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Porterville College

Public Porterville, CA · Suburban · Far West · 73% data
B- Affordability C+ Value C- Earnings
Graduation Rate
32% F
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$36,328 C-
Below average for college graduates
Net Price
$12,301 B-
28% less than the typical college
Enrollment
2,834
Earnings -11% vs avg
Graduation -44% vs avg
Net Price +-28% vs avg

Bottom line: A C- overall grade — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges. 18.6× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $18.6 over 20 years.

18.6× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $18.6 over 20 years. Net gain: $863,570.

What The Data Says

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

  2. Graduation of 32% — 44% below the national average.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $18.6 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

About Porterville College

Porterville 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
2,834
Setting
Suburban
Designations
HSI
Primary Strengths
Social Sciences, Humanities, Health Professions, Business & Marketing

Why students choose Porterville College

Strength in Social Sciences
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

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

C-
Top 58% overall
C-
Earnings
$36,328 median
C+
Value
3.0× net price
B-
Affordability
$12,301/yr net
F
Graduation
32% graduate
D
Diversity
0.36 index

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

How we grade →

Overview

Porterville College serves approximately 2,834 students, focusing on fields like Social Sciences, Criminal Justice, and Visual Arts. The college’s graduation rate stands at 32%, indicating that just over a quarter of students complete their degrees within the standard time frame.

Data from Chetty/Opportunity Insights suggests that Porterville College plays a role in improving economic mobility, though specific metrics like mobility and success rates for students from low-income backgrounds are not available. This indicates that while the college may help some students progress, there is room for improvement in tracking and enhancing outcomes.

The net price for attending Porterville College is $12,301. Graduates earn a median income of $36,328 ten years after starting their studies. With a Pell Grant rate of 35%, many students receive financial aid, making this college a viable option for those seeking to pursue their education without incurring significant debt. Students who thrive here are likely those focused on practical career paths in the arts, business, and social sciences.

Can I Get In?

How selective Porterville 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 Porterville College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Porterville, California, Porterville College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 32%.

Retention Rate
51%
Full-Time Faculty
41%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$11,482
Student–Faculty Ratio
24:1
Diversity Index
0.36
First-Gen Students
63%

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 Porterville College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Porterville College is $11,308, 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 $12,301. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $12,113 after need-based grants.

In-State Tuition
$1,438
Out-of-State
$11,308
Avg Net Price
$12,301
Pell Grant Rate
35%
Federal Loan Rate
0%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$12,113
Family Income $30K–$48K
$11,641
Family Income $48K–$75K
$13,228

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 Porterville 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 Porterville College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Porterville College report median earnings of $36,328, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$30,202
8 Years
$34,482
10 Years
$36,328
Earning > $25K
36%

Earnings Trajectory

$30,202 6yr $34,482 8yr $36,328 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (84)
15%
100% (84)
15%
100% (84)
15%
100% (84)
15%

How Porterville Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation32%Earnings 10yr$36KNet Price$12KRetention51%Pell Grant Rate35%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$12K$0-30K$12K$30-48K$13K$48-75K

College ROI Calculator

Is Porterville College Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, Porterville College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $12,301/year ($49,204 total). Graduates earn $36,328 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $912,774 in total earnings — a net gain of $863,570 (18.6× your investment).. With a 32% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$49,204
Projected 20yr Earnings
$912,774
Net Return
$863,570
ROI Multiple
18.6×
Cost Per Year
$12,301
Graduation Rate
32%

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 Porterville 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 Porterville College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.62, 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
0.62
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.04
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
2.8%
Support Ratio
0.99
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
$511,484
Federal Grants
$7,324,170
Investment Income
$210,903

Top Programs

The fields Porterville 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 Porterville College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Porterville, California, Porterville College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 32%.

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

Published tuition at Porterville College is $11,308, 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 $12,301. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $12,113 after need-based grants.

Is Porterville College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Porterville College report median earnings of $36,328, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

How Connected Is Porterville 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 Porterville College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.62, 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 Porterville 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