Pasadena City College (PCC): Admissions, Cost, Nursing and Transfer

Community colleges guide · By CalChannel Editorial Team · Updated September 29, 2026

Pasadena City College (PCC) has open admission, so there’s no competitive acceptance rate, and California residents pay a $46-per-unit enrollment fee that many have waived. The exception is registered nursing, which ranks applicants on a 100-point scale with a minimum TEAS score of 62. PCC is also a major UC pipeline: 1,366 PCC students applied to UCLA for Fall 2025.

Most people looking up Pasadena City College want one of three answers: can I get in, what will it cost, and can it get me into a university or a nursing career. The good news is that PCC is one of the easiest colleges in Los Angeles County to start at and one of the cheapest. The harder parts are the nursing program and competitive UC transfer, and both reward students who plan early.

Here’s what PCC actually is, how each of those paths works, and what the numbers look like.

What Is Pasadena City College?

Pasadena City College, usually called PCC and sometimes referred to as Pasadena Community College, is a public two-year community college in Pasadena and part of the California Community Colleges system. It opened in 1924 as Pasadena Junior College and serves the Pasadena Area Community College District, which includes Pasadena, South Pasadena, Altadena, San Marino and Temple City, among other communities.

PCC does two jobs. It’s a transfer college, where students complete general education and major prerequisites before moving on to a UC, Cal State or private university. It’s also a career college, with associate degrees and certificates in fields such as nursing and other health sciences that lead straight to work. With 24,597 students in Fall 2024, it’s one of the larger community colleges in Los Angeles County.

Where Is PCC Located?

PCC’s main campus is at 1570 E. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena, about 10 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains. Colorado Boulevard is also the route of the Rose Parade, and PCC’s baseball team plays at Jackie Robinson Field near the Rose Bowl, named for PCC alumni Jackie and Mack Robinson.

The campus sits on the Metro A Line corridor and near the 210 Freeway, which matters for a college where most students commute. Parking and transit access are worth checking before you build a class schedule around them.

Does PCC Have an Acceptance Rate?

No. Pasadena City College has an open admission policy, so the PCC acceptance rate for general admission is effectively 100% for eligible students. Like other California community colleges, PCC admits high school graduates and adults 18 or older who can benefit from instruction. You apply online through CCCApply, with no essays, test scores or minimum GPA.

But here’s the catch: open admission doesn’t mean every program is open. Selective programs such as registered nursing have their own application, prerequisites and ranking. And popular classes can fill quickly, so your registration date affects how fast you move through a transfer plan.

PCC Nursing Program: How Admission Works

The PCC nursing program is the one part of the college that is truly competitive. Admission to the Registered Nursing (ADN) program uses a 100-point selection system, and applicants need a 2.5 GPA in science and English prerequisites plus a TEAS score of at least 62 just to qualify. Graduates earn an Associate in Science in Nursing, and the program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). PCC awarded 68 associate degrees in registered nursing in 2023-24.

PCC Nursing Prerequisites

You need a minimum 2.5 GPA across the core prerequisites: Anatomy 25, Physiology 1, Microbiology 2, English C1000 and Chemistry. Additional courses earn selection points: Human Nutrition, Psychology, Introductory Sociology, Speech/Communication, Statistics and Critical Thinking. Each must be completed with a C or better.

TEAS Requirement

PCC requires the ATI TEAS exam, and only the current TEAS version is accepted. The minimum score to apply is 62. Scores from 62 to 63.9 earn 5 points, and scores of 85 to 100 earn the full 25 points, so a stronger TEAS result can move you up the list significantly.

The 100-Point Selection System

Application Periods

PCC accepts nursing applications online only, during two short windows. Applications submitted from April 1 to April 15 are for programs starting in the fall semester, and those submitted from August 1 to August 15 are for the spring semester. Transcripts and supporting documents must arrive by the deadline; late materials are not accepted.

Already a licensed vocational nurse? PCC also runs an LVN to RN Career Ladder pathway, which uses the same selection criteria and gives points for PCC LVN completion.

How Much Does PCC Cost?

PCC tuition for California residents is a $46-per-unit enrollment fee, so a full-time student taking 12 units a semester pays about $1,100 a year in enrollment fees, plus small mandatory fees. Nonresidents pay an additional $409 per unit in tuition. Federal data put PCC’s average net price at $6,888 in 2023-24 for first-time, full-time students receiving aid.

Fees are rarely the biggest cost, though. Living expenses are. PCC’s 2026-27 student budget shows how much the total depends on where you live:

So how do students pay less? The California College Promise Grant waives the enrollment fee for eligible California residents with financial need, and first-time students who complete the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application may qualify for additional first-year support through PCC’s Promise programs. Pell Grants and Cal Grants can then go toward books, transportation and living costs rather than fees. See our guide to whether community college is free in California.

“The enrollment fee at PCC is low enough that families sometimes skip the FAFSA. That’s a mistake. At a community college, the fee is the small part of the budget. The FAFSA or Dream Act application is what unlocks Pell and Cal Grant money for rent, food and transportation, which are the costs that actually push students to drop classes.”

CalChannel Editorial Team

Transferring From PCC: TAG, Cal-GETC and UCLA

Transfer is PCC’s biggest strength. In 2019 data from the UC Office of the President and the CSU system, PCC ranked first in California for combined transfers to UC and CSU, sending 2,321 students. It remains a major pipeline to UCLA: 1,366 PCC students applied to UCLA for Fall 2025, 30% were admitted, and the middle 50% of admitted students had GPAs from 3.78 to 4.00.

The Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)

The UC Transfer Admission Guarantee gives guaranteed admission to a participating UC campus once you meet its requirements. Six UC campuses offer TAG: Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz. UCLA, Berkeley and San Diego do not. General UC transfer eligibility starts at a 2.4 GPA for California residents and 2.8 for nonresidents, but competitive majors require much more. Compare all nine campuses in our UC guide.

Cal-GETC and PCC’s Honors Transfer Program

Students starting college in Fall 2025 or later follow Cal-GETC, the single general education pattern for both UC and CSU transfer. Students who started earlier may still follow IGETC. PCC’s Honors Transfer Program adds partnerships that give qualified participants priority admission consideration at UCLA and UC Riverside.

Planning a Cal State transfer instead? PCC students commonly look at nearby campuses like Cal State Northridge and Cal State Long Beach. At CSUN, California residents pay $8,328 in tuition and fees for 2026-27. See every campus in our Cal State guide.

What Is PCC Known For?

PCC is known for transfer volume, health sciences and a few unusual facilities. It’s one of the few community colleges with its own observatory, planetarium and seismograph. Its teams are the Lancers, and the school colors are cardinal red and gold.

The alumni list is broader than most people expect. Jackie Robinson and his brother Mack, an Olympic medalist, both attended PCC. So did former California Supreme Court Justice Joyce Kennard, Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black and actor George Reeves.

On outcomes, federal data show that among full-time, first-time students who started in Fall 2021, 48% completed a degree or certificate within 150% of normal time and another 9% transferred out. First-year retention was 76% for full-time students, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 23:1. Community college completion rates run lower than four-year schools partly because many students transfer before finishing an associate degree, so transfer numbers are the better measure of PCC’s success.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line on PCC

Pasadena City College is open admission, costs California residents $46 per unit before any waiver, and sends a large number of students on to UC and Cal State campuses every year. For most students, getting in is simple and the real work is planning: choosing a transfer path early, following Cal-GETC and aiming for TAG or honors priority where it fits.

If you’re aiming for the PCC nursing program, treat it like a selective application. Finish the prerequisites with strong grades, prepare seriously for the TEAS, and apply during the April or August window. And whatever your plan, file the FAFSA or Dream Act application, because at PCC the aid matters more for living costs than for fees. Comparing community colleges? See our guides to Santa Barbara City College and Santa Monica College.