+20%
Out-of-state tuition
Out-of-state tuition at Cerritos College rose 20% between 2021 and 2024 ($10.0k → $12.0k).
California · Public · Predominantly certificates
Cerritos College
Norwalk, California. 18,710 undergraduate students. 117 programs in the federal Field-of-Study dataset.
ANOMALY ENGINE · NOTABLE SIGNALS
What the data flags at Cerritos College
Short-arc shifts (recent 3-year window), peer outliers, earnings trend breaks, completion drops, enrollment cliffs, and debt-to-earnings warnings — surfaced deterministically from the federal record. Multi-decade shifts are reported separately in the Long Arc section, since 25-year tuition drift isn't really an anomaly.
-100%
3-year cohort default rate
3-year cohort default rate at Cerritos College fell 100% between 2021 and 2024 (4.5% → 0.0%).
+34%
Undergraduate enrollment
Undergraduate enrollment at Cerritos College rose 34% between 2007 and 2010 (15.4k → 20.6k).
+25%
150%-time completion
150%-time completion at Cerritos College rose 25% between 2007 and 2010 (18.6% → 23.1%).
SECTION 01 · OUTCOMES SNAPSHOT
The numbers, vs. California
Each tile compares this institution to the California median for the same metric. Sub-line shows the comparison value, not an interpretation. Sparklines trace the federally available history.
$41,156+26% · 6→10y
California median $42,588$32,581
Treasury earnings · 6y post-entry28.9%-31% · '97→'10
California median 61.3%$8,350-8% · '97→'10
At program completion18,710+27% · '96→'10
latest IPEDS66.5%+5% · '04→'24
first-time, full-time—
latest cohort$1,364+321% · '00→'24
out-of-state $12,004SECTION 02 · EARNINGS HORIZONS
How earnings spread, 4 to 10 years after entry
Treasury tax-record earnings for federally aided students who first enrolled at this institution. Each point is a horizon from the most-recent vintage. Single median per horizon (no p25/p75 publishing).
Earnings widen with time post-entry. Selection: federal-aid recipients only — not all graduates.Methodology →
SECTION 03 · DEBT-TO-EARNINGS
What loans cost relative to earnings
Annual debt service as a share of median earnings 10 years after entry, computed under federal Direct loan terms (10-year fixed at 6%). The 8% line is the gainful-employment threshold from federal regulation; above 12% has historically been considered “failing” under prior rule cycles.
Institution-wide
2.7%Median federal debt $8,350 amortized over 10 years vs. median earnings $41,156 (10y after entry).
SECTION 04 · LONG ARC
Ten-plus year arc
Federally available history. Coverage varies by metric — IPEDS publishes some series only after 2009 and others only before.
Undergraduate enrollment.
150%-time completion rate.
Median federal student debt at exit.
-31%
Cerritos College · completion · 150% fell
33.6% → 23.1%
+23%
Cerritos College · completion · 100% rose
6.1% → 7.4%
+27%
Cerritos College · undergrad enrollment rose
16,198 → 20,639
+104%
Cerritos College · in-state tuition rose
$324 → $1,364
+210%
Cerritos College · out-of-state tuition rose
$3,874 → $12,004
-100%
Cerritos College · cohort default rate fell
18.6% → 0.0%
+67%
Cerritos College · pell share rose
21.7% → 36.3%
+20%
Cerritos College · earnings_median_6yr rose
$27,100 → $32,581
SECTION 05 · PROGRAMS
Ranked by 5-year earnings
Each row is one (CIP × credential) program reported by the institution in College Scorecard's Field-of-Study data. Cohort floor is 30 students; below this, federal data is suppressed.
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.$101,438Accounting and Related Services.$64,506Biological and Physical Sciences.$61,587Dental Support Services and Allied Professions.$61,556Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other.$59,780Business/Commerce, General.$57,832Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services.$50,013Business Administration, Management and Operations.$49,951Communication and Media Studies.$47,794Communication Disorders Sciences and Services.$45,689Business Administration, Management and Operations.$45,562Criminal Justice and Corrections.$44,073Sociology.$43,979Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.$38,638Psychology, General.$37,641History.$37,530Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services.$32,500Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services.$30,470Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services.$14,752
SECTION 06 · BY CIP FAMILY
19 programs with earnings, grouped
Programs are grouped by 2-digit CIP family. Programs without reported earnings are hidden to keep the list focused.
PERSONAL & CULINARY SERVICES · CIP 12
FAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES · CIP 19
LIBERAL ARTS & GENERAL STUDIES · CIP 24
MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES · CIP 30
PSYCHOLOGY · CIP 42
HOMELAND SECURITY & PROTECTIVE SERVICES · CIP 43
SOCIAL SCIENCES · CIP 45
HEALTH PROFESSIONS · CIP 51
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services.$50,013Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.$101,438Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services.$32,500Dental Support Services and Allied Professions.$61,556Communication Disorders Sciences and Services.$45,689
BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT & MARKETING · CIP 52
HISTORY · CIP 54
COMMUNICATION & JOURNALISM · CIP 09
SECTION 07 · SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS
Same sector and degree mix in California
Picked by Carnegie sector × predominant credential level. These are not rankings — just nearest-neighbour surfaces for comparison.
CAUSAL DISCIPLINE
“Cerritos College graduates earn $X” — not “Cerritos College makes you earn $X”
Median earnings describe what cohorts earned. They do not describe what attending Cerritos College caused. Selection effects (who admits, who enrolls, who completes) are real. We publish federal data with strict descriptive phrasing — and link the methodology where you can read about the limitations directly.