Community CollegePublicHSI

Cerro Coso Community College

Ridgecrest, California·Public, 2-year·Far West·cerrocoso.edu
Acceptance
Open admission
—
6-yr Graduation
25%
—
Total enrollment
5,549
peer median 4,345
Avg net price
$18,306
+$6.0k vs Community College
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AboutOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeDocuments

About

Cerro Coso Community College is a public community college in the Eastern Sierra region of Southern California. It was established in 1973 as a separate college within the Kern Community College District. The college offers traditional and online courses and two-year degrees. The college serves an area of approximately 18,000-square-miles. Cerro Coso has five instructional sites: Eastern Sierra Center Bishop and Mammoth Lakes, Indian Wells Valley, Kern River Valley, and South Kern. The college also has an Incarcerated Student Education Program in two locations, the California City Correctional Facility and Tehachapi California Correctional Institution.

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
25%
Full-time retention
27%

Pell equity

8.9pp gap
Pell recipients
30%19 of 63
Non-Pell (all)
21%20 of 95
No Federal Aid
21%20 of 95

Pell recipients here graduate at a 8.9-point higher rate than non-Pell students, unusual and worth a closer look.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 69 Title IV programs, 0 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 69 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
69
Passing
0
0.0% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

69programs
  • Passing0 · 0.0%
  • No Data69 · 100.0%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
0
No data
69

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges

Accredited since 1975Next review Oct 2025

Action history · 5

  1. May 2023Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
  2. May 2021Approved for Correspondence Education
    Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
  3. Jan 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
  4. Jan 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
  5. Feb 2013Renewal of Accreditation
    Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$18,595
$30–48k$13,761
$48–75k$17,054
$75–110k$21,891
$110k+—

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$18,306
+$5,955vs Community College median $12,351
Federal loans
1.4%
In-state tuition
$1,384
Out-of-state
$11,254

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 1,318 students received $5.8M in Pell grants, alongside $975K in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,318
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$5.8M
$5,759,732 total
Direct Loans
$975K
225 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
’20
1k
’21
1k
’22
2k
’23
1k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$402K
114 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$462K
104 loan awards
Parent PLUS$111K
7 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 2 borrowers who entered repayment, 0 (0.0%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.0%
-2.3pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
2
Defaulted
0
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2013
20.0%
2014
20.0%
2015
11.1%
2019
0.0%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Cerro Coso Community College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs40
UndergraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

524 total completions
01Liberal Arts
35367.4%
02Business
5710.9%
03Computer Sciences
285.3%
04Psychology
285.3%
05Family/Consumer Sci
122.3%
06Mathematics
112.1%
07Security/Protective
101.9%
08Health Professions
91.7%
09Multi/Interdisciplinary
81.5%
10English Language
81.5%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
5,549
12-mo unduplicated
8,987
Undergraduate
8,987
Graduate
0

Gender split

Men
40%3,553
Women
60%5,434

Race / ethnicity composition

Hispanic
45.2%
White
35.5%
Black
7.1%
Two or more
5.8%
Asian
3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native
1.7%
Unknown
0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.2%
Non-resident
0.2%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
111
66 M · 45 W
Women athletes
40.5%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$1.0M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$6K
$965
Head-coach salaries
$27K
$20K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 5

Baseball
48 M · —
$214K
Basketball
14 M · 16 W
$239K
Softball
— · 15 W
$90K
Volleyball
— · 12 W
$76K
Cross Country
6 M · 3 W
$32K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.35
2 offenses · 5,690 students

3-year trend

0.002 yrs ago0.001 yr ago0.35Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
2
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
1
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
1
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
2

By location

2total
  • On campus2

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
0
Stalking
0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Sexual orientation1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs00
Liquor00

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
24.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
66

Cerro Coso Community College vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Cerro Coso Community College selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectCerro Coso Community College
25%Open admission5,549$18,306Community College
Barstow Community College
—Open admission3,226$12,773Community College
Canada College
—Open admission6,625$32Community College
College of Marin
—Open admission4,838$12,351Community College
Lake Tahoe Community College
—Open admission4,040$8,516Community College
Lassen Community College
—Open admission2,038$12,517Community College
Mendocino College
—Open admission4,225$8,330Community College
Oxnard College
—Open admission7,361$0 or lessCommunity College
Palo Verde College
—Open admission3,833$18,993Community College
Taft College
—Open admission4,464$2,823Community College
Peer group median25%—4,345$12,351

Institutions like Cerro Coso Community College

Explore the federal data for institutions in Cerro Coso Community College's comparison group.

IPEDS

Cerro Coso Community College Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research
Email
research [at] cerrocoso.edu
Phone
760-384-6105
Address
3000 College Heights Blvd Ridgecrest, CA 93555

The Office of Institutional Research at Cerro Coso Community College strives to support the college's mission and commitment to academic learning and student success by providing quality, accessible, and relevant information to facilitate decision-making and planning processes, enhance institutional effectiveness, and promote a culture of evidence-based inquiry.

Visit IR office page
Team
1 member
  • Jaclyn Kessler
    Director, Institutional Research

Reports & documents (3)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Frequently asked questions about Cerro Coso Community College

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Cerro Coso Community College.

What is the acceptance rate at Cerro Coso Community College?

Cerro Coso Community College does not have a reported acceptance rate. This institution has an open admission policy: it admits all applicants who meet basic requirements, so it does not report a selective admit rate.

What is the graduation rate at Cerro Coso Community College?

Cerro Coso Community College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 25% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Cerro Coso Community College?

Cerro Coso Community College reports a total enrollment of 5,549 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Cerro Coso Community College?

The average net price at Cerro Coso Community College is $18,306 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

Where is Cerro Coso Community College located?

Cerro Coso Community College is located in Ridgecrest, California 93555-9571.

Who runs Institutional Research at Cerro Coso Community College?

Cerro Coso Community College's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant & loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant and Direct Loan recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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