Santa Rosa Junior College
- Graduation Rate
- 36% D
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $47,224 B-
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $6,331 A-
- 63% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 15,080
Bottom line: A B- overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 45.4× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $45.4 over 20 years.
Every $1 spent returns $45.4 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,123,913.
What The Data Says
-
A B- overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
-
Graduation of 36% — 38% below the national average.
-
Every $1 invested returns $45.4 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Economic Footprint
- Inventor Rate
- 0.2%
- Top 73%
- Patents
- 39
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 62
- Downstream influence
Why Santa Rosa Junior College Matters
Santa Rosa Junior College is a public college in Santa Rosa, CA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. 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 College
- Carnegie Class
- Associate's College
- Enrollment
- 15,080
- Setting
- Urban
- Designations
- HSI
- Primary Strengths
- Humanities, Health Professions, Criminal Justice, Social Sciences
Why students choose Santa Rosa Junior 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 $6,331 a year after grants and scholarships — 63% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $47,224 ten years after enrolling — 16% above the typical college, against $9,500 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.7% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 37% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.30 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Santa Rosa Junior College serves over 15,000 students, offering an affordable path to higher education with a net price of just $6,331. This cost-effectiveness allows many to pursue their academic goals without incurring heavy debt, as the median debt for graduates stands at $9,500.
The Chetty/Opportunity Insights data highlights that Santa Rosa Junior College has a solid track record for students seeking upward mobility. Though specific mobility rates are not available, the college's emphasis on practical programs in fields like Health Professions and Business & Marketing suggests a focus on preparing students for the workforce. Graduates can expect to earn around $47,224 within a decade of completing their studies.
Students who thrive at Santa Rosa Junior College often appreciate a hands-on approach to learning and a supportive community. With a graduation rate of 36%, the college is dedicated to helping students succeed despite challenges. It serves as a stepping stone for many, particularly those seeking careers in high-demand fields, while keeping education accessible and affordable.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective Santa Rosa Junior 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 Santa Rosa Junior College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Santa Rosa Junior College, located in Santa Rosa, California, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 36%.
- Retention Rate
- 72%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 31%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $12,791
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 17:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.66
- First-Gen Students
- 48%
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 Santa Rosa Junior College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Santa Rosa Junior 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 $6,331. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $5,275 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $9,500 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $1,318
- Out-of-State
- $11,308
- Avg Net Price
- $6,331
- Median Debt
- $9,500
- Pell Grant Rate
- 17%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 1%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $5,275
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $5,434
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $7,693
- Family Income $110K+
- $13,345
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 Santa Rosa Junior 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 Santa Rosa Junior College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Santa Rosa Junior College earn a median of $47,224, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $40,149
- 8 Years
- $42,899
- 10 Years
- $47,224
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.2x
- Earning > $25K
- 52%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (138)
- 15%
- 100% (138)
- 15%
- 100% (138)
- 15%
- 100% (138)
- 15%
How Santa 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 Santa Rosa Junior College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Santa Rosa Junior College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $6,331/year ($25,324 total). Graduates earn $47,224 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,149,237 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,123,913 (45.4× your investment). The median debt is $9,500, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 36% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $25,324
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,149,237
- Net Return
- $1,123,913
- ROI Multiple
- 45.4×
- Cost Per Year
- $6,331
- Median Debt
- $9,500
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 36%
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 Santa Rosa Junior College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Santa Rosa Junior 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 1.75%, well above the typical college. About 9% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 19.3% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $80,900, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.75%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 19.3%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 9.0%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $109,915
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
Santa Rosa Junior College produces inventors at a measurable rate, with 39 patents tied to its graduates.
- Inventor Rate
- 0.22%
- Top 73% nationally
- Patents Produced
- 39
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 62
- Downstream influence
- Inventors From Low-Income
- 0.25%
- Bottom-20% families
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Investment Income
- $-4,668,476
Top Programs
The fields Santa Rosa Junior 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 27%
- Health Professions 18% $107,743 early-career
- Criminal Justice 10% $84,379 early-career
- Social Sciences 7% $44,210 early-career
- Business & Marketing 7% $45,495 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 4%
- Psychology 3% $35,271 early-career
- Visual & Performing Arts 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 Santa Rosa Junior 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
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
- B-Software Developer$132,270 · 25% growthVulnerable 40
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Santa Rosa Junior College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Santa Rosa Junior College, located in Santa Rosa, California, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 36%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Santa Rosa Junior College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Santa Rosa Junior 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 $6,331. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $5,275 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $9,500 in federal student loans.
Is Santa Rosa Junior College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Santa Rosa Junior College earn a median of $47,224, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
Does Santa Rosa Junior College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Santa Rosa Junior 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 1.75%, well above the typical college. About 9% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 19.3% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $80,900, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Santa Rosa Junior 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 Santa Rosa Junior College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.30, 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 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Santa Rosa Junior College.
- Orange Coast CollegeCosta Mesa, CA · Close peer46% grad $47,348 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size · same state
- City College of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA · Close peer40% grad $45,805 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Palomar CollegeSan Marcos, CA · Close peer36% grad $42,300 earnWhy: similar grad rate · similar size · similar net price
- Chabot CollegeHayward, CA · Close peer44% grad $48,143 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Allan Hancock CollegeSanta Maria, CA · Close peer27% grad $42,786 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · same state
- Oakton CollegeDes Plaines, IL · Close peer34% grad $47,852 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Santa Rosa Junior 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 Santa Rosa Junior College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.30, 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 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note