WVC Ranks #11 in Statewide ROI Report on California’s Community Colleges
West Valley College is now recognized as the leading community college for equitable workforce value in the South Bay. We ranked #11 out of 327 two-year institutions in California in a groundbreaking report evaluating the return on investment (ROI) for community and career colleges. The study, “Golden Returns: A Regional Look at the Return on Investment (ROI) of California’s Community and Career Colleges,” was released this week by College Futures Foundation and The HEA Group.
The report marks the first comprehensive, regional analysis of how quickly our students can recoup the cost of their education. At West Valley College, most students can recover their net educational costs in under six months—placing the college firmly in the top 25 statewide, and one of the highest performers in the Bay Area.
“West Valley College is a place where opportunity is real and within reach,” said President Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza. “We are committed to removing barriers so that everyone, regardless of their background, has a genuine opportunity to succeed. By keeping education affordable, accessible, and aligned with workforce needs, we help students achieve meaningful careers and upward mobility.”
The “Golden Returns” report evaluates institutions across 12 of California’s economic regions, analyzing federal data from over 1.2 million students attending public, nonprofit, and for-profit two-year colleges. It finds that public community colleges overwhelmingly deliver better ROI than private institutions, with West Valley College standing out as a leader.
Key statewide report findings include:
- 23 of the top 25 institutions are California Community Colleges.
- Forty percent of public institutions allow students to recoup costs within a year, compared to just five percent of private institutions.
- These high-performing colleges enable students to recoup their net costs within six months.
- Regional disparities remain: 38% of institutions in the Bay Area deliver ROI in under a year, compared to only 6% in the Inland Empire.
To view the full report, including the complete list of rankings and methodology, visit https://collegefutures.org/golden-returns-2-year-ROI/.