Irvine Valley College
#2 Best Community Colleges- Graduation Rate
- 57% C
- About half of students who start complete their degree
- Earnings (10yr)
- $49,156 B-
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $2,090 A+
- 88% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 10,286
Bottom line: A B+ overall grade — strong outcomes across the board. 188.8× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $188.8 over 20 years. Ranked #2 in Best Community Colleges.
Every $1 spent returns $188.8 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,570,225.
What The Data Says
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A B+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
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Earnings 21% above the national college median.
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Social mobility rate of 2.35% — an engine of upward economic mobility.
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Every $1 invested returns $188.8 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Irvine Valley College Matters
Irvine Valley College is a public community college in Irvine, 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: 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
- 10,286
- Setting
- Urban
- Primary Strengths
- Humanities, Business & Marketing, Mathematics & Statistics, Physical Sciences
Why students choose Irvine Valley 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 $2,090 a year after grants and scholarships — 88% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $49,156 ten years after enrolling — 21% above the typical college, against $6,500 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 2.3% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 20% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.65 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Irvine Valley College serves over 10,000 students, making it a significant player in California's community college system. With a net price of just $2,090, it stands out as an affordable option for students seeking higher education without the burden of excessive debt.
Data from Chetty/Opportunity Insights sheds light on economic mobility for graduates. While specific mobility rates are not available, the average earnings ten years after graduation are $49,156. This suggests that students can expect a reasonable return on their investment, especially considering the low median debt of $6,500.
Students who thrive here typically pursue degrees in Humanities, Business & Marketing, Physical Sciences, Psychology, or Computer Science & IT. The graduation rate of 57% reflects the college's commitment to supporting student success in these fields, especially for those entering the workforce soon after completing their studies.
Rankings
- #2 Best Community Colleges
- #3 Most Affordable Colleges in California
- #4 Best Vocational & Technical Schools
- #9 Best Online Colleges in California
- #12 Most Affordable Online Public Universities
- #16 Most Affordable Online Colleges
- #18 Best Colleges in California
- #23 Best Business Colleges in California
Can I Get In?
How selective Irvine Valley 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 Irvine Valley College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Irvine, California, Irvine Valley College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 57%.
- Retention Rate
- 79%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 26%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $13,269
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 28:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.76
- First-Gen Students
- 43%
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 Irvine Valley College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Irvine Valley College is $11,860, 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 $2,090. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $734 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $6,500 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $1,156
- Out-of-State
- $11,860
- Avg Net Price
- $2,090
- Median Debt
- $6,500
- Pell Grant Rate
- 20%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 1%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $734
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $785
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $3,941
- Family Income $110K+
- $9,432
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 Irvine Valley 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 Irvine Valley College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Irvine Valley College earn a median of $49,156, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $35,124
- 8 Years
- $43,391
- 10 Years
- $49,156
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.13x
- Earning > $25K
- 50%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (530)
- 32%
- 100% (530)
- 32%
- 100% (530)
- 32%
- 100% (530)
- 32%
How Irvine 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 Irvine Valley College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Irvine Valley College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $2,090/year ($8,360 total). Graduates earn $49,156 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,578,585 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,570,225 (188.8× your investment). The median debt is $6,500, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 57% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $8,360
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,578,585
- Net Return
- $1,570,225
- ROI Multiple
- 188.8×
- Cost Per Year
- $2,090
- Median Debt
- $6,500
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 57%
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 Irvine Valley College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Irvine Valley 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 2.35%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 12% 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 19.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $81,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 2.35%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 19.6%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 12.0%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $110,322
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Endowment
- $2,385,486
- Federal Grants
- $5,064,058
- Investment Income
- $-1,385,640
Top Programs
The fields Irvine 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.
- Humanities 57%
- Business & Marketing 12%
- Mathematics & Statistics 4%
- Physical Sciences 3%
- Social Sciences 3%
- Psychology 3%
- Computer Science & IT 2%
- Visual & Performing Arts 2%
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Irvine Valley 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
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Irvine Valley College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Irvine, California, Irvine Valley College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 57%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Irvine Valley College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Irvine Valley College is $11,860, 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 $2,090. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $734 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $6,500 in federal student loans.
Is Irvine Valley College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Irvine Valley College earn a median of $49,156, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
Does Irvine Valley College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Irvine Valley 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 2.35%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 12% 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 19.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $81,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Irvine 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 Irvine Valley College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.65, 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 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Irvine Valley College.
- Santiago Canyon CollegeOrange, CA · Close peer47% grad $44,956 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- San Diego Miramar CollegeSan Diego, CA · Close peer48% grad $48,224 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Hartnell CollegeSalinas, CA · Close peer35% grad $44,316 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar net price · same state
- Middlesex CollegeEdison, NJ · Close peer34% grad $46,861 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar net price
- West Valley CollegeSaratoga, CA · Close peer52% grad $51,688 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · same state
- College of the CanyonsSanta Clarita, CA · Close peer44% grad $49,022 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size · same state
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Irvine 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 Irvine Valley College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.65, 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 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note