Insights data shows that students from Glendale Community College can expect to earn about $41,540 ten years after graduation. This figure suggests a solid return on investment for graduates, particularly for those who engage with the college's top programs in Business & Marketing, Social Sciences, and Health Professions. While the graduation rate stands at 35%, the college plays an essential role in the community, especially for first-generation college students seeking upward mobility.
Students who thrive here often take advantage of the diverse program offerings while balancing work and study. About 38% of students receive Pell Grants, indicating a significant portion of the student body comes from low-income backgrounds. This supportive environment, combined with affordable tuition and strong earning potential, makes Glendale Community College a practical choice for those looking to advance their education and career prospects.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective Glendale Community College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Glendale Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Glendale Community College, located in Glendale, California, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 35%.
- Retention Rate
- 73%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 32%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $10,569
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 24:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.60
- First-Gen Students
- 60%
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 Glendale Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Glendale Community College is $10,935, 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 $8,365. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $7,902 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $8,972 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $1,191
- Out-of-State
- $10,935
- Avg Net Price
- $8,365
- Median Debt
- $8,972
- Pell Grant Rate
- 38%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 3%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $7,902
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $7,944
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $9,747
- Family Income $110K+
- $11,964
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 Glendale Community College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Glendale Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Glendale Community College report median earnings of $41,540, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $32,387
- 8 Years
- $37,532
- 10 Years
- $41,540
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.22x
- Earning > $25K
- 44%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (251)
- 19%
- 100% (251)
- 19%
- 100% (251)
- 19%
- 100% (251)
- 19%
How Glendale Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Glendale Community College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Glendale Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $8,365/year ($33,460 total). Graduates earn $41,540 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,151,188 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,117,728 (34.4× your investment). The median debt is $8,972, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 35% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $33,460
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,151,188
- Net Return
- $1,117,728
- ROI Multiple
- 34.4×
- Cost Per Year
- $8,365
- Median Debt
- $8,972
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 35%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Glendale Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Glendale Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 7.08%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 32.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 21.9% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $40,100, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 7.08%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 21.9%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 32.4%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $54,482
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Endowment
- $7,951,073
- Investment Income
- $-5,618,857
Top Programs
The fields Glendale Community 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.
- Business & Marketing 21% $21,338 early-career
- Humanities 21%
- Social Sciences 14%
- Health Professions 8% $86,300 early-career
- Biology & Biomedical 5%
- Psychology 4%
- Visual & Performing Arts 4%
- Mathematics & Statistics 3%
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.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Glendale Community College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-AI/ML Engineer$156,000 · 23% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Computer Vision Engineer$145,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CPhysicist$142,850 · 5% growthAdaptable 66
- CAstronomer$142,850 · 4% growthAdaptable 66
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CPharmacist$136,030 · 3% growthResilient 82
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Glendale Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Glendale Community College, located in Glendale, California, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 35%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Glendale Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Glendale Community College is $10,935, 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 $8,365. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $7,902 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $8,972 in federal student loans.
Is Glendale Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Glendale Community College report median earnings of $41,540, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does Glendale Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Glendale Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 7.08%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 32.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 21.9% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $40,100, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Glendale Community 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 Glendale Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.22, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.10). Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Glendale Community College.
- Metropolitan Community College-Kansas CityKansas City, MO · Close peer31% grad $40,796 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- San Diego City CollegeSan Diego, CA · Close peer28% grad $38,503 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- UCNJ Union College of Union County New JerseyCranford, NJ · Close peer35% grad $41,595 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar net price
- Riverside City CollegeRiverside, CA · Close peer34% grad $41,091 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Los Medanos CollegePittsburg, CA · Close peer40% grad $42,454 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · same state
- Cosumnes River CollegeSacramento, CA · Close peer36% grad $42,446 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Glendale Community 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 Glendale Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.22, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.10). Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note