Huntington Beach, California, USA
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At Golden West College
At Golden West College
At Golden West College
Golden West College (GWC) is among Southern California’s most beautiful campuses. It is part of the Coast Community College District, which includes Coastline Community College and Orange Coast College. Golden West College is among the top community colleges in California, ranking fourth out of the state's 116 community colleges on EDSmart's 2024 edition of the Best Community Colleges in California.
The college offers students majors and programs leading to associate degrees or certificates. Study options offered cover subject areas such as accounting; anthropology; art; automotive technology; biology; business administration; computer science; cosmetology; liberal arts; management; marketing; mathematics; and many more.
GWC also offers study options that help students meet general education requirements and transferable courses that help them progress to many other majors. GWC is known for its excellence in academic quality and innovation, learning-centered programs, a championship winning athletic program and student support.
Students who are 18 years of age and above can gain admission to GWC, an open-access institution, with a high school diploma or an equivalent.
Outside of classrooms, GWC offers students an enriching student experience through its student clubs and organizations. It also offers in-depth support to students from their time of enrollment all the way through to graduation.
Golden West College excels at helping students transfer to prestigious universities like California State University Long Beach (CSULB) and University of California Irvine (UCI). Golden West College has the second highest transfer acceptance rates in Orange County, with more than 90 percent of transfer students from GWC getting admitted to a California State University campus or a University of California campus.
Upon transfer from Golden West College, students can begin an undergraduate bachelor’s degree as a third year student at a university.
The college provides a dedicated support through university . Its services include:
The college’s helps students explore their academic options, develop employable skills, and achieve their career goals. The careers team helps students find relevant jobs and internships, as well as offering access to a large library of careers-related resources and materials.
It also runs workshops and careers fairs throughout the year to provide further support and networking opportunities.
The college’s Center for Global and Cultural Programs also provides comprehensive support for students applying to Optional Practical Training (OPT) for students who want to gain work experience in the U.S. upon completion of their course.
Golden West College is always pursuing new developments, improving its services for students, and expanding its educational offerings and achievements. Students can see all of the latest news and events on the college’s website.
Golden West College was recently named amongst the top 150 U.S. community colleges eligible for the 2021 Aspen prize. Recognizing educational excellence through analyzing student outcomes, only 15 percent of community colleges were eligible to be nominated.
In addition to the grand opening of the new Language Arts Center, Golden West College opened the new location of its basic needs center, The Stand, during the Fall 2024 semester.
The Stand is a critical resource for students on campus, providing groceries and hygiene items for GWC students, with more than 21,000 visits each year. The Stand also serves students with personalized case management, connecting them to on- and off-campus resources to help address needs such as housing, childcare and emergency grants.
11,74,983 Undergraduate Fees are for indicative purposes, for details
11,33,880 Vocational Fees are for indicative purposes, for details
12,81,725 Living costs
8,27,202 To live on campus
International students can apply for a range of opportunities through Golden West College and its international student program.
Currently, GWC is offering a for eligible new international students.
For continuing students, scholarships are awarded based on academic achievements and merit. Some scholarships will require additional information including transcripts and essay submissions. All details of funding and criteria are on the college’s website. Scholarships available for international students include:
The university has also announced that GWC will be offering a USD 400 scholarship to an eligible new international student.
Visit the scholarship website learn more about:
As an open-access institution, to be considered for a place at Golden West College, applicants need to be high school graduates, or in the final semester of high school (or equivalent). If applicants are under the age of 18, they will also require permission from their legal guardian.
International applicants need to submit:
If an applicant’s native language isn’t English, they will also need to submit proof of English language proficiency. The college accepts TOEFL and IELTS English language tests and the following minimum scores:
If international applicants are already studying at a U.S. institution, they can attend GWC as a part-time student. Part-time applicants need to submit an F-1 , a letter from a designated official at their current school, and a copy of their I-20 form.
All college applications can be submitted throughout the year, and international students don’t require SAT, ACT, AP or GPA scores to be considered.
Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, GWC has a renowned academic reputation as one of the finest all-round programs in California.
In fact, one of the Professor of English, Keisha Cosand was named the 2025 Teacher of the Year by Orange County Department of Education.
Encouraging leadership within learning, students learn professionally relevant skills and knowledge in small class sizes. Along with personalized support from staff, students are given a range of academic support from the college. This includes application help, visa assistance, accommodation advice, orientation support, and university transfer application help.
International students receive tailored support from the college’s Center for Global and Cultural Programs. As the hub for global engagement throughout Golden West College, it runs the .
Golden West College is split into eight academic pathways which allows students to easily explore and map out their future with a variety of degrees and certificates programs. These are:
Offering over 60 major options across several disciplines, the college offers three types of . These are:
GWC’s courses align with general education requirements, and its transferable programs comply with lower-division requirements for several majors.
On a university transfer preparation program, students achieve between 60 and 72 units of coursework. This allows them to transfer to a university as a third-year student and earn an undergraduate degree. The UC transfer admission guarantee system means eligible students are guaranteed admission to a UC campus.
The college’s associate degrees specialize in the areas of arts and science. The degrees can either be studied as a preparation program before transferring to a four-year institution or for career development purposes.
Whether students wish to study for academic or occupational purposes, areas of study include accounting; automotive technology; business administration; design; computer science, and more.
The college also hosts English as a second language courses. These courses are designed to help students improve their English language skills Â鶹Դ´ their general education courses.
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