Golden West College vs. CMC

Deciding between Golden West College and Copper Mountain Community College? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Golden West College

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Golden West College Huntington Beach, CA
  • CMC Joshua Tree, CA
  • Setting
  • Golden West College Large Suburban
  • CMC Distant Rural
  • Total enrollment
  • Golden West College 10,721
  • CMC 2,019
  • Type
  • Golden West College Public 2 Year
  • CMC Public 2 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Golden West College
  • CMC
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Golden West College -
  • CMC -
  • Status
  • Golden West College Non-profit
  • CMC Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Golden West College
  • CMC

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Golden West College $1,380
  • CMC $1,390
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Golden West College $11,628
  • CMC $13,570
  • Room & Board
  • Golden West College $23,659
  • CMC $22,086
  • Average Net Price
  • Golden West College $6,681
  • CMC $9,827
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Golden West College $6,849
  • CMC $7,478
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Golden West College 82%
  • CMC 93%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Golden West College -
  • CMC -
  • Admitted
  • Golden West College -
  • CMC -
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Golden West College Open
  • CMC Open
  • Enrolled
  • Golden West College Open
  • CMC Open
  • Typical SAT score
  • Golden West College
  • CMC
  • Typical ACT score
  • Golden West College
  • CMC
  • Average High School GPA
  • Golden West College -
  • CMC -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Golden West College -
  • CMC -
  • Admissions Standards
  • Golden West College Unavailable
  • CMC Unavailable
  • Applicant Competition
  • Golden West College
  • CMC
  • ACT Range
  • Golden West College
  • CMC
  • SAT Range
  • Golden West College
  • CMC
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Golden West College Open admission
  • CMC Open admission
  • Application Deadline
  • Golden West College
  • CMC

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Golden West College 29:1
  • CMC 18:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Golden West College
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (29%)
    • Health Professions (18%)
    • Personal and Culinary Services (11%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (9%)
    • Social Sciences (6%)
  • CMC
    • Health Professions (30%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (28%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (9%)
    • Business (9%)
    • Social Sciences (6%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Golden West College -
  • CMC -
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Golden West College $37,000
  • CMC $33,000
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Golden West College 53%
  • CMC 28%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Golden West College $5,484
  • CMC N/A
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Golden West College $56
  • CMC N/A

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Golden West College 47%
  • CMC 36%
  • % Women
  • Golden West College 53%
  • CMC 64%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Golden West College Very High
  • CMC High
  • HBCU
  • Golden West College No
  • CMC No
  • % White
  • Golden West College 32%
  • CMC 52%
  • % Asian
  • Golden West College 27%
  • CMC 4%
  • % Black
  • Golden West College 2%
  • CMC 5%
  • % Hispanic
  • Golden West College 31%
  • CMC 27%
  • % Native American
  • Golden West College 0%
  • CMC 1%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Golden West College 1%
  • CMC 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Golden West College 5%
  • CMC 7%
  • % International
  • Golden West College 2%
  • CMC 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Golden West College 1%
  • CMC 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Golden West College 92%
  • CMC 90%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Golden West College 2%
  • CMC 0%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Golden West College No
  • CMC No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Golden West College No
  • CMC No
  • Meal Plan
  • Golden West College No
  • CMC No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Golden West College Yes
  • CMC No
  • Daycare Facility
  • Golden West College Yes
  • CMC No

Comparable Facts

Compare Golden West College in Huntington Beach, CA with Copper Mountain Community College in Joshua Tree, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Golden West College is larger than CMC based on total student enrollment (10,721 students vs. 2,019 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Golden West College is located in Huntington Beach, CA (Large Suburban setting); Copper Mountain Community College is in Joshua Tree, CA (Distant Rural setting).
  • Golden West College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Copper Mountain Community College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Golden West College 29:1; Copper Mountain Community College 18:1.

Golden West College vs. CMC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Golden West College or CMC? 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 CMC ($6,681 vs. $9,827).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Copper Mountain Community College are 6.6% lower than at Golden West College ($22,086 vs. $23,659).
  • Copper Mountain Community College is 0.7% more expensive for in-state tuition than Golden West College (about $10 more per year; $1,390.00 vs. $1,380.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 16.7% higher at CMC than at Golden West College (about $1,942 more per year; $13,570.00 vs. $11,628.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Copper Mountain Community College than at Golden West College (93% vs. 82%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Copper Mountain Community College students is 9.2% larger than aid received by Golden West College students ($7,478 vs. $6,849).

Golden West College vs. CMC Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Golden West College or CMC? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between CMC 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; CMC - Open admission.

Golden West College vs. CMC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Golden West College and CMC? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Graduates from Golden West College earn a median of about $4,000 more per year than CMC graduates about ten years after starting college ($37,000 vs. $33,000), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • More Golden West College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CMC students, three years after graduation. (53% vs. 28%)

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.