Affordable Career Education
Future-Focused
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Connect to nearly 600 fast and
affordable programs that to lead
to in-demand careers.
OUR IMPACT
The Numbers Speak for Themselves
Career education across Orange County's community colleges delivers measurable results. Hover or tap any number to see the story behind it.
26,199
Career Technical Education students enrolled in 2024–2025
BEHIND THE NUMBER
276,684 total students enrolled across OC community colleges — 45% in Career Technical Education.
20,000+
Degrees awarded in
2024–2025
2024–2025
Behind the number
Associate Degrees
13,840
Degrees for Transfer
6,504
Bachelor's Degrees
32
7
Baccalaureate degree programs offered
The 7 programs
Cypress · Mortuary Sciences, Dental Hygiene
Fullerton · Drone & Autonomous Systems
Santa Ana · Occupational & Paralegal Studies, Automotive Tech
Santiago Canyon · Digital Infrastructure & Location Services
$46/unit
The lowest college tuition in California
Behind the number
Among the most affordable pathways to a degree in the nation — keeping higher education within reach.
$50,292
Average salary one year after graduation*
Behind the number
Median earnings for career education graduates one year out. Source: CCC DataVista. Actual salaries vary by occupation.
+500%
Return for every $1 spent on community college*
Behind the number
Students gain $5 in higher future earnings for every $1 invested in their community college education.
+20%
Earnings increase after a degree or certificate*
BEHIND THE NUMBER
Completing a career education credential measurably lifts earning power compared with having no credential.
$10.5 billion
Added to Orange County's economy in 2023–2024
BEHIND THE NUMBER
Source: Lightcast 2025 — The Economic Value of Orange County's Community Colleges report.
*Earnings and salary figures sourced from the California Community Colleges DataVista and the Lightcast 2025 Economic Value Report. Actual salaries vary by occupation.
Your College Choices
Orange County Community Colleges
Your future is right around the corner. Literally! These colleges are nearby and applying is easy.
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Explore All Colleges
Looking to build a career or transfer to a 4-year college? Orange County’s community colleges
are some of the best in the nation at preparing students to do both.
Fountain Valley, CA
Coastline College
10 Sectors | 70 Programs
Learn anytime, anywhere with Coastline’s extensive online course options. Coastline knows you need
flexibility and has long been a recognized leader in online and distance learning.
Cypress, CA
Cypress College
12 Sectors | 107 Programs
Get the resources you need to reach your educational goals. At Cypress, students can enroll in classes online and in person, day, or night.
Fullerton, CA
Fullerton College
11 Sectors | 112 Programs
Whether you’re looking for your first job, upskilling in your current one, or hoping to transfer to a 4-year university, Fullerton can put you on track to achieve your goals.
Huntington Beach, CA
Golden West College
10 Sectors | 44 Programs
At Golden West College, financial aid is available to help you pay for college and flexible classes are offered in person or online to fit your schedule
Irvine, CA
Irvine Valley College
9 Sectors | 46 Programs
IVC offers a small college environment packed with modern facilities and equipment, robust student services, and dedicated faculty and staff to help you achieve your goals.
Anaheim, CA
North Orange Continuing Education
10 Sectors | 37 Programs
Since 1973, NOCE has served the community with FREE, noncredit educational programs and services to help you reach your personal and professional goals.
Costa Mesa, CA
Orange Coast College
12 Sectors | 130 Programs
Whether you’re starting your first job, learning skills for a new career, or hoping to transfer to a 4-year university, Orange Coast College can give you the skills you need to secure a great-paying career.
Mission Viejo, CA
Saddleback College
12 Sectors | 85 Programs
Saddleback puts students on pathways to high-demand employment opportunities. Get hands-on training from industry experts online and in-person.
Santa Ana, CA
Santa Ana College
12 Sectors | 77 Programs
Classes are available online and in person so you can get the schedule you need to succeed. Take advantage of Santa Ana College’s extensive student support services.
Orange, CA
Santiago Canyon College
10 Sectors | 47 Programs
Train for your next opportunity with convenient online and in-person courses taught by leading industry professionals. In addition to free tutoring and financial aid, extensive support services like academic and career counselors are available to support you.
Watch How It Works
What is Career Education?
Career education is a win-win for students, professionals, and businesses alike.
Industry Sectors
Choose From Hundreds of Programs
Find the future that’s right for you by comparing available career programs and pathways.
tab1
Business & Entrepreneurship
Education & Childcare Services
Advanced
Manufacturing
Manufacturing
48 Programs at 7 Colleges
Cutting-Edge Tech Means Future-Focused Careers
The advanced manufacturing sector combines cutting-edge technology with state-of-the-art processes in order to meet the ever-changing production requirements of California’s major industries. As this sector continues to evolve and adopt new technologies, the demand for workers who possess these advanced, high-tech skills will continue to grow.
Work With Your Hands and Your Head
Make great products…and a great living! Advanced manufacturing professionals are in demand. A degree or certificate from your local community college can catapult you into your new career.
Salaries:
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians:
$55,287-$89,033
Civil Engineering Technician:
$57,000-$88,448
Computer Hardware Engineers:
$45,381-$79,620
Cutting, Punching & Press Machine Setters & Operators:
$32,567-$53,134
Electrical Technician:
$52,024-$84,475
Industrial Engineers:
$50,192-$92,309
Industrial Production Managers:
$83,877-$149,181
Machinists:
$34,428-$58,416
Mechanical Drafter:
$48,456-$81,479
Model Makers, Wood:
$51,674-$78,905
Production Manager:
$48,388-$84,141
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, Brazers:
$33,483-$54,547
tab2
Energy, Construction & Utilities
Global Trade
Advanced
Transportation & Logistics
Transportation & Logistics
34 Programs at 8 Colleges
Building the Skills that Move Orange County
Emerging technologies in alternative fuel sources for land, sea and air vehicles promote the future of the advanced transportation and logistics sector. Work with your hands, get away from the desk, or accomplish a unique technical skill, all while earning a great salary! Advanced Transportation and Manufacturing skills are in high demand throughout California
Put Your Career into the Fastlane
With a career education in advanced transportation and logistics, you’ll be on the move to a higher salary and a more secure future! A degree or certificate from your local community college can catapult you into your new career.
Salaries:
Aircraft Mechanics & Service Technicians:
$55,287-$89,033
Automotive Service Technicians & Mechanics:
$35,437-$66,238
Avionics Technicians:
$46,731-$80,253
Bus & Truck Mechanics & Diesel Engine Specialists:
$52,949-$79,515
Cargo and Freight Agents:
$38,314-$62,531
Commercial Pilots:
$79,495-$191,826
Logisticians:
$66,095-$109,120
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics:
$52,390-$91,245
tab3
Health
Information and Communication Technologies & Digital Media
Agriculture, Water,
& Environmental Technologies
& Environmental Technologies
40 Programs at 10 Colleges
Join the Frontlines of the Green Revolution
Orange County Community Colleges are training the future leaders of environmentally responsible agriculture, water, and landscape design. Green jobs are a huge industry in California and a proven pathway to income growth and career opportunity. In California, agriculture alone generated $51.3 billion in agricultural cash receipts, making our state the largest producer of cash crops in the country.
Environmentally Conscious and Economically Sound Careers
Agriculture, water, and environmental technologies sector grads are doing amazing things in these high-demand fields and more! A degree or certificate from your local community college can catapult you into your new career.
Salaries:
Agricultural and Food Science Technicians:
$35,634-$58,023
Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians:
$51,852-$80,376
Forest and Conservation Technicians:
$33,370-$57,671
First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers:
$38,631-$73,729
Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation:
$37,829-$67,424
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians:
$42,870-$63,226
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators:
$59,198-$90,791
tab4
Life Sciences & Biotech
Public Safety & Services
Business
& Entrepreneurship
& Entrepreneurship
137 Programs at 10 Colleges
Forge Futures: Business & Entrepreneurship
Business is the backbone of California’s economy. Rapid technological advances and the globalization of financial markets around the globe will continue to drive a variety of new and exciting career opportunities in this sector for the foreseeable future.
Making Connections
Businesses-big and small-start with a career education. Business and entrepreneurship sector grads are making their own way in these careers. A degree or certificate from your local community college can catapult you into your new career.
Salaries:
Accountants and Auditors:
$52,674-$97,634
Advertising Sales Agents:
$34,352-$78,292
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks:
$38,483-$60,369
Brokerage Clerks:
$43,608-$58,621
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers:
$47,613-$76,978
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists:
$46,249-$86,428
Real Estate Sales Agents:
$34,648-$100,957
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive:
$34,698-$54,866
Tax Preparers:
$33,081-$81,910
tab5
Retail, Hospitality & Tourism
Education
& Childcare Services
& Childcare Services
68 Programs at 10 Colleges
Putting the “Care” in “Career”
Professionals looking for jobs that make a positive impact in the lives of children and adults will find many fulfilling careers in the education and childcare services sector.
Building Bright Futures
Graduates often become preschool teachers, child development specialists, K-12 classroom aides, infant and toddler caregivers, and children’s center directors or administrators. A degree or certificate from your local community college can catapult you into your new career.
Salaries:
Childcare Workers:
$24,984-$36,197
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education:
$74,650-$106,258
Library Technicians:
$27,900-$45,962
Interpreters and Translators:
$41,167-$82,992
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education:
$28,284-$45,404
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary:
$31,836-$44,145
Tutors and Teachers and Instructors, All Other:
$29,916-$67,545
tab6
Energy, Construction,
& Utilities
& Utilities
42 Programs at 9 Colleges
Facilitating the Future of Orange County Industry
The energy, construction, and utilities sector represents a cluster of industries that are responsible for the installation and management of technologies related to the efficient creation, dispersal, and storage of energy.
Illuminating Careers: Powering the Future
With more than 48,000 energy-related companies in California, the future of this sector has never been brighter. A degree or certificate from your local community college can catapult you into your new career.
Salaries:
Architectural and Civil Drafters:
$55,430-$78,616
Carpenters:
$40,661-$87,728
Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians:
$57,000-$88,448
Construction and Building Inspectors:
$66,659-$114,078
Construction Managers:
$67,789-$158,922
Electricians:
$52,243-$99,724
Fashion Designers:
$55,586-$105,679
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers:
$63,038-$107,904
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers:
$49,230-$86,657
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters:
$38,454-$85,577
tab7
Global Trade
29 Programs at 9 Colleges
International. Independent. In Demand.
California is a global trade and logistics giant with 2020 exports accounting for more than $151 billion in American-made goods to 227 foreign markets.
Thriving in California’s Diverse Job Landscape
In California, this sector is supported by 4.7 million jobs in such fields as logistics, finance, marketing, and management. A degree or certificate from your local community college can catapult you into your new career.
Salaries:
Cargo and Freight Agents:
$38,314-$62,531
Customer Service Representatives:
$31,639-$49,558
Logisticians:
$66,095-$109,120
Marketing Managers:
$96,203-$191,995
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products:
$43,013-$99,346
Sales Managers:
$78,639-$176,584
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks:
$30,155-$43,832
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists:
$48,502-$88,312
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers:
$71,692-$138,074
tab8
Health
85 Programs at 7 Colleges
Nurturing Your Journey
Since 2009, the health sector in Orange County has added more jobs than any other industry, expanding from the county’s fifth largest industry to its second.
Healing Hands, Growing Careers
Continued growth, increasing demand and a projected shortage of skilled workers means that Career Education grads with these skills will continue to see increased demand for the foreseeable future. A degree or certificate from your local community college can catapult you into your new career.
Salaries:
Dental Hygienists:
$95,426-$131,985
Health Information Technologists, Medical Registrars, Surgical Assistants, and Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers:
$38,791-$87,481
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses:
$53,934-$75,294
Medical Assistants:
$31,553-$45,633
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians:
$71,140-$106,513
Registered Nurses:
$88,720-$128,740
Respiratory Therapists:
$66,830-$92,374
Surgical Technologists:
$46,031-$68,210
tab9
Information and Communication Technologies
& Digital Media
& Digital Media
124 Programs at 10 Colleges
Unleashing High-Tech Skills for Success
Information & Communication Technology (ICT) and Digital Media are both key drivers of the Orange County economy, with ICT and media professionals supporting virtually every business and industry in the region.
Elevate Your Income with High-Tech Skills
Employers in all industries have a tremendous need for workers with knowledge of the latest computer-related software, design, coding, animation, hardware, networking, and telecommunications skills. A degree or certificate from your local community college can catapult you into your new career.
Salaries:
Computer Network Architects:
$85,043-$147,387
Computer Systems Analysts:
$80,590-$132,514
Computer User Support Specialists:
$44,203-$73,482
Database Administrators and Architects:
$69,322-$131,146
Graphic Designers:
$39,834-$79,736
Information Security Analysts:
$89,086-$136,872
Network and Computer Systems Administrators:
$71,900-$115,634
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers:
$44,318-$92,562
Web Developers and Digital Interface Designers:
$45,726-$97,168
tab10
Life Sciences
& Biotech
& Biotech
27 Programs at 8 Colleges
The Science of Career Success
Life sciences and biotech jobs projected to command high demand in the coming years will require various levels of education and skill.
Biotech Breakthroughs
The majority of the top 10 occupations in this sector require either moderate-term, on-the-job training or an associate degree, making this sector a great choice for students looking for an accessible and well-paying job with career growth opportunities. A degree or certificate from your local community college can catapult you into your new career.
Salaries:
Biological Technicians:
$36,999-$59,432
Chemical Plant and System Operators:
$38,256-$52,253
Chemical Technicians:
$35,307-$64,800
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians:
$50,192-$92,309
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers:
$32,183-$56,390
Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other:
$39,515-$69,789
Medical Equipment Repairers:
$48,402-$86,383
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products:
$69,562-$137,911
tab11
Public Safety
& Services
& Services
46 Programs at 10 Colleges
Rising Up to Serve
Public safety careers typically involve making sure people are free to lead safe and secure lives. Whether you want to fight crime on the streets or fight injustice in the courtroom, there are many great careers in this sector for people who want to make a difference in their communities. obs in this sector generally fall into the areas of public safety, community services, emergency response, and legal practices.
Support Our Communities
Many are government jobs, which are highly prized because of their benefits. Instructional programs provide students with the theoretical understanding and technical skills required for them to be successful in their chosen fields. Students who have an understanding of diverse communities and an interest in helping people of all socio-economic backgrounds will find the careers in this sector especially fulfilling because of the way they directly impact people’s lives. A degree or certificate from your local community college can catapult you into your new career.
Salaries:
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks:
$38,126-$54,284
Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners:
$55,272-$100,343
Detectives and Criminal Investigators:
$97,855-$143,574
Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics:
$37,319-$63,425
Firefighters:
$68,497-$119,270
Paralegals and Legal Assistants:
$39,917-$70,753
Police and Sheriffs Patrol Officers:
$84,062-$120,758
Social and Human Service Assistants:
$29,683-$48,553
tab12
Retail, Hospitality,
& Tourism
& Tourism
75 Programs at 10 Colleges
Building a Career In One of O.C.’S Biggest Industries
The Los Angeles/Orange County region’s retail/hospitality/tourism sector is the largest in the state, accounting for one-third of the region’s businesses and jobs.
Culinary Excellence in Orange County
It is no surprise that this sector employs more people than any other sector in Orange County. A degree or certificate from your local community college can catapult you into your new career.
Salaries:
Chefs and Head Cooks:
$38,126-$54,284
Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers:
$33,098-$85,140
Fashion Designers:
$55,586-$105,679
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers:
$28,899-$48,109
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers:
$30,629-$52,396
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners:
$40,907-$69,071
Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks:
$27,644-$52,013
Travel Agents:
$31,181-$57,687
Join Us
Words From Our Career Education Community
Every year, over 17,180 students successfully complete their studies at an Orange County Community College. You could be one of them.
Jodie
Fullerton College graduate
“I’m juggling kids and a business, and I was able to find something here that I could fit into…my crazy life.”
Pete
Saddleback College graduate
“I got the job because I had automotive experience.”
Amanda
Santa Ana College student
“After graduating from here, I already knew what I wanted to do. I feel very confident. It’s shaped me into the student that I am now.”
Jason
Future BUILT graduate
“I wanted a job that there was always going to be a need for. We have to have water for everything.”
Karla
Future BUILT student
“I love this. If I can do this for the rest of my life and just help people, that’s my end goal. That’s my dream.”
Amanda
Santa Ana College student
“After graduating from here, I already knew what I wanted to do. I feel very confident. It’s shaped me into the student that I am now.”
Start Your New Career Today
Find Certificate Programs
Earn a certificate where you are, on your schedule! Many programs can be completed – online or hybrid format – in just two semesters at your local Orange County Community College. And many are free!
Are you ready to earn more?
Start Your Future Today
Increase your earning power
- Pay the lowest fees in the nationAt $46 per unit, California Community colleges offer the lowest college tuition
- Job-ready in 1 year or lessPrograms are designed to be fast and many can be completed in 12 months or less
- Flexible scheduleOnline, on-campus, day, night, and weekend options are available for many programs
- Improve your job security1 in 3 of all jobs in CA are the kind career education prepares you for (middle-skilled jobs)
- Learn from industry professionals
