El Camino College
Rolling
Acceptance rate
$10,040
Tuition/yr
26,000
Enrollment
About El Camino College
Community college in Torrance, CA (LA area). Large enrollment with strong transfer and technical programs.
El Camino College is a public two-year community college located in Torrance, California, founded in 1947. It sits on a 126-acre campus and offers more than 200 academic programs leading to Associate of Arts degrees, Associate of Science degrees, and certificates across fields including business, health sciences, engineering, computer science, and the arts.
The college is particularly recognized for its transfer pathways to University of California campuses. Its Honors Transfer Program is formally affiliated with UCLA's Transfer Alliance Program (TAP), which doubles admission likelihood to UCLA, and with UC Irvine's Honors to Honors (H2H) program. El Camino also has Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) agreements with several UC campuses, making it a deliberate stepping-stone to competitive four-year universities.
Torrance is a suburban city in Los Angeles County, roughly 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, with good public transit access to the broader LA region. El Camino enrolls approximately 600 international F-1 students each year from more than 65 countries, supported by a dedicated International Student Program office that assists with visa maintenance, academic counseling, and housing referrals.
Campus & Location
CA
Suburban
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
All graduates from CRICOS-registered programs qualify for 12-month Optional Practical Training (OPT). STEM-designated programs (CS, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Sciences) qualify for a 24-month STEM OPT extension — 36 months total of US work authorisation.
For Nepali students
- El Camino College's annual international tuition and mandatory fees total approximately $10,040, with a full cost of attendance (including housing and living expenses) estimated at $26,500 per year, significantly lower than most US universities, making it one of the most affordable legal pathways for Nepali students to study in the United States on an F-1 visa.
- The college's structured transfer pipeline to UCLA and other UC campuses gives Nepali students a realistic route to earning a bachelor's degree from a well-regarded US university at a fraction of the four-year cost, provided they meet GPA and program requirements during their two years at El Camino.
- F-1 students who complete an associate degree and transfer to a US four-year university become eligible for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT), up to 12 months of work authorization after graduation, extendable to 36 months for STEM graduates, providing legitimate post-study work rights in the United States.
- The college's location in the greater Los Angeles area, which has one of the largest South Asian and Nepali diaspora communities in the US, means Nepali students have access to cultural support networks, community events, and part-time employment opportunities in a diverse, familiar environment.
Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents
A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:
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