Glendale, California Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)

Last updated: June 4, 2026 Source: College Scorecard

TL;DR

Colleges in Glendale, California: median public in-state tuition $5,816 (+5.5% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $29,972 (-44.9% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 78.0% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $9,500 (-28.4% vs U.S.) 11,881 students enrolled statewide.

Key Facts

  • Institutions in this profile: 6 campuses
  • Total college enrollment: 11,881 students
  • Median public in-state tuition: $5,816 (+5.5% vs U.S.)
  • Median earnings 10 years after entry: $29,972 (-44.9% vs U.S.)
  • Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 78.0% (-10.0 pp vs U.S.)
  • Median net price: $28,584 (+186.7% vs U.S.)
  • Median student debt at graduation: $9,500 (-28.4% vs U.S. $13,271); regional median $11,537
  • Average completion rate (institutions in state): 62.6%
  • Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 100.0%

Download the data

Download JSON

Full profile payload including top-college lists and peer comparisons.

Overview

Colleges and universities in Glendale serve students across California with associate, bachelor's, and graduate pathways. 6 reporting campuses in this city profile, with about 11,881 students enrolled in federal data, and median in-state tuition near $5,816. Tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, and standout institutions against Glendale, California and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.

Glendale vs California & national benchmarks

Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.

State versus regional and national education metrics
Geography In-state tuition Net price Median debt Completion rate Enrollment
Glendale, California$5,816$28,584$9,50062.6%11,881
California (state median)$1,350$8,343$11,53759.0%2,134,322
United States$5,512$9,969$13,27150.3%14,468,221

Earnings & employment outcomes: Glendale, California vs benchmarks

Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.

Earnings and employment outcome benchmarks
Geography Median earnings (10 yr) Working & not enrolled (8 yr) Retention (FT yr 1) 2-yr default 3-yr default 3-yr repayment progress Debt ÷ earnings
Glendale, California$29,97278.0%100.0%0.00%—N/AN/A
California (state median)$65,66890.0%83.8%3.7%—74.1%0.28
United States$54,38488.0%76.4%5.0%—73.7%0.41

Other cities in California (3+ campuses)

Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.

Peer comparison table
City In-state tuition Net price Median debt Completion Enrollment Earnings (10 yr) Working (8 yr)
Glendale, California$5,816$28,584$9,50062.6%11,881$29,97278.0%
Los Angeles$16,900$21,711$18,37571.7%120,534$74,16587.7%
San Diego$13,284$23,205$13,00069.2%95,661$66,22889.4%
Sacramento$1,288$20,520$10,67450.8%94,048$64,87691.3%
Long Beach$4,453$14,158$11,81268.9%60,761$64,40391.1%
Fullerton$5,420$6,555$13,75070.2%56,299$56,32489.2%
Fresno$7,350$20,190$10,97653.5%54,532$60,07091.2%
Riverside$15,606$21,765$11,09860.8%53,903$61,82490.9%
Pasadena$31,530$25,065$13,19437.4%49,021$62,22284.6%
United States$5,512$9,969$13,27150.3%14,468,221$54,38488.0%

Top college in Glendale, California by 10-year ROI

Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.

  1. Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $60,856, American Medical Sciences Center

    American Medical Sciences Center

    Private for-profit · 365 enrolled · Glendale

Most affordable college in Glendale, California (net price)

Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.

  1. Rank 1, Net Price, $21,629, American Medical Sciences Center

    American Medical Sciences Center

    Private for-profit · 365 enrolled · Glendale

In-state tuition: Glendale, California vs benchmarks

Sticker price

Glendale, California median in-state tuition is $5,816, +5.5% vs the U.S. median.

Student debt: Glendale, California vs benchmarks

Borrowing

Median debt at graduation in Glendale, California is $9,500 (-28.4% vs U.S. median $13,271). Regional median: $11,537.

Median earnings (10 years out): Glendale, California vs benchmarks

Payoff

Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Glendale, California center around $29,972 (-44.9% vs U.S.).

Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.

Employment outcome proxy: Glendale, California vs benchmarks

Working & not enrolled

The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 78.0% at the median Glendale, California campus (-10.0 pp vs U.S.).

Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).

Analysis & insights

EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.

Costs & borrowing

Glendale, California median public in-state tuition is $5,816, about +5.5% vs the national median. Versus the Far West region, tuition is +77.1%.

Median graduate debt is $9,500 (-28.4% below the U.S. median of $13,271). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.

Earnings, employment & retention

Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Glendale, California are $29,972, about -44.9% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,384).

The median campus reports 78.0% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 88.0% (-10.0 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.

First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 100.0% vs a U.S. median of 76.4%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.

Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 0.00% (U.S. 5.0%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.

Completion & workforce context

Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Glendale, California is 62.6% (national institution average about 50.3%).

Frequently Asked Questions

How many colleges are in Glendale?

This city profile covers 6 campuses in Glendale, California with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.

How much does college cost in Glendale?

Median in-state tuition in Glendale is $5,816 and median net price is $28,584. For California overall, medians are $1,350 and $8,343; U.S. medians are $5,512 and $9,969.

What do graduates earn in Glendale?

Median 10-year earnings for campuses in Glendale is $29,972 vs $65,668 for California and $54,384 nationally.

What is student debt like for Glendale colleges?

Median completer debt in Glendale is $9,500 vs $11,537 for California and $13,271 nationally.

Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Glendale?

Among 6 campuses in Glendale, California, 6 campuses with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard demographics—a common Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) eligibility proxy; examples include Glendale Community College, Glendale Career College, and North-West College-Glendale.

Sources & related