Skip to content
CollegeRanker
Public Los Angeles, CA · Suburban · Far West · 80% data
A Affordability A- Value B Diversity
Graduation Rate
34% D
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$32,172 D+
Below average for college graduates
Net Price
$5,964 A
65% less than the typical college
Enrollment
3,706
Earnings -21% vs avg
Graduation -41% vs avg
Net Price +-65% vs avg

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 31.7× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $31.7 over 20 years. Ranked #3 in Best Online Computer Science Programs in California.

31.7× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $31.7 over 20 years. Net gain: $731,920.

What The Data Says

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

  2. Graduate earnings fall 21% below the national college median.

  3. Graduation of 34% — 41% below the national average.

  4. Every $1 invested returns $31.7 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

About Los Angeles Southwest College

Los Angeles Southwest 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 Community College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
3,706
Setting
Suburban
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Business & Marketing, Health Professions, Psychology

Why students choose Los Angeles Southwest 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 42% overall
D+
Earnings
$32,172 median
A-
Value
5.4× net price
A
Affordability
$5,964/yr net
D
Graduation
34% graduate
B
Diversity
0.68 index

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

How we grade →

Overview

Los Angeles Southwest College serves over 3,700 students, focusing on accessible education and community connection. With a net price of just $5,964, it stands out as a cost-effective option for students looking to further their education without incurring overwhelming debt.

Chetty/Opportunity Insights data highlights that graduates from Los Angeles Southwest College earn a median income of $32,172 ten years after enrollment. While the graduation rate sits at 34%, the college plays a critical role in supporting students from diverse backgrounds, with 23% receiving Pell Grants. This financial aid makes it easier for low-income students to access education and improve their economic standing.

Students thrive here when they engage in programs such as Humanities, Business & Marketing, Health Professions, Social Sciences, and Criminal Justice. The environment is supportive and geared toward helping students develop skills for the workforce. With a focus on community and affordability, Los Angeles Southwest College attracts those looking for practical pathways to success.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Los Angeles Southwest 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 Los Angeles Southwest College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles Southwest College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 34%.

Retention Rate
52%
Full-Time Faculty
31%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$11,250
Student–Faculty Ratio
19:1
Diversity Index
0.68
First-Gen Students
58%

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 Los Angeles Southwest College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Los Angeles Southwest College is $10,572, 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 $5,964. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $5,723 after need-based grants.

In-State Tuition
$1,238
Out-of-State
$10,572
Avg Net Price
$5,964
Pell Grant Rate
23%
Federal Loan Rate
1%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$5,723
Family Income $30K–$48K
$6,189
Family Income $48K–$75K
$6,540

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 Los Angeles Southwest 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 Los Angeles Southwest College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Los Angeles Southwest College report median earnings of $32,172, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$28,065
8 Years
$29,752
10 Years
$32,172
Earning > $25K
36%

Earnings Trajectory

$28,065 6yr $29,752 8yr $32,172 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (31)
9%
100% (31)
9%
100% (31)
9%
100% (31)
9%

How Los Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation34%Earnings 10yr$32KNet Price$6KRetention52%Pell Grant Rate23%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$6K$0-30K$6K$30-48K$7K$48-75K

College ROI Calculator

Is Los Angeles Southwest College Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, Los Angeles Southwest College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $5,964/year ($23,856 total). Graduates earn $32,172 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $755,776 in total earnings — a net gain of $731,920 (31.7× 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)
$23,856
Projected 20yr Earnings
$755,776
Net Return
$731,920
ROI Multiple
31.7×
Cost Per Year
$5,964
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 Los Angeles Southwest 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 Los Angeles Southwest College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.83, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.05), 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
0.83
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.05
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
3.5%
Support Ratio
0.77
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).

Top Programs

The fields Los Angeles Southwest 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 Los Angeles Southwest College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles Southwest College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 34%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Los Angeles Southwest College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Los Angeles Southwest College is $10,572, 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 $5,964. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $5,723 after need-based grants.

Is Los Angeles Southwest College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Los Angeles Southwest College report median earnings of $32,172, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

How Connected Is Los Angeles Southwest 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 Los Angeles Southwest College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.83, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.05), 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 Los Angeles Southwest 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