Dr. Miguel Cardona, Secretary of Education | Official website
Dr. Miguel Cardona, Secretary of Education | Official website
Data shows that students paid $7,507 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $146 more than the previous school year.
Among the 31 institutions in the county, Chapman University stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $60,672. Concordia University-Irvine followed with an average of $40,180 per year. Asian-American International Beauty College students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $1,000.
At the time, at least $164 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the Orange County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached more than $35.1 million.
Currently there are 31 higher education institutions in Orange County, including Pacific College, Brownson Technical School, and Concordia University-Irvine.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
| Institution | Number of Students Receiving Grants | Total Amount of Grants Received | Average Amount of Grant Per Student | Number of Students Receiving Loans | Total Amount of Loans Received | Average Amount of Loans Per Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fullerton College | 1,654 | $8,884,904 | $5,372 | 51 | $214,340 | $4,203 |
| CRU Institute of Cosmetology and Barbering | 34 | $209,856 | $6,172 | 32 | $194,551 | $6,080 |
| California State University-Fullerton | 3,887 | $40,598,511 | $10,445 | 1,150 | $6,240,246 | $5,426 |
| Concorde Career College-Garden Grove | 300 | $1,512,870 | $5,043 | 301 | $3,931,379 | $13,061 |
| Platt College-Anaheim | 51 | $313,218 | $6,142 | 48 | $446,050 | $9,293 |
| Cypress College | 1,322 | $10,126,272 | $7,660 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Advance Beauty College | 217 | $1,053,313 | $4,854 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Chapman University | 1,785 | $59,394,886 | $33,274 | 1,574 | $11,349,260 | $7,210 |
| Laguna College of Art and Design | 115 | $1,364,191 | $11,863 | 55 | $468,628 | $8,521 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Costa Mesa | 36 | $190,082 | $5,280 | 40 | $208,933 | $5,223 |
| Saddleback College | 838 | $3,929,592 | $4,689 | 11 | $47,636 | $4,331 |
| Haven University | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Grace Mission University | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| American Career College-Anaheim | 359 | $2,257,365 | $6,288 | 383 | $4,521,663 | $11,806 |
| Interior Designers Institute | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| American Institute of Massage Therapy | 11 | $39,726 | $3,611 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Golden West College | 654 | $4,242,615 | $6,487 | 9 | $40,579 | $4,509 |
| Career Academy of Beauty | 40 | $203,708 | $5,093 | 40 | $225,730 | $5,643 |
| Pacific College | 12 | $91,272 | $7,606 | 12 | $151,292 | $12,608 |
| Brownson Technical School | 203 | $1,275,753 | $6,284 | 234 | $2,731,522 | $11,673 |
| Coastline Beauty College | 52 | $260,685 | $5,013 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Asian-American International Beauty College | 102 | $502,833 | $4,930 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| North-West College-Anaheim | 192 | $776,874 | $4,046 | 203 | $1,210,120 | $5,961 |
| Orange Coast College | 1,663 | $8,812,592 | $5,299 | 44 | $375,337 | $8,530 |
| Coba Academy | 28 | $149,724 | $5,347 | 29 | $201,494 | $6,948 |
| Concordia University-Irvine | 344 | $9,283,761 | $26,988 | 185 | $1,603,187 | $8,666 |
| Modern Technology School | 55 | $290,830 | $5,288 | 53 | $456,288 | $8,609 |
| Coastline Community College | 68 | $337,217 | $4,959 | 5 | $18,071 | $3,614 |
| Hope International University | 88 | $1,934,811 | $21,986 | 64 | $418,861 | $6,545 |
| Bethesda University | 13 | $34,406 | $2,647 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Irvine Valley College | 939 | $5,974,780 | $6,363 | 8 | $44,044 | $5,506 |
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