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Los Medanos College

Public Pittsburg, CA · Suburban · Far West · 80% data
A- Value A- Affordability B+ Diversity
Graduation Rate
40% D
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$42,454 C
Roughly in line with national averages
Net Price
$7,443 A-
57% less than the typical college
Enrollment
7,320
Earnings +4% vs avg
Graduation -30% vs avg
Net Price +-57% vs avg

Bottom line: A B- overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 35.4× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $35.4 over 20 years.

35.4× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $35.4 over 20 years. Net gain: $1,023,499.

What The Data Says

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

  2. Graduation of 40% — 30% below the national average.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $35.4 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Los Medanos College Matters

Los Medanos College is a public community college in Pittsburg, CA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: measurable returns for the students it serves.

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
7,320
Setting
Suburban
Designations
HSI
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Business & Marketing, Criminal Justice, Mechanic & Repair Tech

Why students choose Los Medanos College

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
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.

B-
Top 33% overall
C
Earnings
$42,454 median
A-
Value
5.7× net price
A-
Affordability
$7,443/yr net
D
Graduation
40% graduate
B+
Diversity
0.71 index

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

How we grade →

Overview

Los Medanos College serves 7,320 students, making it a vibrant hub for education in Pittsburg, California. With a focus on practical career pathways, the school emphasizes programs in humanities, criminal justice, business, psychology, and mechanic and repair technology.

Chetty/Opportunity Insights data isn't available for mobility rates, but the college's graduation rate stands at 40%. This figure indicates that nearly half of students complete their degrees, which can influence long-term economic outcomes. Graduates earn an average of $42,454 within ten years of completing their studies, suggesting a return on investment for those who finish their programs.

The net price for attending Los Medanos College is $7,443, making it an accessible option for many. About 29% of students receive Pell Grants, highlighting the college's role in supporting low-income learners. Students who thrive here are often those seeking practical skills and career readiness, particularly in fields that lead directly to employment.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Los Medanos 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 Medanos College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Pittsburg, California, Los Medanos College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 40%.

Retention Rate
74%
Full-Time Faculty
43%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$10,989
Student–Faculty Ratio
22:1
Diversity Index
0.71
First-Gen Students
51%

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 Medanos College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Los Medanos 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 $7,443. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $5,958 after need-based grants.

In-State Tuition
$1,312
Out-of-State
$10,320
Avg Net Price
$7,443
Pell Grant Rate
29%
Federal Loan Rate
1%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$5,958
Family Income $30K–$48K
$6,455
Family Income $48K–$75K
$9,521
Family Income $110K+
$7,051

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 Medanos 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 Medanos College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Los Medanos College report median earnings of $42,454, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$35,606
8 Years
$39,218
10 Years
$42,454
Loan Repayment (3yr)
97%
Earning > $25K
44%

Earnings Trajectory

$35,606 6yr $39,218 8yr $42,454 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (142)
17%
100% (142)
17%
100% (142)
17%
100% (142)
17%

How Los Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation40%Earnings 10yr$42KNet Price$7KRetention74%Pell Grant Rate29%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

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

College ROI Calculator

Is Los Medanos College Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, Los Medanos College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $7,443/year ($29,772 total). Graduates earn $42,454 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,053,271 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,023,499 (35.4× your investment).. With a 40% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$29,772
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,053,271
Net Return
$1,023,499
ROI Multiple
35.4×
Cost Per Year
$7,443
Graduation Rate
40%

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 Medanos 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 Los Medanos College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.19, 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 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.19
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.04
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
3.3%
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
$1,353,111

Top Programs

The fields Los Medanos 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 Los Medanos College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Pittsburg, California, Los Medanos College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 40%.

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

Published tuition at Los Medanos 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 $7,443. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $5,958 after need-based grants.

Is Los Medanos College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Los Medanos College report median earnings of $42,454, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

How Connected Is Los Medanos 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 Los Medanos College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.19, 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 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Los Medanos 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.

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