It's a great pleasure and honor studying, working as well as teaching at some of the prestigious California community colleges. I moved in 1977 across from back east of the country with two suitcases and 300 dollars, to take advantage of the educational system in California in general and of California community colleges—for starters—in particular. Besides being unbelievably affordable at that time it was also extremely reputable as fine preparatory, or transitional, institutions of higher education.During my first semester at College of Marin, for instance, besides buying my texts, I paid only $3.00 for the whole semester. That was for the Health Fee.
California community colleges are not quite so low-priced—though they are still affordable—in recent times, but they are still brilliant first- and second-year colleges and trade/occupational training sites. Those graduating either from the neighboring high schools or returning to college after years away attend courses and programs in almost all of the major disciplines and/or take up vocational courses for example those in the Automotive Mechanics or Cosmetology divisions at almost all of the 72 regions’ California community colleges.
As the Chancellor of the California community colleges reveals in the mission statement (at http://www.cccco.edu/faq_cccco.htm#mission), basic aims of all of the California community colleges are to offer “essential and important functions” such as basic skills instruction, English as a second language (ESL, or, English for speakers of other languages, ESOL) education and practice, adult non-credit instruction, and student and community support services.
While funding is the contingency (and often the bane), some California community colleges engage in outreach, research, and other related projects and programs. They often present a small degree of health services, offer social and academic guidance and support (for honors charters, for instance) and extracurricular access (as, for example, student associations and clubs as well as sports teams).
Despite the fact that I taught and worked at and am thus partial to select California community colleges in the Bay Area (in Northern California), they are some of the best kept secrets all over the state. Below is the list with individual colleges where you can find additional information online by either typing in the name of the college and dot net, or dot cc dot ca, or dot edu:
American River College, Sacramento
Butte College, Oroville
College of San Mateo, San Mateo
Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill
East Los Angeles College, Monterey Park
Feather River College, Quincy
Grossmont College, El Cajon
Hartmon College, Salinas
Imperial Valley College, Imperial Valley
Laney College, Oakland
College of Marin, Kentfield
Ohlone College, Fremont
Palomar College, San Marcos
College of the Redwoods, Eureka
Skyline College, San Bruno
Taft College, Taft
Ventura College, Ventura
West Hills College, Coalinga
Yuba College, Marysville