Pierce College Los Angeles
Rolling
Acceptance rate
$10,130
Tuition/yr
19,000
Enrollment
About Pierce College Los Angeles
Community college in Los Angeles, CA. Strong transfer and technical programs.
Los Angeles Pierce College (LAPC) is a public two-year community college founded in 1947, part of the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD). It operates on a 426-acre campus in Woodland Hills in the western San Fernando Valley, one of the largest community college campuses in California. The college is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) and serves approximately 22,000 students per semester.
Pierce offers over 100 subjects across 92 academic disciplines, including associate degrees in Arts and Sciences and more than 78 certificates of achievement. The college is especially recognized for its agriculture and veterinary technology programs, supported by a working 225-acre farm on campus. It also maintains strong transfer articulation agreements with University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) campuses, and was ranked first among California community colleges in admit rate to UCLA for 2022–2023.
The Woodland Hills campus sits adjacent to the Warner Center business district and features extensive green space, a nature preserve, and redwood trees. International students from over 40 countries are enrolled, and the college's International Student Services office provides dedicated F-1 visa support. Pierce does not confer bachelor's degrees but serves as a highly cost-effective entry point for students aiming to transfer to four-year universities in the United States.
Campus & Location
CA
Suburban
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
- Pierce College's low annual international tuition of approximately $10,130 makes it one of the most affordable accredited US college options for Nepali students, far below the average four-year university cost, allowing students to complete lower-division credits before transferring to a UC or CSU campus.
- The college's established transfer pathways to UC and CSU institutions, including a top-ranked admit rate to UCLA, give Nepali students a structured, lower-cost route to a University of California degree, which carries strong recognition for employment or graduate study.
- F-1 visa holders are eligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT) after completing their program, providing up to 12 months of US work authorization; students who transfer into STEM-designated degree programs at a four-year university may subsequently qualify for a 24-month STEM OPT extension.
- International students are not eligible for federal financial aid at LAPC, but the LACCD Payment Plan is available to help spread tuition costs across the semester, and the total annual cost of attendance (tuition plus living expenses) is officially estimated at around $33,000, competitive for the Los Angeles metro area.
Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents
A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:
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