Rio Hondo College

3600 Workman Mill Rd
Whittier, CA 90601
Top Ranked (2024): View Rankings
  • Rio Hondo College is a collaborative center of lifelong learning which provides innovative, challenging, and quality educational offerings--including programs and courses leading to transfer and vocational degrees and certificates --for its diverse students and community.

School Highlights

Rio Hondo College serves 15,692 students (28% of students are full-time).
The college's student:teacher ratio of 25:1 is higher than the state community college average of 21:1.
Minority enrollment is 95% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the state average of 74%.

Quick Stats (2024)

  • Enrollment: 15,692 students
  • In-state tuition: $1,356
  • Out-state tuition: $6,760
  • Student:teacher ratio: 25:1
  • Minority enrollment: 95%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

Top Rankings

Rio Hondo College ranks among the top 20% of public schools in California for:

School Overview

The teacher population of 634 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Rio Hondo College
(CA) Community College Avg.
Carnegie Classification
Associates Colleges
Associates Colleges
Institution Level
Four or more years
At least 2 but less than 4 years
Institution Control
Public
Public
Total Faculty
634 staff
312 staff
This chart display total faculty of Rio Hondo College and community college average number of faculty in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Student Body

The student population of Rio Hondo College has declined by 18% over five years.
The student:teacher ratio of 25:1 has decreased from 31:1 over five years.
The Rio Hondo College diversity score of 0.30 is less than the state average of 0.71. The school's diversity has declined by 14% over five years.
Total Enrollment
15,692 students
7,900 students
This chart display the total enrollment of Rio Hondo College and community college average number of enrollment of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio
25:1
21:1
This chart display the student staff ratio of Rio Hondo College and community college average student staff ratio of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Full-Time Students
4,427 students
1,661 students
This chart display the total number of Full-time students enrollment of Rio Hondo College and average number of community college Full-time students enrollment of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Part-Time Students
11,265 students
6,239 students
This chart display the total number of Part-time students enrollment of Rio Hondo College and average number of community college Part-time students enrollment of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
This chart display the Full-time students and Part-time students enrollment breakdown of Rio Hondo College.
This chart display community college average Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of CA.
# Enrollment Undergraduate
100 students
302 students
# Full-Time Undergraduate Students
4,427 students
1,646 students
This chart display the total number of Full-time undergraduate students enrollment of Rio Hondo College and average number of community college Full-time undergraduate  students enrollment of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
# Full-Time Graduate Students
n/a
54 students
# Part-Time Undergraduate Students
11,265 students
6,288 students
# Part-Time Graduate Students
n/a
10 students
Total Dormitory Capacity
n/a
140 students
% American Indian/Alaskan
n/a
n/a
This chart display the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan students in Rio Hondo College and the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2017-18 school year data.
% Asian
9%
13%
This chart display the percentage of Asian students in Rio Hondo College and the percentage of Asian community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Hispanic
83%
45%
This chart display the percentage of Hispanic students in Rio Hondo College and the percentage of Hispanic community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Black
1%
5%
This chart display the percentage of Black students in Rio Hondo College and the percentage of Black community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% White
5%
26%
This chart display the percentage of White students in Rio Hondo College and the percentage of White community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Two or more races
1%
4%
This chart display the percentage of Two or more races students in Rio Hondo College and the percentage of Two or more races community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Non Resident races
1%
3%
This chart display the percentage of Non Resident students in Rio Hondo College and the percentage of Non Resident community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Unknown races
n/a
4%
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Rio Hondo College.
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in CA.
Diversity Score
0.30
0.71
This chart display the diversity score of Rio Hondo College and the community college average diversity score of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in less than 4 years)
20%
28%
This chart display completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of Rio Hondo College and community college average completion rates for First-Time of Full-time students of CA by year, with the latest 2014-15 school year data.
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in 4 years or more than 4 years)
6.33%
1.92%
Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)
$36,700
$34,700
This chart display average graduate earnings (10 Years) of Rio Hondo College and community college average graduate earnings (10 Years) of CA by year, disaggregated by student subgroups with the latest 2012-13 school year data.

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

The public in-state tuition of $1,356 is less than the state average of $1,993. The in-state tuition has stayed relatively flat over four years.
The public out-state tuition of $6,760 is less than the state average of $7,120. The out-state tuition has stayed relatively flat over four years.
In-State Tuition Fees
$1,356
$1,993
This chart display tuition fees for an in-state student of Rio Hondo College and the public community college average tuition fees for an in-state student of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Out-State Tuition Fees
$6,760
$7,120
This chart display tuition fees for an out-of-state student of Rio Hondo College and the public community college average tuition fees for an out-of-state student of CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid
91%
86%
This chart display the percent of students who is receiving some financial aid in Rio Hondo College and the percent of community college students who is receiving some financial aid in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Median Debt for Graduates
$8,063
$10,500
This chart display median debt for students who have completed a certificate or degree in Rio Hondo College and average median debt for community college students who have completed a certificate or degree in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Median Debt for Dropouts
$4,750
$6,239
This chart display median debt for students who have not completed a certificate or degree in Rio Hondo College and average median debt for community college students who have not completed a certificate or degree in CA by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Acceptance Rate
n/a
89%
Source: 2021 (or latest year available) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

School Notes

  • Rio Hondo College (RHC), located in Southeast Los Angeles County near the intersection of the 60 and 605 freeways, enrolls over 20,000 students each semester. Rio Hondo College is fully accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The college serves students from a variety of educational backgrounds, including recent high school graduates, people seeking new skills or careers, and lifelong learners wanting to add to their knowledge base. Rio Hondo educational programs prepare students for transfer to four-year colleges and universities, grant two-year degrees in a number of specialties, issue certificates in technical or professional fields, provide contract training for employer workforces, and offer community service classes in subjects ranging from computer skills to cultural event fieldtrips. The college graduates close to 600 students every year, awarding two-year, Associate of Arts/Sciences degrees and nearly 500 specialty certificates. The college serves the cities of Whittier, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, El Monte, and South El Monte, as well as portions of Downey, La Mirada, La Puente, Industry, and some unincorporated portions of Los Angeles County. There are over 318,000 people residing in nearly 107,000 households served by the college. The diverse Rio Hondo College student population averages about 68% Hispanic, 12% Asian, 10% White Non-Hispanic, 2% Black, and 8% other or undeclared ethnicities. The college awards degrees in over 40 disciplines and certificates in close to 30 subjects. The college's Administration of Justice Program is the largest college-based program in the State of California and trains police officers for some 40 jurisdictions. In addition, RHC's Fire Technology, Nursing, Environmental Technology, Emergency Medical Technician, Welding, Drafting, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Automotive Technology Programs, among other vocational offerings, are top programs in the region. Classes are held in the day, evening and weekend as well as online through Rio Hondo's Virtual College.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Rio Hondo College cost?
Rio Hondo College's tuition is approximately $1,356 for In-State students and $6,760 for Out-State students.
What is Rio Hondo College's ranking?
Rio Hondo College ranks among the top 20% of community college in California for: Average community college minority breakdown and Largest student body.

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Quick Stats (2024)

  • Enrollment: 15,692 students
  • In-state tuition: $1,356
  • Out-state tuition: $6,760
  • Student:teacher ratio: 25:1
  • Minority enrollment: 95%
  • Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

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Did You Know?

For Los Angeles County, CA public community colleges, the average tuition is approximately $3,305 per year for in-state students and $8,200 for out-of-state students. For private community colleges, the average yearly tuition is approximately $24,360 per year. Read more about average community college tuition costs across the country.

The average community college acceptance rate in Los Angeles County, CA is 75%. Read more about national community college acceptance rates.

Los Angeles County, CA community colleges have a diversity score of 0.61, which is lower than the national average of 0.70. The most diverse community college in Los Angeles County, CA is FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-Los Angeles. Read more about community college diversity statistics in the USA.

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