Cerro Coso Community College

3000 College Heights Blvd
Ridgecrest, CA 93555-9571
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Tel: (760) 384-6100
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  • The mission of Cerro Coso Community College is to provide high quality degree and certificate curricula in lower division arts and sciences and in vocational/ technical/ occupational education. Essential to this mission is providing support services which enhance student opportunities for success. As part of this mission, the college will respond to the interests, aspirations, and capabilities of students while encouraging them to develop as useful, contributing members of society.
School Highlights
  • Cerro Coso Community College serves 4,731 students (20% of students are full-time).
  • Minority enrollment is 41% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the state average of 68%.
  • Cerro Coso Community College is one of 5 community colleges within Kern County, CA.
  • The nearest community college to Cerro Coso Community College is Barstow Community College (60.2 miles away).

Top Placements

Cerro Coso Community College places among the top 20% of community colleges in California for:

School Overview

  • The teacher population of 91 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Cerro Coso Community College(CA) Community College Avg.
Carnegie ClassificationBaccalaureate / Associates CollegesBaccalaureate / Associates Colleges
Institution LevelLess than 2 yrsAt least 2 but less than 4 years
Institution ControlPublicPublic
Total Faculty91 staff97 staff
This chart display total faculty of Cerro Coso Community College and community college average number of faculty in CA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.

Student Body

  • The student population of Cerro Coso Community College has stayed relatively flat over five years.
  • The Cerro Coso Community College diversity score of 0.58 is less than the state average of 0.73. The school's diversity has stayed relatively flat over five years.
Total Enrollment4,731 students7,516 students
This chart display the total enrollment of Cerro Coso Community College and community college average number of enrollment of CA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio52:144:1
This chart display the student staff ratio of Cerro Coso Community College and community college average student staff ratio of CA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
# Full-Time Students929 students1,613 students
This chart display the total number of Full-Time students enrollment of Cerro Coso Community College and average number of community college Full-Time students enrollment of CA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
# Part-Time Students3,802 students5,903 students
This chart display the total number of Part-Time students enrollment of Cerro Coso Community College and average number of community college Part-Time students enrollment of CA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
This chart display the Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of Cerro Coso Community College.This chart display community college average Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of CA.
% American Indian/Alaskan
2%
-
This chart display the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan students in Cerro Coso Community College and the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2012-13 school year data.
% Asian
3%
13%
This chart display the percentage of Asian students in Cerro Coso Community College and the percentage of Asian community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
% Hispanic
26%
37%
This chart display the percentage of Hispanic students in Cerro Coso Community College and the percentage of Hispanic community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
% Black
4%
7%
This chart display the percentage of Black students in Cerro Coso Community College and the percentage of Black community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
% White
59%
32%
This chart display the percentage of White students in Cerro Coso Community College and the percentage of White community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
% Two or more races
5%
3%
This chart display the percentage of Two or more races students in Cerro Coso Community College and the percentage of Two or more races community college students in CA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Cerro Coso Community College.This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in CA.
Diversity Score0.580.73
This chart display the diversity score of Cerro Coso Community College and the community college average diversity score of CA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
College Completion Rate
19%
29%
This chart display completion rates for First-Time of Full-Time students of Cerro Coso Community 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.
Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)$31,200$34,600
This chart display average graduate earnings (10 Years) of Cerro Coso Community 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.

Finances and Admission

  • The public in-state tuition of $1,290 is less than the state average of $1,636. The in-state tuition has grown by 27% over four years.
  • The public out-state tuition of $7,086 is more than the state average of $6,797. The out-state tuition has grown by 5% over four years.
In-State Tuition Fees$1,290$1,636
This chart display tuition fees for an in-state student of Cerro Coso Community College and the public community college average tuition fees for an in-state student of CA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
Out-State Tuition Fees$7,086$6,797
This chart display tuition fees for an out-of-state student of Cerro Coso Community College and the public community college average tuition fees for an out-of-state student of CA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid67%78%
This chart display the percent of students who is receiving some financial aid in Cerro Coso Community College and the percent of community college students who is receiving some financial aid in CA by year, with the latest 2015-16 school year data.
Median Debt for Graduates (Year 2008)$6,787$6,625
Median Debt for Dropouts$3,500$3,500
This chart display median debt for students who have not completed a certificate or degree in Cerro Coso Community College and average median debt for community college students who have not completed a certificate or degree in CA by year, with the latest 2007-08 school year data.
Source: 2016 (or latest year available) IPEDS

School Notes

  • Cerro Coso Community College was established in 1973 as a separate college within the Kern Community College District. Cerro Coso has five instructional sites (Eastern Sierra Center Bishop & Mammoth, Indian Wells Valley, Kern River Valley, and South Kern), which together form the largest geographical service area (18,000 square miles) of any community college in California and which serve a population of approximately 85,000. A leader in online education, Cerro Coso has been offering online classes since 1997 and offers 9 Associate's degrees entirely online and as many as 100+ classes online each year, with approximately 100 sections per semester. The 320-acre Indian Wells Valley Campus is located in the upper Mojave Desert in the community of Ridgecrest, with a population of 28,000. Ridgecrest is located 130 miles northeast of Los Angeles and 120 miles east of Bakersfield. Cerro Coso Community College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The college and its programs are also approved by the California Community College Board of Governors, the California Board of Licensed Vocational Nurse and Psychiatric Examiners, and the California Department of Education for the enrollment of veterans. The University of California and other universities and colleges give full credit to appropriate lower division courses completed at Cerro Coso Community College. CCOnline, Cerro Coso Community College's virtual campus, currently offers associate degrees online, the general education courses necessary to meet transfer requirements to a four year institution, and student support services. CCOnline has an international reputation for excellence and provides an extraordinary opportunity for those too distant from a community college or too involved in business or family to pursue higher education during traditional hours.

Nearby Schools

  • College Location Mi. Students
  • Barstow Community College
    Public
    1,859 students | 60.20 Mi2700 Barstow Road
    Barstow,  CA  92311
    (760) 252-2411     60.201,859
  • University of Antelope Valley
    Private, for profit
    772 students | 66.70 Mi44055 Sierra Highway
    Lancaster,  CA  93534
    (661) 726-1911     66.70772
  • Antelope Valley College
    Public
    14,578 students | 74.10 Mi3041 West Ave K
    Lancaster,  CA  93536
    (661) 722-6300     74.1014,578
  • Bakersfield College
    Bakersfield College Photo
    Public
    19,428 students | 74.60 Mi1801 Panorama Drive
    Bakersfield,  CA  93305
    (661) 395-4011     74.6019,428
  • Victor Valley College
    Public
    11,557 students | 79.10 Mi18422 Bear Valley Rd
    Victorville,  CA  92395
    (760) 245-4271     79.1011,557
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Quick Stats (2020-21)
  • Students: 4,731 students
  • In-state tuition: $1,290
  • Out-state tuition: $7,086
  • Minority enrollment: 41%
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Did You Know?
For California public community colleges, the average tuition is approximately $1,636 per year for in-state students and $6,797 for out-of-state students. For private community colleges, the average yearly tuition is approximately $19,157 per year. Read more about average community college tuition costs across the country.

The average community college acceptance rate in California is 86%. Read more about national community college acceptance rates.

California community colleges have a diversity score of 0.73, which is higher than the national average of 0.65. The most diverse community college in California is Coastline Community College. Read more about community college diversity statistics in the USA.
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