A comprehensive guide to Orange Coast College

About Orange Coast College

Orange Coast College is one of the nation’s top transfer schools, with thousands of students transferring to universities and private colleges throughout California and the country. OCC is the best option for quality education at an affordable price, with exceptional facilities and cutting-edge technology. Students enjoy active campus life by participating in a variety of student clubs, college and sporting events, and enrichment programs. 

Let’s further discuss OCC’s courses, campus, facilities, and more.

Mission

Orange Coast College serves a diverse local and global community’s educational needs. It offers high-quality, culturally responsive, and innovative programs and services. These services lead to degrees, transfers, certificates, foundational skills, workforce development, and lifelong learning. The college strives to enable students to achieve their goals.

It cultivates a respectful, inclusive, caring, and participatory campus climate of student engagement and academic inquiry. The College promotes student development, learning, and equitable outcomes through its educational endeavors.

History

The Orange Coast Junior College district came into existence in 1947, with classes starting in 1948. OCC has been a higher education leader in Costa Mesa and the surrounding communities for over 75 years.

OCC takes pride in providing students with the tools they need to succeed in today’s world as one of the nation’s top transfer schools and with a robust offering of career and technical education programs. Throughout 2023, OCC will share ‘Coast Stories’ about how the college has impacted the lives of people in the community and around the world.

As OCC prepares to celebrate its 75th graduating class, it will host several events this year to honor the legacy of excellence. Furthermore, it distinguishes the college as one of the best in the country.

Campus

Located in Costa Mesa, the 164-acre campus of Orange Coast College is just minutes from Southern California’s beautiful beaches. OCC has outstanding facilities and cutting-edge technology. It offers over 135 academic and career programs, including one of the nation’s largest and most acclaimed public nautical programs. Nearly half the students on campus study in one of OCC’s Career and Technical Education programs, and enrollment averages around 22,000 students each semester.

Courses

At Orange Coast College, academia means assisting students in achieving their career and life goals. It also means contributing to students’ personal growth as individuals and citizens.

Academics at OCC is about encouraging students to discover their interests and instilling a lifelong thirst for knowledge. A variety of academic and career paths are available at OCC to pique students’ interest and imagination.

The college offers more than 135 academic and career programs and the opportunity for students to reach their educational goals. OCC offers classes throughout the year, including the fall, winter, spring, and summer. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges fully accredits the college.

Academic divisions

• Business & computing
• Consumer & health sciences
• Counseling
• Kinesiology & athletics
• Library
• Literature & languages
• Mathematics & sciences
• Social & behavioral sciences
• Technology
• Visual & performing arts

Facilities

OCC provides experienced instructors with a variety of teaching methods for individual students. The college also offers lectures and labs that are frequently transferable to other institutions, such as the campuses of the University of California and California State University. OCC provides online and honors classes. Additionally, it offers over 50 programs leading to certificates of achievement and/or the Associate of Art and Associate of Science degrees.

How to apply?

The application process for OCC is simple. The first step for students is to decide which degree and course they want to pursue.

They should look into the admission requirements for the program they want to attend. Check if they have met all the academic requirements.

Then, see if standard test scores match the requirements (GRE or GMAT, depending on the program). 

To be considered for admission, international students must take the IELTS tests or other qualifying English language tests as per the requirements.

Once the student is sure that they have fulfilled the criteria, they should visit the course page on the college website and apply!

If they are accepted, they can begin applying for scholarships and planning their housing at OCC.

Application deadlines

The application deadlines vary depending on the program to which a student applies. However, international students for the fall semester must submit the applications by the end of December in most cases. The deadline for the spring semester is usually before the end of July. To be sure, search for the program on the university’s website and double-check the deadlines before applying.

Rankings

OCC consistently ranks as one of the top colleges in the state. It also has the title of the top college in Orange County for the number of students it transfers to the UC and CSU systems. Furthermore, many OCC students go on to attend private colleges and universities in California and across the country.

Niche rankings 

• Best Hispanic-Serving Institutions in America- 73 of 378
• Best Community Colleges in America- 108 of 906
• Best Community Colleges in California- 27 of 112

Alumni

• Dustin Nguyen- Vietnamese actor and martial artist
• Scott Aukerman- American writer
• Paul Frank- American cartoonist
• Gigi Ibrahim- Egyptian journalist

Key takeaways

• Founded in 1947, The Orange Coast Junior College district’s classes started in 1948. Since then, OCC has been a higher education leader in Costa Mesa and the surrounding communities for over 75 years.
• Based in Costa Mesa, the 164-acre campus of Orange Coast College is a few minutes distance from Southern California’s beautiful beaches. OCC offers incredible facilities and cutting-edge technology. 
• OCC provides more than 135 academic and career programs and the opportunity for its students to fulfil their educational targets. It provides classes throughout the year, including the fall, winter, spring, and summer.

Did you find this blog informative? If so, please share your thoughts in the comments section below. Click here to contact us for more information on Orange Coast College. We would be happy to assist you with your queries.

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FAQs

Q1. How much is Orange Coast College’s fee for international students?

Ans- The international students at OCC have to pay the non-resident tuition rate of $407.00 per semester credit unit.

Q2. Can I live on campus at Orange Coast College?

Ans- Yes, you can! Orange Coast College is Southern California’s first and only community college to provide on-campus student housing. The on-campus housing facility offers a little more than 800 bed spaces in fully-furnished apartment style-living.

Q3. What GPA do you need to get admission to Orange Coast College?

Ans- Students should have a minimum final high school GPA of 3.25 (grades 9-12, weighted or unweighted) to get admission to OCC.