Laney College
- Laney College, in the heart of vibrant, multicultural downtown Oakland, features the cosmopolitan atmosphere and human energy of a big-city university. Across the street from the Oakland Museum of California, blocks from historic Chinatown, and a pleasant stroll from both Lake Merritt and the Oakland Estuary, Laney gives its 12,000-plus students ready access to the city's formidable intellectual, cultural, and natural resources. With renowned programs in such fields as Journalism, Culinary Arts, Mathematics, Machine Technology, and Ethnic Studies, Laney has been a leader in academic and vocational education for decades. A talented faculty and dedicated staff, not to mention a new state-of-the-art technology center, ensure that Laney will remain at the forefront of Information Age community education for years to come.
School Highlights
- Laney College serves 10,548 students (17% of students are full-time).
- The college's student:teacher ratio of 46:1 is higher than the state community college average of 44:1.
- Minority enrollment is 89% of the student body (majority Black and Asian), which is more than the state average of 68%.
- Laney College is one of 9 community colleges within Alameda County, CA.
- The nearest community college to Laney College is College of Alameda (1.6 miles away).
Top Placements
Laney College places among the top 20% of community colleges in California for:
- Category Attribute
- Diversity Diversity in US community colleges
- Diversity Average community college minority breakdown
School Overview
- The teacher population of 231 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
| Laney College | (CA) Community College Avg. | |
| Institution Level | At least 2 but less than 4 years | At least 2 but less than 4 years |
| Institution Control | Public | Public |
| Total Faculty | 231 staff | 97 staff |
| Total Enrollment | 10,548 students | 7,516 students |
 | ||
| Student : Teacher Ratio | 46:1 | 44:1 |
| # Full-Time Students | 1,821 students | 1,613 students |
| # Part-Time Students | 8,727 students | 5,903 students |
 |  | |
| % Asian | 27% | 13% |
| % Hispanic | 13% | 37% |
| % Black | 29% | 7% |
| % White | 11% | 32% |
| % Hawaiian | 1% | - |
| % Two or more races | 5% | 3% |
| % Non Resident races | 4% | 3% |
| % Unknown races | 10% | 5% |
 |  | |
| Diversity Score | 0.80 | 0.73 |
 | ||
| College Completion Rate | 24% | 29% |
| Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years) | $33,700 | $34,600 |
Source: 2016 (or latest year available) IPEDS
School Notes
- Laney is the largest of the four colleges (13,000 students) in the Peralta Community College District, which serves the six cities of Northern Alameda County (Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland and Piedmont). Ours is a unique institution, and we are fiercely proud of its long history and ongoing commitment to service. A crucial part of that commitment is ensuring the quality of your education as well as your overall campus experience. Our success, after all, is inseparable from yours and student learning is our first priority. The Laney college campus, which opened in 1970, is a vibrant and safe environment in a central location in downtown Oakland on 60 acres of land. Laney is across the street from the Oakland Museum and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center. We are also one block from the Lake Merritt Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station and two blocks from the Alameda County Courthouse and beautiful Lake Merritt. The campus is in walking distance to Oakland's Chinatown and is easily accessible to the famous Jack London Square Laney is well known for its outstanding student newspaper, the Laney Tower; its Transfer Opportunity Center; and its array of quality academic and occupational course offerings. In addition, Associate degrees are offered in more than twenty (20) Liberal Arts and Science fields. Laney transfers more students per year to UC Berkeley than any other college of its size in the United States. Many other Laney students transfer to California State University campuses, local and out-of-state independent institutions and historically black colleges and universities. The faculty and staff are our campus' greatest asset. Laney's wonderful diversity, set in the midst of a lively urban center, makes it particularly wealthy in human potential.Laney is a vibrant campus with a comprehensive educational offering, where students are challenged and inspired to actualize their highest potential.
Nearby Schools
- The nearest community college to Laney College is College of Alameda (1.6 miles away).
- College Location Mi. Students
- College of AlamedaPublic5,712 students | 1.60 Mi555 Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pky
Alameda, CA 94501
(510)522-7221 1.605,712 - Berkeley City CollegePublic6,321 students | 5.10 Mi2050 Center Sreet
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510)981-2800 5.106,321 - Merritt CollegePublic6,574 students | 5.10 Mi12500 Campus Dr
Oakland, CA 94619
(510)531-4911 5.106,574 - Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-San FranciscoPrivate, for profit527 students | 8.00 Mi55 Stockton St
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415)675-5200 8.00527 - Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts-San FranciscoPrivate, for profit442 students | 8.00 Mi350 Rhode Island Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415)216-4416 8.00442
Recent Articles
A new study by the Massachusetts Teachers Association has urged the state to hire more full-time faculty members at community colleges after uncovering a host of issues related to a growing adjunct faculty at these schools.
Colleges across the country are struggling to recover from the massive upheaval to the 2019-20 semester wrought by COVID-19. Housing refunds and slashed budgets are bound to have long-term impacts for the institutions that survive. Some experts suggest community colleges may be the best equipped to ride out the storm and may have the greatest impact in helping America recover.
The role of community colleges in the world of higher education has expanded over the years and, as the country works to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, they may be more important now than ever. Read on to learn more about the changing role of community colleges.
