Hercules Village · Photo: Sanfranman59 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Hercules
Contra Costa College is 4.5 miles from Hercules
No college sits inside Hercules’ boundary, but Contra Costa College’s campus in San Pablo, with 3,192 students on campus, is 4.5 miles from the center of town. About 7% of Hercules’ residents are enrolled in college, about the same as 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 Hercules. Colleges are described, not graded.
Within 15 miles
16
71,872 students on campus
Nearest college
4.5 mi
Contra Costa College
Residents in college
7%
About the same as CA (8%)
Nearest community college
4.5 mi
Contra Costa College · $1,312 tuition
Nearest public university
4.5 mi
California State University Maritime Academy · $9,944 in-state
Median household income
$129K
prices below start here
What stands out about college from Hercules
Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.
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. Pick your family’s income.
Family income
Starts at Over $110k, where Hercules’ median household income ($129,397) 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.
Outcomes
Do students finish, and does it pay?
Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Hercules: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.
University of California-Berkeley93% graduate$92k earnings$13k typical debt
Diablo Valley College49% graduate$51k earnings$10k typical debt
College of Marin39% graduate$43k earnings$10k typical debt
Contra Costa College28% graduate$41k earnings
Berkeley City College36% graduate$41k earnings
Dominican University of California78% graduate$85k earnings$27k typical debt
California State University Maritime Academy60% graduate$95k earnings$25k typical debt
Lincoln University100% graduate$54k earnings
Carrington College-Pleasant Hill Campus59% graduate$40k earnings*$12k 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. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Carrington College-Pleasant Hill Campus (5).
Questions about college near Hercules
Is Hercules a college town?
No. About 7 of every 100 Hercules residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), about the same as California (8). The nearest campus, Contra Costa College, is 4.5 miles away in San Pablo.
What colleges are near Hercules?
16 colleges are within 15 miles. The largest: the University of California-Berkeley (10.4 miles, 43,954 students on campus), Diablo Valley College (12.3 miles, 10,850) and College of Marin (14.9 miles, 4,093).
What is the closest community college to Hercules, and what does it cost?
Contra Costa College in San Pablo, 4.5 miles away. Tuition and fees are $1,312 a year for California residents; the federal net price, $9,490, counts housing and food at full cost.
How much does California State University Maritime Academy cost if we live in California?
Tuition and fees are $9,944 a year in-state and $22,544 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $13,552 (under $30,000 income) to $24,911 (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 Hercules. 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 →