City College of San Francisco
Rolling
Acceptance rate
$14,656
Tuition/yr
25,000
Enrollment
About City College of San Francisco
Large community college in San Francisco, CA. Diverse programs with strong transfer partnerships and affordable rates.
City College of San Francisco (CCSF) is a public two-year community college established in 1935 and the only community college serving San Francisco. It is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), with accreditation reaffirmed through 2030, and enrolls approximately 23,000 students across six campus locations.
CCSF offers more than 300 academic and career programs leading to associate degrees, certificates, and university transfer pathways. The college is nationally recognised for its Culinary Arts and Hospitality Studies department, founded in 1936 as the oldest hospitality program in the United States, and also offers strong programs in nursing, computer science, cybersecurity, radiologic technology, and the performing arts. Its transfer rate to four-year institutions stands at over 62%, and it ranks among California's top community colleges for transfers to the University of California and California State University systems.
The main Ocean Campus is located in the residential Ingleside district of San Francisco, with additional centres in Chinatown/North Beach, Downtown, Mission, Evans, and John Adams neighbourhoods. The college is home to Diego Rivera's large-scale mural Pan American Unity (1940). San Francisco residents attend tuition-free, though international students on F-1 visas pay standard non-resident tuition and fees.
Campus & Location
CA
Urban
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
All graduates qualify for 12-month OPT. STEM-designated programs (CS, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Sciences) qualify for 24-month STEM OPT extension — 36 months total work authorisation.
For Nepali students
- CCSF offers one of the most affordable pathways into the US education system for Nepali students: international undergraduate tuition runs approximately $14,656 per year (2024–25), far below the cost of most US universities, while providing a legitimate F-1 student visa sponsorship with a dedicated Office of International Programs.
- Students who perform well can transfer to University of California or California State University campuses, CCSF is one of California's top feeder community colleges to these systems, giving Nepali students a realistic route to a UC/CSU bachelor's degree at significantly lower total cost than entering a four-year institution directly.
- Programs in nursing, computer science, cybersecurity, and culinary arts lead to career-ready certificates or associate degrees and provide a practical foundation for further study or employment in San Francisco's large healthcare and technology sectors.
- San Francisco's large and established South Asian and Nepali diaspora community means Nepali students are unlikely to feel isolated, and the city's international character makes cultural adjustment more manageable than at more homogeneous US campus towns.
Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents
A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:
Use our GPA converter to translate your exact score to the 4.0 scale.
Does my profile match City College of San Francisco?
Enter your GPA and IELTS score for an instant admission likelihood check.
Uses published minimum requirements. Final decisions are always at the university's discretion. Use our GPA converter to get your score on the 4.0 scale.
Guides for studying in United States
View allSimilar universities in United States
Want us to verify City College of San Francisco’s current requirements?
Our counselors can confirm the latest deadlines, tuition, and requirements directly with the admissions office — free, no signup required.