Golden West College vs. California Indian Nations College

Comparable Facts

Compare Golden West College in Huntington Beach, CA with California Indian Nations College in Palm Desert, California on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Golden West College is larger than California Indian Nations College based on total student enrollment (10,721 students vs. 154 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Golden West College is located in Huntington Beach, CA (Large Suburban setting); California Indian Nations College is in Palm Desert, California (Small City setting).
• Golden West College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. California Indian Nations College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Golden West College 29:1; California Indian Nations College 6:1.

Golden West College vs. California Indian Nations College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Golden West College or California Indian Nations College? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Golden West College than California Indian Nations College ($6,681 vs. $17,737).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California Indian Nations College are 13.6% lower than at Golden West College ($20,446 vs. $23,659).
• California Indian Nations College is 461.1% more expensive for in-state tuition than Golden West College (about $6,363 more per year; $7,743.00 vs. $1,380.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 50.2% higher at Golden West College than at California Indian Nations College (about $3,885 more per year; $11,628.00 vs. $7,743.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at California Indian Nations College than at Golden West College (100% vs. 82%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Golden West College students is 27.8% larger than aid received by California Indian Nations College students ($6,849 vs. $5,360).

Golden West College vs. California Indian Nations College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Golden West College or California Indian Nations College? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between California Indian Nations College and Golden West College.

• Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Golden West College - Open admission; California Indian Nations College - Open admission.

Golden West College vs. California Indian Nations College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Golden West College and California Indian Nations College? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• Graduates from Golden West College have median earnings of about $37,000 about ten years after starting college (College Scorecard). Comparable earnings data is not available for California Indian Nations College.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.