Before making this decision of searching for the best community colleges in California for transfer you must have decided what degree you want and which community college is the best choice for that.
The kind of agreement between the best community colleges in California for transfer and the University that you would love to transfer to is another thing to consider.
Every University and degree requirement is so different that you will need to spend a good amount of time searching, considering and reconsidering the community college courses to take in order to have a safe transfer to your dream 4-year institution.
While looking through the perfect courses to take, the University Advisor can help you with this step. Please note that it is the advisor in the university that you intend to transfer to that will help you through this stage and not your community college advisor.
Therefore before enrolling into any of the best community colleges in California for transfer, ask them for credit transfer advice, have them do a proper review of your plan and tell you the courses that will be perfect for transfer. Read on while we explore the best community colleges in California for transfer.
The list of the best community colleges in California for transfer
Here are some of the best community colleges in California for transfer:
- Foothill College
- Santa Monica College
- Santa Barbara City College
- De Anza College
- Irvine Valley College
- Moorpark College
- Pasadena City College
- Berkeley City College
Foothill College
This community college has a friendly transfer centre counsellor and staff that will assist you for that successful transition from Foothill College to that four-year college or university of your choice.
Many Foothill college students transfer to a four-year school for an advanced degree after completing their studies at Foothill.
Foothill College offers 29 associate degrees for transfer. Both types of ADTs – Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) and Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T ) – are intended for students who plan to transfer and complete a bachelor’s degree in a similar major at a CSU campus.
In addition to their regular associate degrees, they offer associate degrees for transfer (ADTs) that ensure a smooth transition to the California State University system.
However, the ADT degree may not be the best option for you if you intend to transfer to a particular CSU campus or to a university or college that is not part of the CSU system.
There are online and offline degrees in this community college.
Enrollment Fee: $31 per unit.
Basic Fees: $54.75-$56.75.
In-State Tuition: $1,536
Out of state Tuition: $6,351
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica College has been California’s number 1 transfer college for 30 years. They are top in transfers to UCs, USC, LMU, and UCs and CSUs combined. World-Class education and endless possibilities await you.
In this community college you can get ahead of the transfer process: earn scholarships directly from 4-year colleges and universities while you complete your associate’ degree.
Visit their website to find out your transfer options. This community college produces the most transfer students of any two-year college in California; in 2010, they produced an impressive 1,053.
In-State Tuition: $1,140
Out of state Tuition: $6,012
Santa Barbara City College
This community college was established in the year 1909, making it one of the oldest community colleges in California.
Many students attend SBCC to obtain basic English or math skills, improve or advance current job skills, or for personal enrichment and do not aspire to earn a degree or certificate or transfer to a four–year institution.
Their program guarantees students the ability to efficiently transfer to a school in the UC or CSU system.
About a third of these transfer students choose to stay in Santa Barbara to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara, ranked the 11th-best public school in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.
In-State Tuition: $1,374
Out of state Tuition: $7,254
De Anza College
De Anza College is one of the best community colleges in California for transfer because of its in-depth transfer planning.
They give their students proper information about articulation agreements, guaranteed admissions and impacted majors.
This community college also offers Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADT) – also known as Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) and Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T ) degrees – which are intended primarily for students who plan to transfer into a similar baccalaureate major at a CSU campus. Students
They are ranked 10th on CNN Money’s list of community colleges that have the best graduation and transfer rates.
De Anza College also produced the second-most transfer students of any two-year school in California in 2010.
Students can transfer to CSU schools, UC schools or independent colleges with the help of De Anza’s transfer planning program and partnership program, which help students get into great universities like the University of California, Berkeley.
In-State Tuition: $1,5424
Out of state Tuition: $6,357
Irvine Valley College
Irvine Valley College is one of the best community colleges in California for transfer. Irvine Valley College (IVC) has the No. 1 transfer rate in California, as well as Orange County.
This community college Presented 2,673 degrees during the school’s 34th Annual Commencement Ceremony in May.
Graduates of IVC’s class of 2019 have been accepted at each of the nine campuses of the University of California, including the University of California, Irvine.
Many IVC students will also be heading off to Cal State universities, including San Diego State, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Long Beach, Cal Poly Pomona, and San Luis Obispo.
IVC students will also be transferring to USC, Chapman, Pepperdine, and many of the Ivy League Schools.
This year’s transfers include Fordham University, American University, and Stanford.
This community college draws more than 15,000 students every year.
It is, therefore, one of the best community colleges in California for transfer offering 80 associate degrees and over 70 career and technical certificate programs.
In-State Tuition: $1,487
Out of state Tuition: $7,935
Other community colleges on the list
| School | Applicants | Admit rate |
| Moorpark College | 567 | 26% |
| Pasadena City College | 1,291 | 27% |
| Berkeley City College | 289 | 23% |
Transfer Requirements-What do I need to transfer?
Transfer admission requirements can vary from University to University. Some universities have very strict outlined requirements while other universities have more open-ended criteria.
Most colleges that you know out there have there major types of requirements and they are:
- Course requirements
- GPA requirements
- Unit requirements
Course requirements:
The course requirements simply refer to the courses that you must take before you can be eligible to transfer to the receiving institution. For example, English, Math, major-related courses, and other general education courses.
GPA requirement
This refers to a minimum grade point average that you must achieve to be considered for admission.
Unit requirement
This refers to the number of units that must be completed before you can be able to transfer.
What GPA do I need to transfer to UCLA?
UCLA accepts 24.09% of transfer applicants, which is competitive.
To be able to be accepted into UCLA, you should have a current GPA of at least 3.89 – ideally, you’re GPA will be around 4.05.
Check out the Overview by Community Colleges in California for other best community colleges in California for transfer.
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