| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year California community college, campus-based, in the San Bernardino Community College District |
| Campuses | 1, in San Bernardino, CA; the Police Academy meets at the Sheriff’s Training Division |
| Credentials | Certificates of achievement, associate degrees (including transfer degrees) and, since August 2026, one bachelor’s degree |
| Accreditation | ACCJC; reaffirmed for seven years in 2021, no sanction; next review under way |
| Federal aid | Yes |
| 2026-27 fees | $46 per unit for California residents; nonresidents pay more (see below) |
| Students | 14,055 in fall 2024 (IPEDS), 74% part-time; 15,064 in spring 2026 by the college’s count |
| Founded | 1926 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
A public community college in San Bernardino since 1926
San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) is a public two-year college founded in 1926 and one of two colleges in the San Bernardino Community College District; the other is Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa. It belongs to the California Community Colleges system, so the per-unit enrollment fee for California residents is set by the state. Its career training runs from certificates of achievement to associate degrees in health care, skilled trades, business and IT, and in August 2026 it started its first bachelor’s degree, a BS in Water Resources Management. Enrollment is rising: the college counted 15,064 students in spring 2026, about 11% more than a year earlier and its highest spring total since its records began in 1993. Its count also shows 47% of students are the first in their family to attend college.
Career programs at SBVC
The 2026-27 catalog lists certificates of achievement (state-approved credit certificates), locally approved certificates of career preparation, noncredit certificates, associate degrees, associate degrees for transfer and one bachelor’s degree. The table shows the main career programs; lengths are semester units from the catalog.
| Program | Credential | Length | Where | Prepares for / approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing (RN) | AS | 34-36-unit nursing major, 4 semesters after prerequisites | Main campus | NCLEX-RN; ACEN-accredited, BRN-approved |
| Psychiatric Technology | AS; certificate | – | Main campus | California psychiatric technician licence; BVNPT-approved |
| Pharmacy Technology | Certificate; AS | 20 units (certificate) | Main campus | PTCB exam, California Board of Pharmacy licence; ASHP-accredited |
| Medical Coding and Billing | Certificate | – | Main campus | – |
| Welding Technology | Certificate; AS; six specialty certificates | 47 units (certificate) | Main campus | Los Angeles City structural (AWS D1.1); AWS Certified Welding Inspector |
| Automotive Technician | Certificate; AS | 40-44 units | Main campus | – |
| Basic Automotive Collision Repair & Refinishing | Certificate; AS | 24 units | Main campus | – |
| HVAC/R | Certificate; AS | 31 units | Main campus | EPA 608 Universal (proof required) |
| CNC Machining | Certificate; AS | 20 units | Main campus | – |
| General Electrician | Certificate | 46 units | Main campus | California General Electrician certification exam; DIR-approved |
| Aviation Maintenance Technician | Certificate; AS; Airframe and Powerplant certificates | – | – | FAA Part 147 school |
| Heavy/Medium Duty Truck Technology; CDL Orientation and Training | Certificates; AS | – | Main campus | – |
| Water Supply Technology; Water Resources Management | Certificate, AS; BS | – | Main campus | – |
| Computer Support Specialist | Certificate | 19 units | Main campus | Includes Cisco CCNA coursework (CIT 091 and 092) |
| Computer Science | Certificate; AS; AS-T | 33 units (certificate) | Main campus | – |
| Accounting | Certificate; AA | 27 units (certificate) | Main campus | – |
| Business Administration | Certificate; AA; AS-T | 24-25 units (certificate) | Main campus | – |
| Real Estate | Certificate; AA | 18-19 units | Main campus | Course requirements for the California DRE salesperson exam |
| Hospitality/Culinary Arts | Certificate; AA | 45 units | Main campus | – |
| Administration of Justice – Corrections | Certificate; AS | 18 units | Main campus | No state certification named; not the state Core academy |
| Police Academy (Basic Peace Officer) | Certificate | About 36.5 units; 23 weeks, 920 hours | Sheriff’s Training Division | POST-certified academy |
| Addiction Studies | Certificate | – | Main campus | CAADE (catalog accreditation list, under Human Services) |
| Child Development | AA, AA-T, AS-T; 8 certificates | – | Main campus | – |
Several programs carry outside approval: ACEN accreditation and Board of Registered Nursing approval for nursing, ASHP accreditation for pharmacy technology, Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT) approval for psychiatric technology, FAA Part 147 certification for aviation maintenance, POST certification for the Police Academy, Department of Industrial Relations approval for the General Electrician certificate, and CAADE for human services, including addiction studies. Psychology is offered only as a transfer degree, and the college says 69% of its spring 2026 students took at least one online class.
What the main programs cover
Nursing (RN)
The nursing major is 34 to 36 units over four semesters. Before applying, students complete microbiology and anatomy and physiology I and II with a 2.8 science GPA, plus general-education prerequisites with a 3.0 GPA. Applicants are ranked on multi-criteria points, up to 70, and must then score at least 62% on the ATI TEAS. Classes start in fall and spring. Licensed vocational nurses can join through LVN-to-RN routes, including an advanced-placement option linked to a Launch/PACS apprenticeship, or take the 30-unit LVN option, which awards no degree. Partnerships, including concurrent enrollment with Loma Linda, lead on to a BSN.
Pharmacy Technology
The certificate is built from seven courses: PHT 060, 062, 064, 070, 071, 072 and 074. PHT 072, Pharmacy Clinical Experience, is a 3-unit externship at a pharmacy site in the second semester; the current program pages do not say how many hours it takes or name partner pharmacies, so ask before you enroll. There are no fixed cohorts. Students enroll while seats remain, after a counselor meeting and an orientation. The college labels the certificate a gainful-employment program.
Welding Technology
Students can take the full certificate or a narrower certificate in one process: shielded metal arc (SMAW), gas metal arc (GMAW), flux-cored (FCAW) or gas tungsten arc (GTAW), or in pipe welding or welding inspection technology. WELD 066 is a dedicated course for the Los Angeles City structural welder test to the AWS D1.1 code, and other classes prepare for the American Welding Society’s Certified Welding Inspector exam. The catalog says the certification tests are part of the courses at no added cost. A noncredit Welding Job Readiness certificate is a shorter entry point.
General Electrician
The 46-unit General Electrician certificate is listed in the catalog as approved by the California Department of Industrial Relations’ Electrical Programs. According to the catalog, it allows an electrician trainee to sit the state General Electrician certification exam, and it also satisfies the continuing-education requirement for electricians who are already certified. The catalog page does not say how many hours of on-the-job work the state requires before that exam, so check this with DIR before planning around the certificate. Electronics, electric power, industrial automation and zero-net-energy certificates sit alongside it.
HVAC/R
The certificate pairs seven HVAC/R courses, numbered 001 to 007, with math, for 31 units in all. The catalog requires students to hand in proof of EPA Section 608 Universal certification to Admissions & Records, so passing the federal refrigerant-handling exam is part of the plan rather than an optional extra. Passing the practice RSES/NATE exam is listed as a learning outcome. An HVAC/R AS degree adds general-education courses to the same core for students who want a degree.
Police Academy
The Basic Peace Officer academy is a POST-certified intensive program held at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Training Division on Institution Road, not on the main campus. The college’s academy packet describes a Monday-to-Friday, 8-to-5 schedule over 23 weeks and 920 hours, worth about 36.5 units: Police 002 at 24.5 units plus four 3-unit courses. Entry is by application packet rather than open enrollment. The packet is undated, so confirm its schedule and fees with the academy before applying.
Fees for 2026-27 and how students pay
California residents pay the state enrollment fee of $46 per semester unit (the rate in the state’s 2026-27 report), per the college’s enrollment fees page; there is no separate in-district rate. A 12-unit semester comes to $552 in enrollment fees. The same page, which prints no year, lists a $26 health fee ($22 in summer), a transportation fee of $8 to $9, a campus center fee of $1 per unit capped at $10 a year, and optional fees such as a $6 student representation fee.
Nonresident students, from other states or countries, pay the $46 fee plus nonresident tuition and a capital outlay fee, and the two available figures differ:
| Per semester unit | California resident | Nonresident (state chancellor’s report) | Nonresident (college fee page, fall 2025 figures) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment fee | $46 | $46 | $46 |
| Nonresident tuition | – | $409 | $400 |
| Capital outlay fee | – | $178 | $200 |
| Total per unit | $46 | $633 | $646 |
The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office 2026-27 nonresident tuition report lists the district at $409 tuition and $178 capital outlay per unit. The college’s own fee pages still showed the fall 2025 total of $646 when we checked in October 2026, so confirm the current nonresident rate with the college before budgeting. Nonresidents taking 6 units or fewer in a semester do not pay nonresident tuition.
SBVC takes federal student aid. Eligible California residents can have the enrollment fee waived through the California College Promise Grant, and Cal Grant is available to those who qualify. In September 2026 the college set up the ValleyUp2CSUSB scholarship for students transferring to CSU San Bernardino. The pharmacy technology program page estimates a total cost of about $2,400 for that certificate.
Open admission, with selective health and public-safety programs
Admission to the college is open. Some programs choose their students. Nursing ranks applicants on points and a TEAS score, takes 55 students a semester and keeps no waitlist, so applicants who miss out apply again. The Police Academy admits by application packet. The BS in Water Resources Management drew more than 100 applicants for its first cohort in August 2026; the college raised the seats from 20 to 35 and plans 35 for spring 2027. Pharmacy Technology, by contrast, is open enrollment until classes fill.
Accreditation and results
SBVC is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), which reaffirmed its accreditation for seven years in early 2021. At its January 2025 meeting ACCJC accepted the college’s midterm report and found its progress appropriate, per the commission’s action letter of 21 January 2025. The college is under no sanction. Its next full accreditation review is under way, with a team review of its self-evaluation in spring 2027 and a focused site visit in fall 2027.
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN, first-time graduates | 89.06% (128 testers) | 2024-25, Board of Registered Nursing |
| NCLEX-RN, first-time graduates | 90.63% (96 testers) | 2023-24, Board of Registered Nursing |
| NCLEX-RN, first-time graduates | 73.33% (90 testers) | 2022-23, Board of Registered Nursing |
| Psychiatric technician licence exam, first-time | 48% (33 testers) | 2025, BVNPT |
| Psychiatric technician licence exam, first-time | 59% (56 testers) | 2024, BVNPT |
| Psychiatric technician licence exam, first-time | 80% (46 testers) | 2021, BVNPT |
| Graduation rate within 150% of normal time | 28% | Full-time, first-time students who started in fall 2021, IPEDS |
| Transfer-out rate | 8% | Same cohort, IPEDS |
| Retention, fall 2023 to fall 2024 | 81% full-time, 27% part-time | IPEDS |
Nursing results have improved: first-time RN graduates passed at 89.06% in 2024-25 and 90.63% in 2023-24, after 73.33% in 2022-23, per the California Board of Registered Nursing.
Psychiatric Technology is the weak spot. Only 48% of the program’s 33 first-time testers passed the state psychiatric technician licence exam in 2025, down from 80% in 2021, per the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (figures updated February 2026).
Across the college, 28% of full-time, first-time students who started in fall 2021 graduated within 150% of normal time, and 8% transferred out, per College Navigator. Most SBVC students attend part-time, and this federal rate counts only full-time starters. We found no published PTCB pass rates, program job-placement rates or welding certification results.
Before you enroll
- Psychiatric Technology’s licence-exam pass rate fell to 48% in 2025. Ask the program what it is changing before you commit to it.
- The Corrections certificate is 18 units of coursework, not the state Core academy that California correctional officers must complete, and the catalog page names no state certification it leads to.
- Nursing has 55 seats a semester and no waitlist. The 30-unit LVN option awards no degree, and its graduates may not be licensable as RNs outside California.
- If you are not a California resident, the per-unit price is $633 or $646 depending on which source is current. Get the figure from the college in writing.
- The General Electrician certificate gets an electrician trainee to the state exam, but the catalog does not list the work hours the state requires.
One campus on Mount Vernon Avenue, plus partner sites
SBVC has one campus, at 701 South Mount Vernon Avenue, San Bernardino, CA 92410, where nearly all of its programs are taught. The Police Academy is the exception: it meets at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Training Division, 18901 Institution Road, San Bernardino, a partner facility. Nursing and pharmacy students also train at hospitals and pharmacies for clinicals and externships. There is no on-campus housing.
What students say
On Niche, San Bernardino Valley College is rated 3.93 out of 5 from 1,062 reviews, with an overall grade of C+ (checked 12 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise supportive, dedicated professors, small classes, and help from tutoring and career counseling, along with a welcoming, diverse campus with clubs and events. The most common complaints are limited parking, concern about parking-lot safety at night, occasional trouble with staff and poor food options. The reviews cover the whole college rather than one program, and we could not see when they were posted, so we cannot say whether they cluster in time. We found no other platform with 25 or more reviews of the college.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health
- Nursing (RN), AS
- LVN-to-RN and 30-unit LVN options
- Psychiatric Technology
- Pharmacy Technology
- Medical Coding and Billing
- Dietetic Aide and Dietetic Service Supervisor
- Fitness Specialist
Welding, Machining and Inspection
- Welding Technology (SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, GTAW, Pipe Welding, Welding Inspection)
- CNC Machining
- Inspection Technology
Automotive and Transportation
- Automotive Technician and specialty certificates
- Automotive Collision Repair & Refinishing
- Automotive Interiors and Street Rod Construction
- Heavy/Medium Duty Truck Technology
- CDL Orientation and Training
- Aviation Maintenance Technician (Airframe and Powerplant)
- Flight Operations - Professional Pilot
Electrical, HVAC and Energy
- General Electrician
- Electronics, Electric Power and Avionics Technology
- Industrial Automation
- Zero Net Energy
- Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC/R)
Water
- Water Supply Technology
- BS in Water Resources Management
Computer Science and Information Technology
- Computer Science
- Applied AI and Data Science
- Computer Support Specialist
- Computer Network Support Specialist and Cisco CCNA
- Information Security & Cyber Defense and Digital Forensics
- AWS Cloud Computing
- Administrative Assistant
Business and Real Estate
- Accounting and Bookkeeping
- Business Administration
- Entrepreneurship
- Retail Management
- Real Estate
Culinary and Hospitality
- Hospitality/Culinary Arts
- Professional Baking & Management
- Restaurant Service
- Hospitality Management (transfer)
Public Safety
- Administration of Justice
- Administration of Justice - Corrections
- Police Academy (Basic Peace Officer)
Education and Human Services
- Child Development
- Human Services
- Addiction Studies
Campus Locations
San Bernardino, CA 701 South Mount Vernon Avenue, San Bernardino, CA 92410