Photo: Dparranda · Public domainRio Hondo College is 3.8 miles from El Monte
No college sits inside El Monte’s boundary, but Rio Hondo College’s campus in Whittier, with 12,523 students on campus, is 3.8 miles from the center of town. About 7% of El Monte’s residents are enrolled in college, below California (8%).
From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of El Monte. Colleges are described, not graded.
What stands out about college from El Monte
Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.
Colleges within 15 miles of El Monte
36 private colleges within 15 miles, two public colleges within 11.9 miles, and nine community colleges.
Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.
What would your family pay?
The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.
Starts at $48–75k, where El Monte’s median household income ($68,030) falls.
The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.
Do students finish, and does it pay?
Each dot is a college within 15 miles of El Monte: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.
Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: North-West College-West Covina (2); Platt College-Los Angeles (4); InterCoast Colleges-West Covina (4); Institute of Culinary Education (2); The Chicago School at Los Angeles (8); Glendale Career College (5).
Questions about college near El Monte
Is El Monte a college town?
No. About 7 of every 100 El Monte residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), below California (8). The nearest campus, Premiere Career College, is 2.2 miles away in Irwindale.
What colleges are near El Monte?
47 colleges are within 15 miles. The largest: California State Polytechnic University-Pomona (11.9 miles, 25,991 students on campus), California State University-Los Angeles (8 miles, 23,850) and Mt San Antonio College (10.6 miles, 21,946).
What is the closest community college to El Monte, and what does it cost?
Rio Hondo College in Whittier, 3.8 miles away. Tuition and fees are $1,388 a year for California residents; the federal net price, $14,379, counts housing and food at full cost.
How much does Rio Hondo College cost if we live in California?
Tuition and fees are $1,388 a year in-state and $9,884 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $14,549 (under $30,000 income) to $17,355 (over $110,000), housing and food included.
Neighbors talk college
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of El Monte. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →