Cheapest Community Colleges
Community colleges are the most affordable route into higher education, and they are also a common first step toward a bachelor’s degree. Average net price at public two-year colleges ranges from $32 at the lowest to $23,154 a year, and tuition is only part of that figure: it also covers books, transportation and living costs.
We ranked 402 public two-year colleges with at least 500 undergraduates and show the cheapest 50. The median net price is $7,793 and the school in 50th place is at $4,436. Canada College is first, and California has the most schools on the list with 12. The median full cost of attendance for the group is $15,150, so aid cuts the typical bill substantially.
A low net price helps only if students finish, so compare completion rates in the table. Several states offer free or reduced community college tuition that the Scorecard net price may not fully reflect.
If you plan to transfer, check whether the college has guaranteed transfer agreements with your state’s public universities, because a cheap first two years only pays off when the credits carry over.
How this list is built
A college appears here only if it meets every condition below.
- Colleges considered
- Public 2-year (community) colleges
- Ranked by net price, lowest first. Ties are broken by larger undergraduate enrollment, then by name.
- Main campuses only, with at least 60% of core data fields reported
- At least 500 undergraduate students enrolled (fall 2024)
- A reported net price value (schools without one are not ranked)
- Data period
- Net price: average for students receiving aid, academic year 2023-24.
- Cost of attendance: tuition, fees, books, housing and other expenses, academic year 2023-24.
- Net price by income: students with family income of $0 to $30,000, academic year 2023-24.
- Graduation rate: first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2018 (4-year) or fall 2021 (2-year), finishing within 150% of normal time.
- Enrollment: undergraduate students, fall 2024.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
Showing the top 50 of 402 qualifying schools. Select a column heading to re-sort the table.
| 1 | Canada College Redwood City, CA Public · 2-year · Open admission · Hispanic-Serving | $32 | $9,087 | — | 48% | 5,175 |
| 2 | College of San Mateo San Mateo, CA Public · 2-year · Open admission · Hispanic-Serving | $536 | $10,837 | — | 59% | 7,977 |
| 3 | Imperial Valley College Imperial, CA Public · 2-year · Open admission · Hispanic-Serving | $1,115 | $11,998 | — | 45% | 7,652 |
| 4 | Trident Technical College Charleston, SC Public · 2-year · Open admission | $1,406 | $13,408 | $1,057 | 29% | 10,512 |
| 5 | West Shore Community College Scottville, MI Public · 2-year · Open admission | $1,527 | $10,637 | — | 29% | 782 |
| 6 | Macomb Community College Warren, MI Public · 2-year · Open admission | $1,618 | $11,912 | — | 17% | 13,876 |
| 7 | Durham Technical Community College Durham, NC Public · 2-year · Open admission | $1,664 | $10,430 | $525 | 40% | 3,890 |
| 8 | Johnston Community College Smithfield, NC Public · 2-year · Open admission | $1,776 | $11,230 | $1,743 | 32% | 3,453 |
| 9 | Hartnell College Salinas, CA Public · 2-year · Open admission · Hispanic-Serving | $2,039 | $11,892 | $828 | 35% | 9,453 |
| 10 | Rockingham Community College Wentworth, NC Public · 2-year · Open admission | $2,060 | $10,933 | $1,161 | 32% | 1,065 |
| 11 | Irvine Valley College Irvine, CA Public · 2-year · Open admission | $2,090 | $13,001 | $734 | 57% | 10,286 |
| 12 | Santiago Canyon College Orange, CA Public · 2-year · Open admission · Hispanic-Serving | $2,129 | $13,818 | — | 47% | 10,579 |
| 13 | College of the Albemarle Elizabeth City, NC Public · 2-year · Open admission | $2,253 | $13,621 | $398 | 37% | 2,001 |
| 14 | Middlesex College Edison, NJ Public · 2-year · Open admission · Hispanic-Serving | $2,288 | $10,054 | $1,306 | 34% | 8,469 |
| 15 | San Joaquin Delta College Stockton, CA Public · 2-year · Open admission · Hispanic-Serving | $2,407 | $9,965 | $1,291 | 33% | 15,781 |
| 16 | Southwest Mississippi Community College Summit, MS Public · 2-year · Open admission | $2,525 | $11,644 | $2,171 | 48% | 1,474 |
| 17 | Yuba College Marysville, CA Public · 2-year · Open admission · Hispanic-Serving | $2,576 | $11,496 | $3,766 | 36% | 4,779 |
| 18 | Middlesex Community College Bedford, MA Public · 2-year · Open admission | $2,624 | $10,342 | $943 | 23% | 5,412 |
| 19 | Carroll Community College Westminster, MD Public · 2-year · Open admission | $2,725 | $8,628 | $1,167 | 43% | 1,990 |
| 20 | Lurleen B Wallace Community College Andalusia, AL Public · 2-year · Open admission | $2,792 | $12,392 | $2,054 | 42% | 1,097 |
| 21 | Robeson Community College Lumberton, NC Public · 2-year · Open admission | $2,892 | $12,628 | $2,286 | 31% | 1,551 |
| 22 | Kalamazoo Valley Community College Kalamazoo, MI Public · 2-year · Open admission | $2,979 | $11,386 | $1,290 | 25% | 4,997 |
| 23 | Victoria College Victoria, TX Public · 2-year · Open admission · Hispanic-Serving | $3,043 | $10,514 | $2,144 | 27% | 2,351 |
| 24 | Wilson Community College Wilson, NC Public · 2-year · Open admission | $3,064 | $10,765 | $2,584 | 33% | 1,373 |
| 25 | Texas Southmost College Brownsville, TX Public · 2-year · Open admission · Hispanic-Serving | $3,085 | $10,999 | $1,696 | 28% | 3,372 |
| 26 | El Paso Community College El Paso, TX Public · 2-year · Open admission · Hispanic-Serving | $3,206 | $13,337 | $2,509 | 23% | 24,214 |
| 27 | Vance-Granville Community College Henderson, NC Public · 2-year · Open admission | $3,286 | $13,153 | $1,701 | 50% | 1,665 |
| 28 | Craven Community College New Bern, NC Public · 2-year · Open admission | $3,289 | $10,735 | $2,428 | 47% | 1,989 |
| 29 | Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, NC Public · 2-year · Open admission | $3,345 | $10,546 | $3,258 | 29% | 15,067 |
| 30 | West Valley College Saratoga, CA Public · 2-year · Open admission · Hispanic-Serving | $3,423 | $13,717 | $1,658 | 52% | 6,416 |
| 31 | Western Texas College Snyder, TX Public · 2-year · Open admission | $3,562 | $13,335 | $2,703 | 56% | 599 |
| 32 | New River Community and Technical College Beaver, WV Public · 2-year · Open admission | $3,599 | $12,132 | $2,657 | 33% | 770 |
| 33 | Carl Sandburg College Galesburg, IL Public · 2-year · Open admission | $3,662 | $11,563 | $1,014 | 45% | 1,051 |
| 34 | Mississippi Delta Community College Moorhead, MS Public · 2-year · Open admission | $3,715 | $11,379 | $3,507 | 31% | 1,413 |
| 35 | Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA Public · 2-year · Open admission · Hispanic-Serving | $3,864 | $13,677 | $3,051 | 44% | 21,466 |
| 36 | Copiah-Lincoln Community College Wesson, MS Public · 2-year · Open admission | $3,894 | $12,490 | $3,165 | 51% | 1,922 |
| 37 | Kennebec Valley Community College Fairfield, ME Public · 2-year · Open admission | $3,910 | $12,149 | $3,361 | 44% | 1,597 |
| 38 | Muskegon Community College Muskegon, MI Public · 2-year · Open admission | $4,005 | $12,178 | $3,708 | 30% | 2,760 |
| 39 | Hinds Community College Raymond, MS Public · 2-year · Open admission | $4,060 | $11,036 | $3,233 | 43% | 6,397 |
| 40 | Patrick & Henry Community College Martinsville, VA Public · 2-year · Open admission | $4,102 | $12,043 | $3,671 | 43% | 1,350 |
| 41 | Paul D Camp Community College Franklin, VA Public · 2-year · Open admission | $4,126 | $10,577 | $2,709 | 30% | 613 |
| 42 | Saddleback College Mission Viejo, CA Public · 2-year · Open admission · Hispanic-Serving | $4,152 | $13,939 | $2,596 | 46% | 17,684 |
| 43 | Sandhills Community College Pinehurst, NC Public · 2-year · Open admission | $4,157 | $14,709 | $2,674 | 50% | 2,539 |
| 44 | Madera Community College Madera, CA Public · 2-year · Open admission · Hispanic-Serving | $4,179 | $15,639 | $4,071 | 34% | 4,808 |
| 45 | Tohono O'odham Community College Sells, AZ Public · 2-year · Open admission | $4,233 | $8,282 | $4,225 | 16% | 998 |
| 46 | Coastal Bend College Beeville, TX Public · 2-year · Open admission · Hispanic-Serving | $4,237 | $12,875 | $3,175 | 14% | 1,958 |
| 47 | Chattahoochee Valley Community College Phenix City, AL Public · 2-year · Open admission | $4,244 | $12,600 | $3,275 | 36% | 1,110 |
| 48 | Roane State Community College Harriman, TN Public · 2-year · Open admission | $4,270 | $13,397 | $3,444 | 34% | 3,250 |
| 49 | Tarrant County College District Fort Worth, TX Public · 2-year · Open admission · Hispanic-Serving | $4,337 | $11,130 | $3,334 | 29% | 42,300 |
| 50 | Essex County College Newark, NJ Public · 2-year · Open admission · Hispanic-Serving | $4,436 | $12,506 | $3,792 | 20% | 5,855 |
By state
State versions of this ranking:
States with schools on this list
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