Bakersfield College

Bakersfield College is a public college in Bakersfield, California. It graduates 21% of its students within six years, and its former students earn a median $37,291 ten years after starting college, more than 3% of the California colleges we cover.

Show numbers for my family

Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Acceptance rate
Not reported

College Scorecard

What your family pays
$14,621 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $22,018. College Scorecard.

Graduation rate
21%

Higher than 4% of California colleges we cover and 5% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.

Within 6 years · College Scorecard

Earnings after college
$37,291

Higher than 3% of California colleges we cover and 8% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.

Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard

Bakersfield College acceptance rate & admissions

Pell Grant recipients30%
First-generation students63%
Women / men56% / 44%

Test scores: College Scorecard. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS

Bakersfield College tuition, cost & net price

What families actually pay per year, by income

Average net price after grants and scholarships for California residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.

College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)

Sticker price (before aid)

Tuition & fees, in-state$1,430
Tuition & fees, out-of-state$11,300
Housing & meals, on campus—
Books & supplies$938
Total cost of attendance, in-state$22,018

IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard

Median debt at graduation$9,500
Loan default rate10.4%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Full cost breakdown, in-state vs out-of-state →

State aid: California residents who meet income, asset and GPA standards may receive a Cal Grant (California Student Aid Commission); apply with the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. At University of California and California State University campuses, the Middle Class Scholarship can also help families with income and assets up to $250,000 (2026-27, dependent students). Not included in the prices above. California Student Aid Commission

Bakersfield College majors, earnings & careers

Bakersfield College offers 1 bachelor's majors across 1 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.

  • Engineering · 1

Highest-earning majors at Bakersfield College

Not enough graduates in any one major to report earnings.

Quick list of all 1 majors
  • Electromechanical Technologies / Technicians—

— means too few graduates to report earnings.

College Scorecard field of study, latest release

All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →

Living in Bakersfield

Cost of living
1% above the U.S. average

Overall prices in the Bakersfield-Delano, CA area.

BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024

Off-campus rent, 1 bedroom
$1,273/mo

2 bedrooms $1,656. Housing costs 10% below the U.S. average.

HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027

Weather
58° / 97°

January and July average highs. 7 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.

NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020

Natural hazard risk
Relatively High

Highest: wildfire (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).

FEMA National Risk Index, Kern County

Campus & students

Total enrollment (incl. graduate)30,410
First-year students from California100%
AthleticsCCCAA · 13 sports
Undergraduate degrees awarded, 2023-240% bachelor's · 68% associate · 31% certificates
Campus typePrimarily nonresidential
Student bodyHispanic 71% · White 15% · Black 5% · Asian 4%International 0%

IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute

Kern County at a glance

Population915,075
Median household income$70,210
Adults with a bachelor's degree19%
Median age33

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024

Compare Bakersfield College with similar schools

Similar public colleges in California by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
Bakersfield College—$14,62121%$37,291This school
Rio Hondo College—$14,37925%$44,950
Modesto Junior College—$2,81830%$42,368
San Diego Mesa College—$5,81435%$45,120
Santa Ana College—$3,13331%$43,552

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Why the price is different

Bakersfield College would cost you $242 more per year than Rio Hondo College, on average.

  • Higher sticker price at Bakersfield College.
  • Bakersfield College gives aided families $385 more in grants, on average.
Per year, California residentBakersfield CollegeRHCCDDifference
Sticker price$22,018$21,391+$627
Average grants−$7,397−$7,012−$385
You pay$14,621$14,379+$242

“+” means Bakersfield College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.

Common questions about Bakersfield College

How much does Bakersfield College cost per year?

The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $22,018 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $14,621 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $14,493 and families earning $110k+ pay —.

How much do Bakersfield College graduates earn?

Former Bakersfield College students earn a median $37,291 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.

What is the Bakersfield College graduation rate?

21% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years.

Is Bakersfield College the right fit for your family?

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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Bakersfield College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/bakersfield-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).