International Student Annual Budget:Community College vs. UC

For international students who transfer from a community college to UC, the cost of the first two years differs sharply from the cost of the last two. The international student annual budgets published by five commonly chosen community colleges range from $29,459 to $35,876. Community college tuition is charged per unit, at $481 to $512 per unit for international students. After transferring to UC, students pay the nonresident rate: nonresident tuition for 2027-28 is $57,300, and the total annual cost for students living on campus is about $90,100. Four-year costs should be calculated in two separate stages, each using the official figures the institution publishes for that year.

Community College Stage: International Student Costs at Five Colleges

This section compares the 2026-27 international student costs published by five community colleges. Each college calculates costs based on 12 units in each of the fall and spring semesters, excluding summer.

College	Tuition per unit	Tuition for two semesters	Health insurance	Official annual budget
Irvine Valley College	$512	$12,288	$2,400	$32,920
Saddleback College	$512	$12,288	$2,580	$31,000
Orange Coast College	$502 (effective summer 2026)	$12,048 (including health, service, and registration fees)	$1,980	$29,459
Santa Monica College	$486	$11,664	$2,310	$34,000 (based on 9 months)
Pasadena City College	$481	$11,624 (including $80 in student fees)	$1,500	$35,876

Tuition per unit at Irvine Valley College has three components: an enrollment fee of $46, nonresident tuition of $409, and a capital outlay fee of $57. Tuition per unit at Pasadena City College consists of nonresident tuition of $409, an enrollment fee of $46, and a capital outlay fee of $26. Health insurance is mandatory. Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College require students to purchase the district-designated insurance before registering. Saddleback College states that it does not accept outside insurance.

The official annual budget is also the amount of funds a student must document for the I-20 to be issued. Irvine Valley College, Saddleback College, Orange Coast College, and Santa Monica College all state this. The first three colleges also state that these figures are minimum estimates. Every college notes that costs may change, and Irvine Valley College expects costs to increase each year. Santa Monica College reminds students that units beyond 12 per semester are charged additional tuition per unit.

UC Stage: 2027-28 Nonresident Costs

This section lists the 2027-28 costs published on the UC website. International students pay the nonresident rate.

Item	Amount
Nonresident tuition	$57,300
California resident tuition (for comparison)	$16,278
Campus fees	$1,900
Health insurance	$3,900
On-campus room and board	$21,700
Books	$1,400
Transportation (on campus)	$3,900
Nonresident total annual cost, living on campus	About $90,100
Nonresident total annual cost, living off campus	About $89,700

UC has a Tuition Stability Plan under which tuition stays the same for up to 6 years after a student enrolls, and it applies to nonresident students as well. UC states that undergraduates whose parents are not California residents generally continue to pay the nonresident rate. International students therefore generally do not qualify for the resident rate at UC because they attended a California community college. The total annual costs of living on campus and off campus at UC are similar, so students can choose housing based on commuting and personal preferences.

Components of the Four-Year Cost

This section explains how to calculate the four-year cost of transferring from a community college to UC. This page does not give a combined total, because the figures refer to different academic years.

1. Two years at a community collegeUse the annual budget published by the college for each year; the second year must use that year’s updated figures.
2. Summer coursesIf summer courses are planned, calculate them separately using the college’s tuition per unit and the number of units taken.
3. Two years at UCUse the nonresident annual costs published by UC or by the campus the student attends.
4. One-time costsVisa fees, the SEVIS fee, round-trip airfare, enrollment deposits, and similar items are calculated as actually incurred.

The community college budgets are for 2026-27 and the UC figures are for 2027-28, so the two cannot simply be added together. In the community college budgets, housing and living expenses are the largest item. For example, housing and living expenses at Pasadena City College are $22,752, more than the college’s tuition. When comparing colleges, families should compare local housing costs in addition to tuition per unit. For long-term budgeting, families should rely on the official figures for each corresponding academic year and allow room for price increases.

Wire Transfers and Payment Methods

This section summarizes the payment methods published on each college website.

• Irvine Valley CollegeAccepts cash, checks, credit cards, and money orders; international credit cards and international wire transfers are paid through Flywire, and monthly installment plans are available.
• Saddleback CollegePayments can be made through Flywire, but Flywire covers only tuition and other charges on the student account, not books or insurance.
• Orange Coast CollegePayments can be made by credit card in the student portal or by wire transfer through PayMyTuition; three-installment plans are available for fall and for winter/spring.
• Santa Monica CollegeAccepts wire transfers only after admission, and each wire transfer incurs an additional Federal Reserve Wire Network or SWIFT fee.
• Pasadena City CollegeTuition must be paid in full at registration, and courses that are not paid for are dropped.

Transfers from mainland China must comply with Chinese foreign exchange regulations, and the required documents are determined by the bank handling the transfer. Include the student’s name and student ID number with the transfer so that the college can credit the payment correctly.