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Largest community colleges in California

Community colleges in California ranked by total student enrollment, largest first. Bigger institutions generally offer broader program catalogs, more sections per term, more transfer agreements, and deeper student-services staffing — but smaller colleges often win on advisor attention, classroom intimacy, and faculty access.

  1. East Los Angeles CollegeMonterey Park, CA27,753
  2. Mt San Antonio CollegeWalnut, CA26,140
  3. American River CollegeSacramento, CA25,621
  4. University of the PeoplePasadena, CA22,688
  5. Pasadena City CollegePasadena, CA21,466
  6. Santa Monica CollegeSanta Monica, CA21,440
  7. Fresno City CollegeFresno, CA21,251
  8. El Camino Community College DistrictTorrance, CA19,210
  9. Southwestern CollegeChula Vista, CA18,614
  10. Riverside City CollegeRiverside, CA18,346
  11. Chaffey CollegeRancho Cucamonga, CA18,132
  12. Saddleback CollegeMission Viejo, CA17,684
  13. Sacramento City CollegeSacramento, CA17,657
  14. Bakersfield CollegeBakersfield, CA17,280
  15. Fullerton CollegeFullerton, CA17,121
  16. San Diego Mesa CollegeSan Diego, CA16,098
  17. College of the CanyonsSanta Clarita, CA15,832
  18. San Joaquin Delta CollegeStockton, CA15,781
  19. Rio Hondo CollegeWhittier, CA15,684
  20. Diablo Valley CollegePleasant Hill, CA15,358
  21. De Anza CollegeCupertino, CA15,264
  22. Mt San Jacinto Community College DistrictSan Jacinto, CA15,259
  23. Modesto Junior CollegeModesto, CA15,109
  24. Sierra CollegeRocklin, CA14,122
  25. Cosumnes River CollegeSacramento, CA14,023
  26. Los Angeles Pierce CollegeWoodland Hills, CA13,436
  27. Los Angeles Valley CollegeValley Glen, CA12,601
  28. San Bernardino Valley CollegeSan Bernardino, CA12,234
  29. Grossmont CollegeEl Cajon, CA12,163
  30. Moorpark CollegeMoorpark, CA12,082
  31. College of the SequoiasVisalia, CA11,562
  32. Antelope Valley Community College DistrictLancaster, CA11,534
  33. Chabot CollegeHayward, CA11,392
  34. San Diego Miramar CollegeSan Diego, CA11,271
  35. Los Angeles City CollegeLos Angeles, CA11,198
  36. Glendale Community CollegeGlendale, CA10,509
  37. San Diego City CollegeSan Diego, CA10,441
  38. Irvine Valley CollegeIrvine, CA10,286
  39. Ventura CollegeVentura, CA10,150
  40. Merced CollegeMerced, CA10,001
  41. Santa Barbara City CollegeSanta Barbara, CA9,889
  42. Hartnell CollegeSalinas, CA9,453
  43. Folsom Lake CollegeFolsom, CA9,414
  44. Moreno Valley CollegeMoreno Valley, CA9,346
  45. Golden West CollegeHuntington Beach, CA9,034
  46. Norco CollegeNorco, CA8,779
  47. Solano Community CollegeFairfield, CA8,061
  48. Cabrillo CollegeAptos, CA8,002
  49. Los Angeles Mission CollegeSylmar, CA7,999
  50. College of San MateoSan Mateo, CA7,977

Why size matters

Enrollment scale shapes nearly every aspect of the student experience at a community college. The largest California community colleges typically offer multiple sections of every general-education course, robust evening and weekend schedules for working students, full-service career centers and transfer advising offices, and deep portfolios of articulation agreements with four-year institutions across California and beyond. They also tend to operate multiple campuses or learning centers, which can put a community college within commuting distance of more residents.

Smaller community colleges in California compete on attention. Smaller cohorts mean a single academic advisor sees you across multiple semesters and can write a substantive recommendation when you transfer or apply for a job. Faculty teach more sections of fewer courses, which means the same instructor often guides you through a sequence rather than handing you off term to term. For students who thrive on relationship and continuity, the smaller institutions on this list can be the better choice even when the larger one offers more programs.

Use this list alongside the state's transfer-outcomes guide and the state's cost-and-aid guide. Together they let you triangulate fit on the three dimensions that matter most for community-college choice: program availability, total cost after aid, and how reliably the institution moves students on to the next step.