Diablo Valley College (DVC) is a public 2-year community college founded in 1949 and located in Pleasant Hill, California, in Contra Costa County, just east of the San Francisco Bay Area. With approximately 17,228 students, DVC is one of the largest and most academically rigorous community colleges in California, known for producing high-achieving transfer students who go on to attend UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Davis, and other top universities. DVC operates as part of the Contra Costa Community College District, which also includes Los Medanos College and Contra Costa College. The college's location gives students proximity to the San Francisco, Oakland, and Silicon Valley job markets, making it an excellent launching pad for careers in technology, healthcare, and business. DVC offers over 100 associate degree programs and 80 certificate programs, with exceptionally strong transfer pathways through the California Community Colleges Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) programs. The college's international student population of approximately 4% comes from more than 90 countries, and DVC offers a 1+1+2 transfer program allowing international students to begin online, spend a year at DVC, and then transfer to a U.S. 4-year university. Ten years after enrollment, the median earnings of DVC students is $44,800 — 31% above the national median, reflecting the quality of its transfer outcomes and the strength of the Bay Area job market. DVC's Vikings athletics compete in the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA).
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
—
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$13410
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $10,320
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
