
Los Angeles, CAprivate forprofitwww.lapacific.edu/
Los Angeles Pacific College is a tiny, for-profit vocational school in the heart of Los Angeles that operates with the straightforward pragmatism of a trade school. It strips away the traditional college experience—no dorms, no sprawling campus, no football team—to focus on short, career-specific programs in accounting, graphic/web design, and ESL for a student body of fewer than 80. This is a place for adults seeking a direct, unadorned path to a technical skill, not a residential liberal arts journey.
Test-blind — scores not considered
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Outcomes & value
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Campus & location
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Admissions at Los Angeles Pacific College is an open, rolling process with a 100% , reflecting its mission as a vocational post-secondary institution rather than a selective university. The process is utilitarian: applicants complete a three-page application, email it along with supporting documents like a passport and Form I-94, and await a decision. There is no mention of standardized test requirements like the SAT or ACT, and the school does not appear to consider demonstrated interest as a factor in its admissions decisions. With a total enrollment of just 38 students, the applicant pool is inherently small and the barrier to entry is low, designed to provide access to career training.
The academic model is tightly focused and explicitly vocational. Los Angeles Pacific College describes itself as a "post-secondary vocational college" with programs specializing in Accounting, Graphic/Web Design, and English as a Second Language (ESL). The goal is to prepare students for "gainful employment in various fields including business data processing, accounting, computer graphic design, and web design." It is known for its top major in Computer Software and Media Applications. The curriculum appears hands-on and directly tied to specific job skills, with no indication of broader general education requirements typical of associate or bachelor's degree programs. Instruction likely occurs in a single campus location in Los Angeles, catering to a local, career-minded student population.
Student life at Los Angeles Pacific College is minimal and defined by its commuter-school, vocational character. There is no evidence of traditional residential campus amenities, clubs, athletics, or organized social activities. The experience appears to be centered almost entirely on attending classes and completing coursework. Online reviews from platforms like Yelp suggest significant student dissatisfaction, with complaints about rudeness and unprofessionalism, and recommendations to instead enroll at a local community college. The school's Facebook page simply reiterates its institutional focus on its three specialty programs. For students, the draw is the specific career training, not a holistic collegiate experience.
Outcome data for Los Angeles Pacific College is sparse and often unreported. Key metrics like graduation rate and median salary for graduates are listed as "Not reported" by external sources. Federal data collection tools, like the IPEDS DFR report, are configured for the school, suggesting it reports some information to the Department of Education, but specific rates are not provided in the available snippets. One source notes that earnings distribution for graduates six years after enrollment can be analyzed, showing 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile earnings, but no actual figures are given. The lack of published outcomes data is a significant consideration for prospective students evaluating the return on investment of its vocational programs.
The published sticker price for attendance is approximately $7,000. The school offers a calculator on its website to provide estimated cost information after accounting for tuition, fees, books, supplies, and potential financial aid. Los Angeles Pacific College is approved by the U.S. Department of Education to offer federal financial assistance to eligible students, which would include options like Pell Grants—federal grants for low-income students that do not need to be repaid. The school also mentions California-specific aid, noting that Cal Grant A can provide up to $8,056 toward tuition and fees, while Cal Grant B offers $1,648 for living costs in the first year. There is no indication of a institutional "no-loan" policy or a commitment to meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need with grants alone; aid likely consists of a combination of federal/state grants and loans.
Los Angeles Pacific College stands out for its stark, no-frills approach to post-secondary education. It is a pure vocational play: a private, for-profit institution with a microscopic enrollment that offers targeted certificates or diplomas in just three career fields. It completely bypasses the trappings, costs, and selectivity of traditional college life. This makes it a potential option for a very specific type of student: a local adult in Los Angeles seeking rapid, affordable training in accounting, graphic design, or ESL with minimal admissions hassle. However, its model comes with considerable caveats, including a lack of published student outcomes, reported dissatisfaction from some attendees, and the absence of any broader educational community. It is the antithesis of a residential liberal arts college, defining itself solely by its narrow, utilitarian function.