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58 schools in California offer electrician-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 64 registered apprenticeship sponsors in California train electrician apprentices — see apprenticeships. Federal program data groups electrician with electrical lineman — schools below may offer any of these.
California requires state certification for anyone working as an electrician for a C-10 electrical contractor: 8,000 documented hours (about 4-5 years) plus a state exam for the General Electrician card, or 4,800 hours for the Residential category. Certification is issued by the DIR's Electrician Certification Unit; contracting independently requires a separate C-10 license from the Contractors State License Board. A state-approved apprenticeship is the normal path — apprentices work legally without certification while registered and their hours count toward the requirement.
Official source: California Department of Industrial Relations — Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, Electrician Certification Unit (contractors: Contractors State License Board) · Exam: State electrician certification exam (administered by CPS HR Consulting as of June 2026); separate CSLB exam for the C-10 contractor license · Typical requirement: General Electrician: 8,000 hours of work for an electrical contractor on NEC-covered systems; Residential Electrician: 4,800 hours; registered apprentices and enrolled trainees may work under supervision without certification
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of San Mateo | San Mateo | public | $536 | 30.9% | $54,172 |
| College of the Sequoias | Visalia | public | $480 | 33.7% | $39,092 |
| Imperial Valley College | Imperial | public | $1,115 | 40.2% | $34,487 |
| Irvine Valley College | Irvine | public | $2,090 | 31.3% | $49,156 |
| Santiago Canyon College | Orange | public | $2,129 | 26.5% | $44,956 |
| San Joaquin Delta College | Stockton | public | $2,407 | 29.7% | $43,212 |
| Modesto Junior College | Modesto | public | $2,818 | 27.8% | $42,368 |
| College of the Canyons | Santa Clarita | public | $3,702 | 29.9% | $49,022 |
| Norco College | Norco | public | $5,169 | 26.2% | $51,206 |
| Antelope Valley Community College District | Lancaster | public | $3,860 | 29.1% | $36,526 |
| San Diego Mesa College | San Diego | public | $5,814 | 23.1% | $45,120 |
| Chaffey College | Rancho Cucamonga | public | $5,672 | 27.3% | $42,975 |
| Merced College | Merced | public | $5,040 | 30.4% | $37,815 |
| Foothill College | Los Altos Hills | public | $7,653 | 25.3% | $57,072 |
| Palomar College | San Marcos | public | $5,763 | 24.6% | $42,300 |
| City College of San Francisco | San Francisco | public | $6,906 | 22.5% | $45,805 |
| Orange Coast College | Costa Mesa | public | $7,203 | 32.9% | $47,348 |
| College of the Redwoods | Eureka | public | $6,904 | 25.3% | $36,243 |
| American River College | Sacramento | public | $7,999 | 24.6% | $40,162 |
| San Diego City College | San Diego | public | $7,935 | 20.8% | $38,503 |
| Baldwin Park Adult & Community Education | Baldwin Park | public | $6,665 | 62.8% | $32,069 |
| Cuesta College | San Luis Obispo | public | $12,124 | 34.8% | $46,047 |
| CET-Soledad | Soledad | private nonprofit | $11,260 | 82% | $32,986 |
| Los Angeles Trade Technical College | Los Angeles | public | $12,323 | 20.2% | $35,233 |
| Coastline Community College | Fountain Valley | public | $16,341 | 16.2% | $44,483 |
| Bakersfield College | Bakersfield | public | $14,621 | 25.9% | $37,291 |
| CET-Colton | Colton | private nonprofit | $14,634 | 68.7% | $32,986 |
| Capstone College | Pasadena | private for-profit | $16,012 | 58.9% | $35,348 |
| Laney College | Oakland | public | $17,110 | 19.7% | $37,282 |
| San Bernardino Valley College | San Bernardino | public | $18,943 | 22.2% | $39,676 |
| CET-San Jose | San Jose | private nonprofit | $16,101 | 79.6% | $32,986 |
| InterCoast Colleges-Fairfield | Fairfield | private for-profit | $21,536 | 72% | $36,089 |
| InterCoast Colleges-Riverside | Riverside | private for-profit | $21,641 | 65.7% | $36,089 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield | Bakersfield | private for-profit | $23,351 | 58.1% | $38,317 |
| Southern California Institute of Technology | Anaheim | private for-profit | $33,392 | 83.7% | $53,598 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Hesperia | Hesperia | private for-profit | $25,496 | 54.7% | $38,317 |
| National Career Education | Citrus Heights | private for-profit | $25,380 | 83.8% | $38,015 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Temecula | Temecula | private for-profit | $25,869 | 76.5% | $38,317 |
| InterCoast Colleges-Rancho Cordova | Rancho Cordova | private for-profit | $24,925 | 69.8% | $36,089 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Modesto | Salida | private for-profit | $26,706 | 68.2% | $38,317 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario | Ontario | private for-profit | $27,024 | 72.9% | $38,317 |
| Institute for Business and Technology | San Jose | private for-profit | $27,207 | 83% | $38,015 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia | Visalia | private for-profit | $27,854 | 52.2% | $38,317 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Trades Education Center | Fresno | private for-profit | $27,887 | 64.7% | $38,317 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Mirage | Rancho Mirage | private for-profit | $28,158 | 68.9% | $38,317 |
| Summit College | San Bernardino | private for-profit | $29,926 | 66.6% | $40,187 |
| InterCoast Colleges-West Covina | West Covina | private for-profit | $27,536 | 67.2% | $36,089 |
| UEI College-Ontario | Ontario | private for-profit | $26,394 | 60.9% | $31,141 |
| UEI College-West Covina | West Covina | private for-profit | $27,414 | 65.7% | $31,141 |
| UEI College-Stockton | Stockton | private for-profit | $28,455 | 64.9% | $31,141 |
| UEI College-Chula Vista | Chula Vista | private for-profit | $28,606 | 67.9% | $31,141 |
| UEI College-Sacramento | Sacramento | private for-profit | $28,670 | 57.6% | $30,848 |
| UEI College-Gardena | Gardena | private for-profit | $28,691 | 66.9% | $30,848 |
| UEI College-Huntington Park | Huntington Park | private for-profit | $29,145 | 65.2% | $31,141 |
| UEI College-Oceanside | Oceanside | private for-profit | $29,253 | 67.3% | $31,141 |
| UEI College-Riverside | Riverside | private for-profit | $29,702 | 64% | $30,848 |
| UEI College-Bakersfield | Bakersfield | private for-profit | $27,257 | 65.2% | $27,688 |
| Independent Training & Apprenticeship Program | Sacramento | private for-profit | $19,580 | 92.2% | not reported |
Ranking = median earnings 10 years after entry per $1,000 of average yearly net price (methodology). Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.
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