College Education Cost Comparison in California

There is an uproar with the cost of College education nowadays. Regents are besieged by protesting students. Regents in turn blame the state’s budget cuts. Here are the estimated current dollar figures of what it will take to attend college in California.

Fees and tuition for community college is $864 for residents. For non residents the price goes up to $4,224. The approximate cost of textbooks and supplies, board and lodging on-campus and other related expenses is $12,552. However very few community college campuses in California have on campus housing. Estimated off campus cost is about $16,578 including books and supplies.

All students enrolling at the California State University (CSU) pay the tuition fee which is currently $5,472 per academic year for undergraduate students enrolling in more than 6 units per term and $3,174 for undergraduates enrolling in 6 or fewer units. Each campus also has mandatory fees that all students must pay. These fees vary by campus. Non residents of the state of California must also pay nonresident tuition when enrolling for courses at the CSU. Nonresident tuition is $372 per semester unit or $248 per quarter unit. On campus housing is about $10,600 per year.

Tuition and fees for the University of California (UC) system is approximately $13,200 of which $12,192 for tuition and the balance is the approximate cost of fees. Books and supplies cost approximately $1500. There is a health insurance fee of $1160. On Campus housing cost for room and board is $13, 200.

Here are actual examples. It would cost $36/unit to enroll in Los Angeles Valley College. If you are from another state the tuition is $190/unit. Foreign students pay $207/ unit and a $26 enrollment fee.
Other miscellaneous student fees are about $35 which include student union fees and parking. The population of students is 19,888. This school offers associate degrees in 102 disciplines.

For Cal State University Northridge ( CSUN) the cost of tuition is $3244 for students taking 7 or more units per semester for a one year total of $6,488 for state residents. An additional $372/unit is assessed for non residents of California. The current number of students in CSUN is approximately 36,000. Our nine colleges offer 64 baccalaureate degrees , and various opportunities in extended learning and other special programs.

For students who want to attend the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) tuition is $11,220. Student services fee amounts to $972.00 and the fee for the student health insurance plan (UCSHIP) is $1225. Other miscellaneous fees total approximately $491. Non residents pay a Nonresident Supplemental tuition fee of $22,878. There are other material and course fees that vary based on what particular course you are taking. The College’s five divisions Humanities, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, Life Sciences, and Undergraduate Education encompass 34 departments, 40 specialized programs, and 109 undergraduate majors and graduate degrees that span research and teaching in the liberal arts and sciences. UCLA currently enrolls about 37,000 students.