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DowntownFairfaxCAShot1Photo: ERobson at English Wikipedia · CC BY 3.0
Colleges in and near Fairfax

College of Marin is 3.6 miles from Fairfax

No college sits inside Fairfax’s boundary, but College of Marin’s campus in Kentfield, with 4,093 students on campus, is 3.6 miles from the center of town. About 4% of Fairfax’s residents are enrolled in college, below California (8%).

College of MarinDominican University of California

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 Fairfax. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
4
9,087 students on campus
Nearest college
2.1 mi
Presidio Graduate School
Residents in college
4%
Below CA (8%)
Nearest community college
3.6 mi
College of Marin · $1,558 tuition
Nearest public university
17.2 mi
University of California-San Francisco
Median household income
$142K
prices below start here

What stands out about college from Fairfax

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

Two colleges within 4.6 milesDominican University of California admits 84% of applicants. Together they have 5,792 students on campus.A community college 3.6 miles awayCollege of Marin in Kentfield: tuition and fees $1,558 a year for California residents.Students are 4% of residentsBelow California (8%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Fairfax

Two private colleges within 4.6 miles, and two community colleges. The nearest public four-year college, University of California-San Francisco, is 17.2 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miCollege of MarinDominican University of CaliforniaFairfax
University or collegeCommunity college
Presidio Graduate SchoolUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 103 on campus · 2.1 mi · San AnselmoGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.College of MarinCommunity college · Public · 4,093 on campus · 3.6 mi · Kentfield$12knet price39%graduate$43kearningsTuition and fees: $1,558 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Dominican University of CaliforniaUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,699 on campus · 4.6 mi · San Rafael84%admitted$35knet price78%graduate$85kearningsContra Costa CollegeCommunity college · Public · 3,192 on campus · 14.1 mi · San Pablo$9knet price28%graduate$41kearningsTuition and fees: $1,312 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

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 it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at Over $110k, where Fairfax’s median household income ($141,653) falls.

Contra Costa College14.1 mi · San Pablo · sticker $18,422 · tuition $1,312$9,567a year
College of Marin3.6 mi · Kentfield · sticker $21,015 · tuition $1,558$17,686a year
Dominican University of California4.6 mi · San Rafael · sticker $71,751$43,317a year

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.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k$100k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →College of MarinDominican University of CaliforniaContra Costa College
College of Marin39% graduate$43k earnings$10k typical debt
Contra Costa College28% graduate$41k earnings
Dominican University of California78% graduate$85k earnings$27k typical debt

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.

Questions about college near Fairfax

Is Fairfax a college town?

No. About 4 of every 100 Fairfax residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), below California (8). The nearest campus, Presidio Graduate School, is 2.1 miles away in San Anselmo.

What colleges are near Fairfax?

Within 15 miles: Presidio Graduate School (2.1 miles, 103 students on campus), College of Marin (3.6 miles, 4,093), Dominican University of California (4.6 miles, 1,699) and Contra Costa College (14.1 miles, 3,192).

What is the closest community college to Fairfax, and what does it cost?

College of Marin in Kentfield, 3.6 miles away. Tuition and fees are $1,558 a year for California residents; the federal net price, $12,351, counts housing and food at full cost.

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Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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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 Fairfax. 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 →