Orange Coast College

Orange Coast College (OCC) is one of California's largest community colleges. Situated in the vibrant city of Costa Mesa, the college is located in close proximity to California's Disneyland resort and an array of stunning local beaches. With a diverse student body of over 20,000 students from 80 different countries, OCC offers a comprehensive range of more than 130 majors. OCC holds an impressive reputation for being one of the leading community colleges for transfer to 4-year universities, and students from OCC regularly progress to undergraduate study at the University of California and the California State University system.

OCC is renowned for its honors program, which is the largest among community colleges nationwide, and also provides an array of intensive English program. What truly sets OCC apart is its unique selection of academic programs, which span subject areas including aviation, animation, architecture, marine science, culinary arts, and film and television.

With exceptional state-of-the-art facilities, industry standard technology across campus, affordable tuition rates, and dedicated English language programs, OCC provides international students with an environment designed to prepare them for future professional and academic success. Moreover, OCC is currently the only community college in Southern California to provide on-campus student housing. A powerhouse of sporting success, OCC offers a competitive athletics program which prepares students for recruitment by NCAA schools, and was the first community college to qualify for the ESPN eSports National Collegiate Championship finals.

Orange Coast College is renowned for academic excellence across its array of associate degrees, certificates of achievement, and transfer courses. University level teaching at the college is delivered by qualified academics and OCC's curriculum is designed to support successful student transition to bachelor's degree courses at top U.S. universities. Teaching at OCC focuses on helping students achieve their career objectives and long-term educational goals by giving them a platform to grow both academically and personally as they develop transferable skills.

OCC offers classes across a variety of specialist subject areas, and programs at the college are delivered by researchers, industry professionals and successful professors who have worked at four-year universities. Students at OCC can expect to be taught by staff who are at the cutting edge of their field and are provided with numerous opportunities for targeted support in crucial areas of learning and practice.

Students at OCC enjoy a wide variety of teaching modes which are adapted to suit individual learning styles and objectives. Many of the classes and laboratory activities at OCC are directly transferable to top university level study at institutions like California State University and the Universities of California.

Students have over 130 courses to choose from at Orange Coast College. With a variety of certificates, associate degrees and transfer pathways to four-year universities on offer at the college, students are equipped with the skills, knowledge and qualifications needed for future academic and career success.

OCC encourages students to explore their interests and plan towards future career success via cutting-edge academic programs. Tuition at OCC is offered in subject areas such as architecture, business, computing, culinary arts, engineering, hospitality, literature and languages, mathematics, science, sport, social sciences, technology, film and television, and visual and performing arts.

Courses in these and many more subjects at OCC are delivered by the college's 10 academic divisions:

• Business & Computing

• Consumer & Health Sciences

• Counseling

• Kinesiology & Athletics

• Library

• Literature & Languages

• Mathematics & Sciences

• Social & Behavioral Sciences

• Technology

• Visual & Performing Arts

Prospective students will need to meet the entry requirements for their chosen course before they can enroll at Orange Coast College.

OCC admission is guaranteed by qualifying for the college's minimum academic requirements. To qualify for courses at OCC, international students must be 18 years of age or have academic transcripts which demonstrate that they have completed high school and secondary school. Applicants will also need to be able to demonstrate an acceptable level of English language proficiency. One such demonstration of English language proficiency is evidence, through an academic transcript, that English was the primary language of instruction in secondary or post-secondary school level education.

If English was not the primary language of instruction in an applicant's secondary or post-secondary school education, OCC accepts the following qualifications and test results as proof of English language proficiency:

• TOEFL iBT: 61 or PBT: 500

• IELTS: 5.5

• Duolingo 95

• Eiken: 2A (if the score is 2, a minimum raw scholar of 2150)

• iTEP: 3.5

• Pearsons Test for English Academic: 45

• Michigan English Test: B2

• GTEC CBT: 1051

• Language Cert: 60

If an applicant does not yet meet the minimum English language proficiency level for their desired course, the college offers intensive English language programs via the OCC International Education Centre. Completing an intensive English program provides students with a TOEFL waiver that makes them eligible to apply for further academic study at the college.

Orange Coast College is one of the largest community colleges in California. OCC provides its students with state-of-the-art facilities that rival those of many top four-year universities. Specialist facilities at the college include a newly completed planetarium, a computing center, a cutting-edge humanities and behavioral sciences building, a student union, a waterfront campus, a dedicated chemistry building, and a range of student housing. It total, the OCC campus is home to over 80 modern buildings with industry standard equipment and facilities.

The on-campus housing offered by OCC provides students with some of the most luxurious student accommodation in the U.S. Each housing unit includes a private bedroom, a private bathroom, central air conditioning, and access to a fully furnished living room and kitchen. Many OCC accommodation units also feature a washer and dryer.

OCC prides itself on the quality of its sporting facilities and has recently concluded a round of significant refurbishments to ensure it remains at the forefront of college athletics. Recent additions to its facilities include a brand new 49,000 square foot fitness complex, a contemporary aquatics pavilion, a new tennis courts, and enhanced gym facilities.

International students attending a community college like Orange Coast College can save up to 80 percent on tuition and fees for the first two years of their undergraduate studies compared to starting at a public university in California.

To apply for an F-1 student visa to attend Orange Coast College, students must provide proof of funding amounting to USD 28,118. This amount covers tuition and fees, books and supplies, housing, and health insurance. Average tuition fees at OCC are USD 11,738 for undergraduate courses. Living costs, meanwhile, are typically USD 16,380, or USD 14,628 to live on campus.

Please note that Orange Coast College does not offer financial aid for international students, and scholarships are only available to continuing students after completing one semester at OCC.

However, the merit-based scholarships offered by OCC are quite generous, with more than USD 700,000 awarded to students across a variety of courses. Students can browse the full range of scholarship opportunities for continuing students on the college's website.

New chemistry building at Orange Coast College

Orange Coast College recently opened a new state-of-the-art chemistry building. The innovative two-story building offers over 43,000 square feet of study, laboratory and classroom spaces. The building has a total of nine laboratories which have been expertly designed for large group work, as well as a range of well-equipped individual workstations.

With a laboratory capacity projected to be 60 percent larger than its predecessor, the building has been designed as a unique hub of innovation where students can develop their knowledge and skills in chemistry, preparing them for transfer degrees across the United States.

Orange Coast College's Campus to Table Project Receives State Sustainability Award

In November 2024, Orange Coast College was the recipient of the prestigious Excellence in Energy and Sustainability – Faculty/Student Initiative Award. The California Community Colleges Board of Governors cited OCC's outstanding and interdisciplinary work in marine science, horticulture, culinary arts, and food and beverage management when presenting the award. A culmination of innovation in these areas, OCC has recently introduced advanced agriculture techniques and created the Aquaponics lab as part of its innovative Campus to Table Project.