San Jose City College (SJCC) Academics and Admissions

Academics

Students looking for a community college with a solid academic and athletic reputation that’s on par with larger four-year universities and colleges should make their way to San Jose City College in California.

Located close to California’s Silicon Valley, the college offers all the benefits of being close to the world’s hub of technological innovation and entrepreneurship. San Jose City College offers about 100 two-year degrees and career certificate programs. The college’s programs are split up into five divisions, applied science, business and service careers, humanities and social science, language arts and math and science.

The most popular majors at San Jose City College are social sciences and liberal arts, liberal arts and humanities, liberal arts and sciences, and health related majors.

Popular career certificate programs include laser technology, construction technology, air conditioning and refrigeration and early childhood education. Career certification programs provide students with a quick credential they can use to polish up their resumes to make them more employable. These programs are particularly sought after by recently displaced workers, who quickly want to learn a more marketable skill.

The college’s Middle College program allows high school juniors and seniors to get a leg up on their college education by beginning to take college courses while still in high school.

The California Construction College is a unique program at San Jose City College. The construction college offers students who ar currently working in the construction industry to earn a bachelor’s degree in construction management. The program partners the college with the National Labor College and industry partners. Its intended purpose is to help people in the construction industry further their careers and stem a potential shortfall in skilled laborers in the construction industry.

The college provides distance learning opportunities, but these programs may not be as fully realized as those at other colleges according to a recent study conducted by the college.

The college has a well-regarded ESL program that helps non-English speaking students master the language while pursuing higher education.

In recent years, the college has opened a new library named for famed labor leader Ceasar Chavez. The library opened its doors in 2003 and features modern learning and research facilities, including lots of Internet access, computers, electronic whiteboards and other equipment. The library’s collection of books numbers around 63,000 and the library has subscriptions to about 200 periodicals.

San Jose City College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, which accredits schools in California and Hawaii, and the U.S. territories of Guam, American Samoa and Northern Marianas Islands. American schools in other parts of the Pacific Rim may also be accredited by the association.

Most Popular Fields of Study

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Information Summary

Ranks 263rd in California and 2746th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	54.2
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$3,212
Admission Success rate	N/A
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	19 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	62% / 28%
Enrollment Total (all students)	9,270

Admissions

San Jose City College has a fairly liberal admissions policy and is open to just about anyone with a high school diploma or GED. Students without these certificates may be admitted on a case by case basis. Students applying to the college should submit high school transcripts and standardized test scores. All new students will take a placement test to determine whether they will need to take remedial courses.

San Jose City College has and April 15 deadline for fall semester admission and an Oct. 15 deadline for spring semester admission. However, for consideration for scholarships, students are encouraged to get their applications in as soon as possible.

Some programs in the college do have a selective admissions process that takes into account things such as college GPA, prerequisite courses, etc. These programs include many of the allied health programs, as well as law enforcement and cosmetology. As of May 2011, the university charges no application fee.

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Financial Aid

Students applying to San Jose City College are eligible for federal grants and student loans. There are also a number of grants and scholarships offered by the state of California, the college and other organizations that students may be eligible for. For example, the SJCC Foundation awards a Graduating High School Senior Scholarship to recently graduating high school students who attend the college. The scholarship is for $500, with the first $250 given when the student begins classes and the second half given if the student maintains a C average.

For students seeking a career technical education, the Grove Foundation provides a full, in-state tuition scholarship plus $1,000 per semester for students with a 2.75 GPA. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA once awarded the scholarship to continue to qualify. The students must also be seeking a degree in a field approved by the foundation, such as child development, air conditioning and refrigeration, etc.

These are just some of the scholarships available at San Jose City College Academic performance is not the sole criteria for all scholarships, some take many other factors into consideration, including ethnicity, career path, etc.

Students are urged to apply for scholarship aid early, as many scholarships are first come, first served.

The college’s office of financial aid also stands ready to help students find other grants and scholarships they may be eligible for. The school’s website, has a helpful list of scholarships that students can use to see which awards they may be eligible for.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 4012th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in California.

Students

The college does not offer as many on campus clubs and organizations as some other community colleges. There are about 15 recognized student clubs and organizations, including academic and professional groups.

Like many community colleges, San Jose City College has a large population of non-traditional students. The majority of students are aged 25 and up, although the 20 to 24 age group is the larges single age group on campus.

San Jose is a predominately female campus. The college is very diverse. Hispanics make up the largest ethnic group on campus, followed by Asians and whites.

San Jose City College is a pretty safe campus, according to students. A recent survey found that 75 percent of students felt safe all or most of the time.

Like most community colleges, San Jose City College does not provide student housing, but there are student dining facilities on campus.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Athletics

San Jose City College has a rich athletic tradition of achievement, including having many Olympic athletes among its alumni and extended community.

San Jose City College provides a fairly broad range of athletics for a community college. The college is a member of the NCJAA and participates in the Coast Conference.

The college offer’s men’s football, basketball, track, cross country, baseball and golf; and women’s basketball, softball, volleyball, track, cross country and soccer.

San Jose City College athletes have gone on to compete in the Olympics. For example, Millard Hampton, a former San Jose City College athlete, won the silver medal for the 200 meter dash in the 1976 Olympics. Other Olympic greats who can trace their roots to San Jose City College include Benny Brown, John Powell, Brian Oldfield, Ed Burke, Andre Phillips and Ato Bolden.

Famous Olympian Bruce Jenner trained at San Jose City College for eight hours each day in the lead up to his gold medal in 1976 in . A yearly invitational completion named for Jenner was later held for several years, which helped burnish the college’s athletic reputation even further.

SJCC has a particularly strong men’s basketball program. Head coach Percy Carr is the winningest coach in California community college history. His teams have gone to playoffs for 30 of the past 34 years. The women’s team is also very strong, winning a state championship in 1998.

San Jose City College athletic teams are nicknamed the Jaguars. College colors are purple and white and black.

Traditions

The college itself is something of a tradition among the people of San Jose. Generations of San Jose residents have attended San Jose City College. In fact, about 90 percent of San Jose City College students are California residents.

Diversity and inclusion are another SJCC tradition. Being in a diverse area of the country, the college accommodates its constituents by hosting a number of activities highlighting the culture and achievement of different groups, such as an annual Asian American Film Festival held at the college.

Local Community

Located in a major urban center, San Jose City College students will never lack for something to do. The city of San Jose has a vibrant history and culture, which is reflected in the character of its city college.

San Jose is a beautiful area with lots of parks and other natural wonders. For example, the Rosicrucian Park, takes up about a city block and consists of beautiful gardens and museums. Another great museum in San Jose is the Tech Museum of Innovation, a must-visit for geeks and technology buffs.

San Jose plays host to many festivals and events, such as the San Jose Jazz Festival, held annually in downtown San Jose. The event typically hosts 80 acts. It’s also inexpensive, at $5 per day to attend.

Additional School Information

The college was established in 1921.

Bibliography

The College Board College Handbook, 2010 . 47th ed. New York: College Board, 2009. Print.

Gonsher, Debra A., and Joshua Halberstam. The community college guide: the essential reference from application to graduation. Dallas, Tex.: BenBella Books, 2009. Print.

San Jose City College. <http://www.sjcc.edu/>

San Jose City College