State cost ranking · DOE College Scorecard

Cheapest Colleges in California

Name: California College Net Price Rankings
Creator: PlainCampus

In California, Moorpark College reports aid covering the full average cost among 492 Scorecard reporters, grant aid meets or exceeds the published net-price components for the average aided student.

Compiled by PlainCampus , Independent campus-safety data publisher

Aid covers full cost
Cheapest net price: $20,161
California median: 492
Schools ranked

Moorpark College has the lowest average net price in California among Scorecard reporters

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, Moorpark College posts the lowest average net price in California at Aid covers full cost among 492 ranked schools, with the state median 18% above the $17,124 national median. Net price is what students paid after grant aid, not sticker tuition, and can reflect a narrow enrollment mix at specialty schools.

Data source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard

Cheapest net price: Aid covers full cost
California median: $20,161
Schools ranked: 492
National median: $17,124

Data updated August 2026 · IPEDS 2022–23 vintage

The list in one line

Moorpark College has the lowest average net price in California at Aid covers full cost, and the state's median net price is 18% above the $17,124 national median across 4,965 schools.

Aid covers full cost
cheapest ranked net price: $20,161
California median net price: 159 public / 333 private
schools in this ranking: $18,969
avg net price, <$30K income families

Average net price blends every income bracket; families under $30k average $18,969 here. Loans are excluded, open a school profile for the bracket table before treating one average as a personal cost.

Sticker tuition and real net price diverge most at Stanford University, where in-state published tuition of $65,910 falls to an average net price of $13,807 after aid, a $52,103 gap, the widest sticker-to-net gap among ranked California schools.

Private campuses outnumber public ones here (333 vs 159). A low figure at a small religious or specialty school can reflect a narrow enrollment mix, check sector and enrollment beside the price.

The bar to make this top-25 list is $3,702. Here is where that cutoff sits among all 492 Scorecard-reporting California schools:

The bar to make California's top-25 cheapest list

Average net price after aid · 492 Scorecard-reporting schools

$3,702 Among the most affordable more affordable than 95% of 492 California colleges

Show national distribution

Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more California colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · 2022–23

California's 25 cheapest colleges by real net price

Moorpark College Moorpark, CA · Public

Avg net price: Aid covers full cost
Net price (<$30K income): Aid covers full cost
Median debt: $9,500
Median earnings, 6yr: $37,374
Enrollment: 14,583

Oxnard College Oxnard, CA · Public

Avg net price: Aid covers full cost
Net price (<$30K income): Aid covers full cost
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $34,643
Enrollment: 7,361

Ventura College Ventura, CA · Public

Avg net price: Aid covers full cost
Net price (<$30K income): Aid covers full cost
Median debt: $13,876
Median earnings, 6yr: $34,084
Enrollment: 12,222

Canada College Redwood City, CA · Public

Avg net price: $32
Net price (<$30K income): Aid covers full cost
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $42,044
Enrollment: 6,625

College of the Sequoias Visalia, CA · Public

Avg net price: $480
Net price (<$30K income): Aid covers full cost
Median debt: $4,500
Median earnings, 6yr: $31,439
Enrollment: 14,494

College of San Mateo San Mateo, CA · Public

Avg net price: $536
Net price (<$30K income): Aid covers full cost
Median debt: $14,695
Median earnings, 6yr: $43,803
Enrollment: 9,901

San Diego Christian College Santee, CA · Private nonprofit

Avg net price: $992
Net price (<$30K income): $992
Median debt: $24,941
Median earnings, 6yr: $39,848
Enrollment: 96

Imperial Valley College Imperial, CA · Public

Avg net price: $1,115
Net price (<$30K income): $1,112
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $28,114
Enrollment: 8,873

Skyline College San Bruno, CA · Public

Avg net price: $1,738
Net price (<$30K income): $842
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $41,261
Enrollment: 9,572

Victor Valley College Victorville, CA · Public

Avg net price: $1,947
Net price (<$30K income): -
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $30,153
Enrollment: 8,423

Hartnell College Salinas, CA · Public

Avg net price: $2,039
Net price (<$30K income): $828
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $36,065
Enrollment: 11,273

Irvine Valley College Irvine, CA · Public

Avg net price: $2,090
Net price (<$30K income): $734
Median debt: $6,500
Median earnings, 6yr: $35,124
Enrollment: 13,018

Santiago Canyon College Orange, CA · Public

Avg net price: $2,129
Net price (<$30K income): Aid covers full cost
Median debt: $5,125
Median earnings, 6yr: $36,758
Enrollment: 11,897

San Joaquin Delta College Stockton, CA · Public

Avg net price: $2,407
Net price (<$30K income): $1,291
Median debt: $7,500
Median earnings, 6yr: $33,920
Enrollment: 20,969

Cerritos College Norwalk, CA · Public

Avg net price: $2,424
Net price (<$30K income): $1,538
Median debt: $8,447
Median earnings, 6yr: $32,581
Enrollment: 21,859

Yuba College Marysville, CA · Public

Avg net price: $2,576
Net price (<$30K income): $3,766
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $32,030
Enrollment: 6,320

Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA · Public

Avg net price: $2,779
Net price (<$30K income): $1,896
Median debt: $6,450
Median earnings, 6yr: $31,977
Enrollment: 23,453

Modesto Junior College Modesto, CA · Public

Avg net price: $2,818
Net price (<$30K income): $1,658
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $34,568
Enrollment: 18,258

Taft College Taft, CA · Public

Avg net price: $2,823
Net price (<$30K income): $1,934
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $33,687
Enrollment: 4,464

Shasta College Redding, CA · Public

Avg net price: $2,878
Net price (<$30K income): $2,107
Median debt: $14,250
Median earnings, 6yr: $32,486
Enrollment: 9,073

Santa Ana College Santa Ana, CA · Public

Avg net price: $3,133
Net price (<$30K income): $1,970
Median debt: $6,871
Median earnings, 6yr: $36,845
Enrollment: 27,248

San Diego Miramar College San Diego, CA · Public

Avg net price: $3,337
Net price (<$30K income): $1,358
Median debt: $6,750
Median earnings, 6yr: $40,327
Enrollment: 14,257

West Valley College Saratoga, CA · Public

Avg net price: $3,423
Net price (<$30K income): $1,658
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $41,764
Enrollment: 7,655

Hacienda La Puente Adult Education La Puente, CA · Public

Avg net price: $3,536
Net price (<$30K income): $3,568
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $31,703
Enrollment: 491

College of the Canyons Santa Clarita, CA · Public

Avg net price: $3,702
Net price (<$30K income): $2,522
Median debt: $9,612
Median earnings, 6yr: $37,697
Enrollment: 18,075

#	College	Avg net price	Net price (<$30K income)	Median debt	Median earnings, 6yr	Enrollment
1	Moorpark College Moorpark, CA · Public	Aid covers full cost	Aid covers full cost	$9,500	$37,374	14,583
2	Oxnard College Oxnard, CA · Public	Aid covers full cost	Aid covers full cost	-	$34,643	7,361
3	Ventura College Ventura, CA · Public	Aid covers full cost	Aid covers full cost	$13,876	$34,084	12,222
4	Canada College Redwood City, CA · Public	$32	Aid covers full cost	-	$42,044	6,625
5	College of the Sequoias Visalia, CA · Public	$480	Aid covers full cost	$4,500	$31,439	14,494
6	College of San Mateo San Mateo, CA · Public	$536	Aid covers full cost	$14,695	$43,803	9,901
7	San Diego Christian College Santee, CA · Private nonprofit	$992	$992	$24,941	$39,848	96
8	Imperial Valley College Imperial, CA · Public	$1,115	$1,112	-	$28,114	8,873
9	Skyline College San Bruno, CA · Public	$1,738	$842	-	$41,261	9,572
10	Victor Valley College Victorville, CA · Public	$1,947	-	-	$30,153	8,423
11	Hartnell College Salinas, CA · Public	$2,039	$828	-	$36,065	11,273
12	Irvine Valley College Irvine, CA · Public	$2,090	$734	$6,500	$35,124	13,018
13	Santiago Canyon College Orange, CA · Public	$2,129	Aid covers full cost	$5,125	$36,758	11,897
14	San Joaquin Delta College Stockton, CA · Public	$2,407	$1,291	$7,500	$33,920	20,969
15	Cerritos College Norwalk, CA · Public	$2,424	$1,538	$8,447	$32,581	21,859
16	Yuba College Marysville, CA · Public	$2,576	$3,766	-	$32,030	6,320
17	Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA · Public	$2,779	$1,896	$6,450	$31,977	23,453
18	Modesto Junior College Modesto, CA · Public	$2,818	$1,658	-	$34,568	18,258
19	Taft College Taft, CA · Public	$2,823	$1,934	-	$33,687	4,464
20	Shasta College Redding, CA · Public	$2,878	$2,107	$14,250	$32,486	9,073
21	Santa Ana College Santa Ana, CA · Public	$3,133	$1,970	$6,871	$36,845	27,248
22	San Diego Miramar College San Diego, CA · Public	$3,337	$1,358	$6,750	$40,327	14,257
23	West Valley College Saratoga, CA · Public	$3,423	$1,658	-	$41,764	7,655
24	Hacienda La Puente Adult Education La Puente, CA · Public	$3,536	$3,568	-	$31,703	491
25	College of the Canyons Santa Clarita, CA · Public	$3,702	$2,522	$9,612	$37,697	18,075

Showing the 25 cheapest of 492 Scorecard-reporting California schools. The remaining 467 are ranked in the same net-price order but omitted from this HTML table so the page stays crawlable.

Look up any institution's exact rank via My School Profile, or open its school page for income-bracket net price, debt, and earnings.

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What this means for you

Use California's ranking as a starting point, real net price depends on your specific financial-aid package.

Moorpark College reports the lowest average net price in California, but "average" blends every income bracket, check your bracket's figure before assuming it applies to you. View Moorpark College
See your specific school's in-state cost rank and nearest-price peers. My School Profile
Compare campus safety alongside cost before deciding. California safety

Figures reflect the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23 release.

Average net price = the institution-reported average amount students actually paid after all grant and scholarship aid, excluding loans. Only schools with a reported average net price in the DOE College Scorecard dataset are ranked. This page lists the 25 cheapest; the title count is the full Scorecard-reporting cohort for California. Schools with fewer than 10 net-price-reporting institutions in a state or territory are not given a dedicated ranking page.

Some schools on this page show "Aid covers full cost" instead of a dollar figure. This reflects real federal data: at a small number of low-cost institutions, mostly community colleges with strong state or federal grant programs, average grant and scholarship aid meets or exceeds the cost-of-attendance components used in the net-price calculation, producing a reported net price of $0 or below for the average aided student. It is not a display error.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23

Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Every ranked figure on this page is queried directly from the DOE College Scorecard dataset at request time; no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.

California's 25 cheapest colleges by real net price

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