Vocational Shools and Colleges in Rancho Cordova, CA

 

Located in Sacramento County, California, Rancho Cordova was officially incorporated as the 478th city in the state of California in 2003. As of the 2010 census, this area had a population of 64,776. For those who are looking at the Rancho Cordova CA area, they should note that there are several things to do in the area, meaning that while attending school in the area, students are not missing out on anything! This is a bronze level community in terms of bicycle friendliness. And offers several outdoor programs throughout the area. These programs include:
- Youth programs
- Teen programs
- Adult programs
- Active senior programs
- Aquatics
- CRPD Camps
- Partner camps
- Swim teams
- Sports leagues

The city is not only family friendly, but it also has several things for people of all ages to do, making it a great well rounded city for living and working in. Those who go to school here often find that they enjoy the college setting, and those who decide to stay, enjoy working here for the same reason.

History of Rancho Cordova, CA
For those who are looking to move into this area, it was originally known as Mayhew’s Crossing and Hangtown Crossing during the time of the Gold Rush. This town has a rich history and it continues to grow into a thriving community. The entire community encompasses 33.9 square miles of area.
A notable feature about the area is the fact that the area has been honored for their financial success. In particular, the town council has maintaining a balanced budget for nine years and running. In fact, the Standard and Poor’s Rating Services has confirmed that Rancho Cordova is a sound performing city with a generous outlook in the future. What does this mean for those who are interested in going to school and moving here? With the growth that this area is expected to see, it may mean the difference between having a difficult time finding employment, and thriving in your choice of career.

Colleges and Universities

The state of California is home to 457 public and private postsecondary institutions according to National Center for Education Statistics. In the city of Rancho Cordova, there are 14 public and private institutions, including community colleges. Here a few of the most popular universities in the area that many students end up attending:

California State University – Sacramento
Perhaps the biggest school in the city area, there are 29,349 students that attend this school which was founded in 1947. The school offers degrees in several areas including Arts & Letters, Business Admin, Continuing Education, Education, Engineering and Computer Science, Health and Human Services, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies. The following breaks down just what students are doing once admitted to this school:

o Most undergrads are in nursing with around 2,000 students
o Criminal justice accounts for 1,800 students
o Psychology has an enrolled 1,600 students
o Biological science has on average 1,500 students
o Accounting has 1,200 students
o Public affairs degree have nearly 2,700 students going after this field
o There are over 400 students in the chemistry program which is one of the biggest in the state.

The school does have a 46% graduation rate. It should be noted that the university is known for admitting the top 1/3 of high school graduates in the state. On average, there is a 69.6% acceptance rate at the college, with the average GPA being around 3.3 and SAT composite scores around 952.
This college is ranked as number 66 in the region, while Forbes ranks this college as number 429 in the nation. It is also a Division I school when it comes to athletics. Total for the 2015-2016 school year, the school awarded 6,370 degrees. These degrees included bachelors, masters and doctorates. On average tuition is $6,628 per term attended.

William Jessup University
This is a Christian college located in the city and offers a Liberal Arts education. The school is considered one of the best colleges for high graduation rates with a 55% graduation rate. They offer several programs including biblical studies, creative arts, history, psychology and they also have an adult degree completion program that is highly popular for those who are looking to go back to school or perhaps advance their career. On average, of those who apply to this school, only 76% are admitted. Those who are admitted often have an ACT score of 19 and above, along with a 460 or above on the SAT tests. The school does have a 78% retention rate, with a four-year graduation rate of 21%. It should be noted that 99% of those students who attend this school do get some form of financial aid.

The school was founded in 1939. Tuition for the 2016 school year was $28,700. The school has around 1,097 students who are enrolled in undergraduate programs. It should be noted that according to US News, the university is not ranked in the Regional Colleges West.

National University
This is a private, nonprofit institution that is in California, and has a campus in Rancho Cordova. The school was founded in 1971. This campus does offer on campus and online learning programs. With a state of the art computer lab, many of those who want to go into technology, find this campus to fit their needs. At this campus, there is the College of Letters and Sciences, Sanford College of Education, School of Business and Management, School of Engineering and Computing, School of Health and Human Services, and the School of Professional Studies. They offer associates, bachelors and master degrees for those who are attending. The school has around 23,000 full time students, and has 28 campuses throughout the state of California. An interesting fact about National University is that they do offer a reduced tuition to those who are qualifying military students and their dependents. On average, the tuition is $12,744. The university has a 71% graduation rate for undergrads. According to UniRank, this school ranks 541 out of the entire country. It should be noted that the admission into National University is rather lenient, as they are non-profit private school whose main goal is to give people an education that will help them later in life.

Strayer University
This is a university that has several locations throughout the United states, with over 70 campuses throughout the US, with one in Rancho Cordova. The college also is known for their online programs that help many students to work from home as well as take classes in a classroom. The college offers associates, bachelors and masters in several areas. Some of the areas in which the college offers degrees in includes Business Administration, Information Systems, Information Technology, Criminal Justice, Accounting, and Nursing. This school has around 40,000 students who attend it throughout the nation. However, over half of the students who attend this school are going online. In addition, many people who already have careers in the area, attend this school as a way to earn even more in their position thanks to the education. On average, the tuition and fees for this institution is $12,975 per semester. The school was founded in 1892. According to US News, the University is unranked.

Financial Aid for Students in Rancho Cordova

For those who do decide to go to school in the Rancho Cordova area, they are going to find that there are numerous different ways in which they can pay for this higher education. Many of these colleges offer scholarships to those who qualify, along with financial aid to those who qualify as well. For those who are attending a school in the area, they should always be certain to fill out the FASFA form to see what type of aid that they can qualify for. You will find that most students receive some type of aid to help offset the high cost of going to a post-secondary education facility.

Scholarships in the Rancho Cordova CA Area
There are several scholarships in the area that a person can qualify for. Here are a few to remember:
1. Ruth Rippon Ceramic Scholarship: For undergrad students at California States University-Sacramento who are majoring in Art.
2. John J & Lillian C. Swacina Scholarships: For those who attend California State University-Sacramento who major in nursing.
3. SPROWT Scholarship: Stands for supporting and promoting real opportunities for women to thrive. This is open to non-traditional female students who are going to college.
4. Thomas M. Stetson Scholarship: This is awarded to freshmen students in the area who are pursuing a degree that would allow for a career in the ground water related field.
5. Leon Bradley Scholarship: This is open to minority students who attend a school in California, among other states who are pursuing a career in teaching or school leadership.
Each individual school throughout the area are going to have their own scholarships and awards that they may offer depending upon the grade point average, and if the student meets the other requirements of the award. Most scholarships are given to those who qualify but also show a need for help in paying for post-secondary education.

Careers in Rancho Cordova CA

There are several different career fields that are seen in Rancho Cordova. And for those who live in this area, they are going to find that Rancho Cordova is considered one of the main hubs for traveling through to get to their place of employment. For those who decide to live and work in Rancho Cordova, they are going to find that they do have numerous industries in which they can turn to for work.

The median household income is $59,552, which is slightly lower than the rest of the state. So why earn a degree in Rancho Cordova? Most of the top employers in the area are going to require some schooling to perform the job at its best. Secondly, everyone knows that having a degree is going to make you more competitive on the market, something that everyone needs help with given the competition for jobs these days.

The Top Employers
For those who look at Rancho Cordova, they are going to find that the top employers in the city, according to the 2011 financial report that has been released are:
1. Health Net: Part of the managed health care providing health insurance
2. Vision Service Plan: A private vision insurance provider firm
3. Delta Dental: The largest dental plan system in the US
4. Verizon: Provider of wireless telecommunication products and services
5. GenCorp (Aerojet): Is an aerospace, defense and real estate business
6. Franklin Templeton Investments: A global investment firm
7. Volcano Corp: Leader in guided therapy in the health field
8. Bank of America: multinational banking and financial services corporation
9. Dignity Health: a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation that runs hospitals and care facilities
10. Sutter Health: A not-for-profit health system
11. Aerojet International Inc: This is a space and defense contractor.
12. Aerojet Rocketyne Inc: Another space and defense contractor associated with the above company.
13. AMPAC Fine Chemicals LLC: is a technology focused manufacturer in the pharmaceutical field.

An interesting fact about the area, it was a finalist in the 2014 Best Places to Work by the Sacramento Business Journal. This is why many people who take classes in the area, end up staying here!

Top Occupations in Rancho Cordova
There are several occupations that are found throughout Rancho Cordova. However, most of these are going to be with the top employers that were listed beforehand. The following are the top occupations that are found in the area:
• Administrative jobs with 5,094 people being involved in this area, which is around 17.7%
• Sales and Related with 2,539 people, around 8.8% of the population
• Management with 2,188 citizens, 7.6% of the population
• Personal Care with 1,854 people, around 6.4% of the working population
• Business makes up around 6.1%
• Factories with 5.5% or 1,580 citizens in this sector
• Computers & Math make up 4.5% and has around 1,289 people involved
• Construction has 1,262 people involved which is around 4.4% of the population
• Repair accounts for 4.4% of the population
• Production has around 1,194 workers
• Food Service makes up 4.1% of the work
• Education makes up 3.8% of the work population
• Healthcare makes up 3.5%
• Transportation makes up 3.5%
• Healthcare support is 2.5% of all jobs in the area
• Engineering accounts for 2.4%
• Social services account for 1.8%
• Material moving accounts for 1.7%
• Entertainment accounts for 1.6%
• Science accounts for 1.4%
• Firefighting accounts for 1.4%
• Law enforcement makes up 1.0%
• Health technicians make up 1.0%
• Legal careers account for.7%
• Farming accounts for .1%

For the Rancho Cordova area, you will find that Administrative, personal care, business, facilities, computers & math, repair, healthcare, transportation, healthcare support, engineering, social services, science, firefighting and law enforcement careers are higher here than they are on average throughout the rest of California. This could be one reason why so many people decide to call this area home after they go to school here.

In-Depth Look at the Most Popular Careers in Rancho Cordova
There are several careers that are popular in Rancho Cordova. For those who are looking for a certain profession, they may find that the need for this is rather high in Rancho Cordova, CA.

Administrative Jobs
The most popular field in the Rancho Cordova area is Administrative jobs. These administrative jobs can be anything ranging for administrative assistant, receptionist, personal assistant or even legal secretaries. Those who go into these fields often have a two or four-year degree. Due to the number of community colleges in the area, many people go into the workforce with an Associates in business, however work towards their four-year degree to gain more experience and knowledge in their field of study. It should be noted that several administrative jobs that are in certain fields such as construction, may require that the person have at least three years of experience before qualifying for this job.

Many of these jobs are going to be with local businesses in the area. The good news about this field is that it has a high demand. IN fact, vacancies have increased by at least 5% throughout the nation, and is expected to grow around 1% each year. It has been estimated that by 2018, there will be around 272,280 new jobs in this field throughout the nation.

Sales Careers
There are several businesses in Rancho Cordova that are sales involved. From retail stores that require little to no education other than a high school diploma, to those sales jobs that are going to require a four-year degree in business or marketing. These sales jobs are expected to be steady for several years to come, as the need for these businesses will only stay steady for years to come. Several of these sales careers are only going to require a high school diploma or a GED according to the BLS. However, there are several that will require having a four-year degree for those who wish to expand and make this a serious career. For example, sales engineers and financial services sales agent all require a Bachelor’s degree to be selected for this career. It is expected that this career field will grow by around 5% from 2014 to 2024. This growth percentage is expected to result in 778,000 new jobs throughout the nation.

Management Careers
When a person who lives in Rancho Cordova, CA is involved in management, there are several routes in which they could be going. There are managers at those sales stores through the city, while many of the major corporations in the city require management employees. In most cases, a manager in a larger corporation is going to have a four-year degree. However, there are those who will be required to have their Masters in some sort of business field to grow throughout a company. While those who may work in sales or the like may only have experience to help them with their position. For those who are interested in entering this field, a four-year degree does make them more appealing in the pool of applicants for these positions. This is a field that is going to see rapid growth for the next few years. It is estimated that by 2024, this field will have 505,400 new positions throughout the nation. It is excepted that this growth will come from new businesses opening throughout the United States. And given the reputation of Rancho Cordova, there is definite interest in making this the home for a new business.

Healthcare and Medical
Healthcare is an industry that is expected to see tremendous growth throughout the nation, and with many nurses reaching ages of retirement, there is expected to be several open positions. Throughout Rancho Cordova there are private physicians, along with occupational health locations, and elderly patient care homes. The healthcare field also encompasses those who work in the healthcare insurance industry, which is one of the biggest employers in the area. This is one field that does require education. Many people will start with a two-year degree, however, as they progress in the field, they often return to school to ensure they have the best skills to do the job.

Education/Teaching
With the numerous schools, both primary and secondary education facilities, education is a huge part of the area. Those who work in the public-school system will require a minimum four-year degree. However, those who work on the college level or who wish to advance within the education sector will be required to have a master’s degree. This is one field that is never going to go out of need. Thus, you can expect it to continue to grow as teachers reach the age of retirement, and new ones take their place. For those who are ready to start their education in an area in which has a lot to offer, both in terms of facilities for learning and the area itself, they will find that Rancho Cordova could easily become a home for them. There are several of the companies in the area who are looking to hire those who graduate from the local colleges and universities.

 

References for Rancho Cordova:

http://www.cityofranchocordova.org/

http://www.cde.ca.gov/SchoolDirectory/details?cdscode=34673306033229