Santa Ana College
Rolling
Acceptance rate
$11,544
Tuition/yr
37,916
Enrollment
32:1
Student:Faculty
About Santa Ana College
Santa Ana College is a public community college in Santa Ana, California, United States.
Santa Ana College (SAC) is a public two-year community college in Santa Ana, Orange County, California, founded in 1915. It is one of the oldest community colleges in California and operates as part of the Rancho Santiago Community College District. The college serves approximately 18,400 credit students and offers 273 degrees and certificates across career and transfer-oriented programs.
SAC's strongest programs include Nursing, Fire Technology, and Criminal Justice, alongside broad liberal arts and sciences transfer pathways. The college offers 28 Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADTs) that guarantee admission to the California State University system, and three Bachelor's degree programs in Occupational Studies, Automotive Technology, and Paralegal Studies. In 2024-2025, SAC transferred 570 students to four-year institutions including UC and CSU campuses.
The college sits on a 48-acre suburban campus in Santa Ana and hosts the largest planetarium in Orange County. SAC has maintained an International Student Program since 1955 and was ranked 28th nationally among online schools by Newsweek, the highest-ranked California community college in that category.
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
- SAC's Associate Degree for Transfer pathways provide a cost-effective two-year route into UC or CSU universities, which is a popular strategy for Nepali students seeking a US degree at significantly lower total cost than entering a four-year university directly.
- International tuition at SAC is approximately $10,440 per year (non-resident tuition) plus fees, making it one of the more affordable US study destinations for F-1 visa holders compared to four-year universities in California.
- The college offers an International Student Service Scholarship for continuing F-1 students who maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA and demonstrate leadership within the International Student Program, providing a merit-based funding opportunity available to Nepali students.
- F-1 students who transfer to a four-year US university after SAC can access Optional Practical Training (OPT), up to 12 months of post-study work authorization, extendable to 36 months for STEM graduates, making the transfer pathway a practical route to US work experience.
Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents
A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:
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