Business Administration, Management and Operations at Coalinga College

Coalinga College's business associate degree shows middling results nationally but outperforms most California competitors—a meaningful distinction given that the state median for this program sits at just $29,222. With first-year earnings of $31,708, graduates here earn roughly 8% more than the typical California business associate degree holder, placing the program in the 60th percentile statewide. That's noteworthy in a state where many community colleges struggle to deliver strong earnings outcomes in business programs.

The $12,000 in typical debt translates to a manageable 0.38 debt-to-earnings ratio, though it's worth noting this is actually higher than California's state median of around $8,000 for this program. Still, the debt load remains reasonable—graduates could feasibly pay this off within a few years of focused repayment. The real question mark here is the small sample size (under 30 graduates), which means these numbers could shift significantly year to year.

For parents evaluating community college options in California's Central Valley, Coalinga delivers solidly above-average results for the region, even if it can't match the earnings power of coastal programs like Mendocino or San Bernardino Valley. The combination of reasonable debt and better-than-state-average earnings makes this a practical choice, particularly for students planning to stay local or transfer after completing their associate degree.