Visalia, California (CA) Colleges and Universities

While there are 8 schools in Visalia, there are many schools located within a 25-mile radius. Read about the top schools in several categories, including most program variety and lowest net price.

View 4 Popular Schools »

Most Program Variety

Students who want flexibility in choosing a degree program may opt for a school with a high number of academic options. These three schools, which offer associate degrees and certificates, have the most program variety in the Visalia area.

1 - College of the Sequoias

College of the Sequoias is the only public school in Visalia, CA and serves 11,625 undergraduates. This two-year school offers roughly 135 academic programs within 11 major areas of study, including agriculture, business and fine arts. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the most popular certificate programs in 2011-2012 were for EMT Paramedic and child care provider/assistant training, while liberal studies and registered nursing were the most popular associate degree programs. In that year, the school awarded 905 associate degrees and more than 300 certificates, the NCES reported.

2 - Reedley College

Reedley College, a public, two-year institution in Reedley, CA, has an enrollment of 14,057 undergraduates. The school offers more than 100 programs of study in 10 departments, which encompass agriculture and natural resources, business, communication, health sciences, industrial technology and other areas. Students can also choose from several technical career training programs. According to statistics from the NCES, the most popular programs were child care provider/assistant, agricultural business operations and administrative assistant certificates, along with associate degree programs in general studies, liberal studies and biology. In 2011-2012, the college awarded 543 associate degrees and 322 certificates.

3 - Porterville College

Porterville College, located in Porterville, CA, is a public, two-year school with 4,190 students. Out of more than 30 academic programs, the most popular courses of study were in social sciences, biological and physical sciences, criminal justice and psychiatric/mental health services technician training, according to the NCES. More than 100 certificates and 328 associate degrees were awarded in 2011-2012.

Lowest Net Price

The NCES subtracts the amount of financial aid that students typically receive from the total cost of attendance to produce a net price. Schools in the Visalia area, which are primarily community colleges, have net prices between $3,000 and $5,000. The three schools listed below have the lowest reported net prices for 2010-2011.

1 - College of the Sequoias

College of the Sequoias has the lowest net price in the Visalia area at $3,165. Tuition and fees were a reported $1,360 for in-state and $7,056 for out-of-state students in 2012-2013. Since the college has no on-campus housing, room and board costs were estimated at $9,000 for students living off campus. However, 77% of first-year undergraduates received grant or scholarship aid in the average amount of $4,670 in 2010-2011, the NCES reported.

2 - Porterville College

Porterville College is ranked second in the region with a net price of $3,833. In 2012-2013, in-state students paid $1,322 in tuition and fees, while the same costs were $2,162 for out-of-state students - a nearly 68% drop from the previous year. Room and board was approximately $8,500 for off-campus students. NCES figures from 2010-2011 showed that 88% of freshmen obtained an average of $5,200 in grant or scholarship aid.

3 - Reedley College

Reedley College has a net price of $4,996. Tuition and fees from 2012-2013 were about $1,140 for in-state students and $6,780 for out-of-state attendees. Additionally, room and board costs were $4,642 that year. According to the NCES, 66% of first-year students received an average grant or scholarship award of $4,368.

Highest Graduation Rates

Visalia-area schools report relatively low graduation rates. The overall graduation rates reported by the NCES represent full-time students who entered the university in 2008 and graduated within 150% of the 'normal time' it takes to complete their degree program (e.g., three years for an associate degree). The following three schools have the highest graduation rates in the area.

1 - College of the Sequoias

College of the Sequoias has an overall graduation rate of 22%. The NCES reported that 7% of students at this college graduated within the 'normal time' for their program, while 8% transferred to other institutions. The school also had high graduation rates for Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (38%) and Black/African-American (25%) students. Roughly 67% of full-time and 39% of part-time attendees returned to the college after their first year.

1 - Reedley College

Reedley College is tied with College of the Sequoias at 22%. According to the NCES, 9% of students graduated within their program's 'normal time,' and 9% transferred to other schools. The college's first-year retention rate was 64% for full-time and 44% for part-time students.

3 - Porterville College

An overall graduation rate of 18% places Porterville College third in the area. Statistics from the NCES show that 31% of Asian students and 19% of Hispanic/Latino students graduated within the same time frame. Approximately 70% of full-time and 44% of part-time students returned to the college for their second year, while 10% transferred. Additionally, 6% of undergraduates graduated within the 'normal time' for their degree or certificate program, the NCES reported.

Lowest Student-Faculty Ratio

Colleges in the Visalia area have fairly high student-faculty ratios, starting at 27:1. These three schools have the lowest student-faculty ratios in the region.

1 - Reedley College

The student-faculty ratio at Reedley College is 27:1, the lowest in the area. Approximately 204 full-time and 412 part-time faculty members teach at the school.

2 - Porterville College

Porterville College's student-faculty ratio of 31:1 places it second in the Visalia region. The faculty is comprised of 65 full-time and 74 part-time instructors.

3 - College of the Sequoias

Roughly 163 full-time and 264 part-time instructional faculty members contribute to College of the Sequoias' 32:1 student-faculty ratio.

School Name	Location	School Type	Program Levels Offered	Area Ranking
College of the Sequoias	Visalia, CA	2-year, public	Associate degrees; one- to two-year certificates	Most Program Variety, Lowest Net Price, Highest Graduation Rate (tied), 3rd Lowest Student-Faculty Ratio
Porterville College	Porterville, CA (23.3 miles from Visalia)	2-year, public	Associate degrees; one- to two-year certificates	2nd Lowest Net Price, 2nd Lowest Student-Faculty Ratio, 3rd Most Program Variety, 3rd Highest Graduation Rate
Reedley College	Reedley, CA (21.4 miles from Visalia)	2-year, public	Associate degrees; one- to two-year certificates	Highest Graduation Rate (tied), Lowest Student-Faculty Ratio, 2nd Most Program Variety, 3rd Lowest Net Price