| Type | Private career college: trades taught on campus; business, HR, IT and management taught online |
|---|---|
| Campuses | 12: 11 in California and 1 in Phoenix, Arizona, plus an Online Division |
| Credentials | Certificates of completion, associate of science degrees, and two online bachelor’s degrees |
| Program length | Trade certificates about 7–14 months; associate degrees about 14–15 months (Trades Studies: 25 weeks after a trade certificate) |
| Accreditation | WSCUC (WASC Senior College and University Commission), reaffirmed June 2026; FAA approval for Aviation Maintenance Technology |
| Federal aid | Yes (Pell Grants, federal loans, Work-Study) |
| Founded / owner | 1977 in Visalia, CA; owned by San Joaquin Valley College, Inc., which also owns Carrington College |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
About San Joaquin Valley College
San Joaquin Valley College (SJVC) is a private, family-owned college founded in Visalia, California in 1977. It now teaches skilled trades on campus (electrical, HVAC-R, industrial maintenance, aviation maintenance and construction management) and business, human resources, IT and leadership programs online. It has 12 campuses, 11 in California and one in Phoenix, Arizona, plus an Online Division. In its 2025 Impact Report SJVC counted 3,253 enrolled students and more than 94,600 certificates and degrees awarded since it opened.
SJVC changed a great deal in 2025–26. Its owner, San Joaquin Valley College, Inc., also owns Carrington College, and it moved all of SJVC’s health care programs, from medical assisting to nursing, dental hygiene and veterinary programs, to Carrington. If you are looking for one of those programs, apply to Carrington College, not SJVC. Some buildings are shared by the two colleges.
What changed in 2025–26
- Health programs moved to Carrington College (announced 2025; Carrington’s first Bakersfield classes started 27 May 2025). The 2026 catalog supplement lists the dental hygiene bachelor’s, surgical technology, vocational nursing, clinical medical assisting, dental assisting and RN programs as discontinued at SJVC.
- Trades campuses added: in August 2025 Carrington’s Phoenix Trades Education Center became SJVC’s first Arizona campus, and SJVC took over trades teaching at Sacramento (Folsom Boulevard) and San Leandro.
- Campuses closed: Delano (31 January 2026), Fresno on East Sierra Avenue (3 July 2026; now a Carrington campus) and Santa Maria (7 August 2026). State closure filings say no students were left unable to finish. The Bakersfield North site was taught out, and the Rancho Cordova site is now Carrington’s.
- Porterville (North Main Street) is no longer enrolling new students and is not on SJVC’s current campus list; we found no closure date.
Programs at SJVC’s 12 campuses and online
Lengths are SJVC’s “as few as” figures from its program pages. Tuition is the program total from the tuition tables in SJVC’s 2026–27 catalog (effective 13 April 2026), which include eBooks and required textbooks.
| Program | Credential (length) | Delivery | Where taught | Prepares for | Tuition (13 Apr 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Technology | Certificate (40 weeks); associate at 3 campuses | On campus, lab-based | Every campus except Antelope Valley; associate at Phoenix, Sacramento, San Leandro | California General Electrician certification route (DLSE-approved); OSHA 10, CPR | $27,787 certificate in CA, $23,988 in Phoenix; associate $41,268 (Sacramento, San Leandro), $36,094 (Phoenix) |
| HVAC-R | Certificate (about 10 months); associate at Phoenix | On campus | Antelope Valley, Bakersfield, Fresno TEC, Ontario, Rancho Mirage, Sacramento, Temecula, Victor Valley, Visalia, Phoenix | EPA Section 608 (included); OSHA 10 | $27,647 in CA, $23,983 in Phoenix; associate $36,094 (Phoenix) |
| Maintenance Technician (industrial) | Certificate (about 7 months) | On campus | Modesto (Salida), Ontario, Visalia | No certification named | $20,738 |
| Aviation Maintenance Technology | Certificate (1,455 clock hours, about 14 months) | On campus | Fresno Trades Education Center only | FAA Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) tests; FAA-approved program | $42,076 |
| Construction Management | Associate (about 14 months); bachelor’s (about 32 months) | Associate on campus or online; bachelor’s online | Fresno TEC, Ontario, online | – | $41,876 associate; $76,932 bachelor’s ($36,505 bridge options) |
| Business Office Administration | Certificate (about 8 months); associate (about 15 months) | Online | Online | – | $19,307 certificate; $34,514 associate |
| Human Resources Administration | Certificate (about 7 months); associate (about 14 months) | Online | Online | – | $18,687 certificate; $35,112 associate |
| Information Technology | Certificate (about 8 months); associate (about 15 months) | Online | Online | Embedded Computer Support, Networking and Security certificates; industry-specific certifications (CompTIA not named) | $19,049 certificate; $35,996 associate |
| Organizational Leadership | Bachelor’s (about 18 months with 50–60 transfer units) | Online | Online | – | $38,694 or $45,143 (two options) |
| Trades Studies | Associate (25 weeks after a trades certificate) | Online | Online | – | $16,703 |
Programs run in five-week modules on a continuous cycle (ask your campus for start dates); aviation maintenance runs on a linear schedule with fewer start dates. In California the electrical program is approved by the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) for the state’s General Electrician certification route; in Arizona, electrical licensing depends on the role.
What the main programs cover
Electrical Technology
The certificate is 40 semester units taught over about 40 weeks. Its seven courses are Conduit Bending and Raceway; Blueprint Reading and Safety; Technical Math and Electric Circuits; Residential Wiring; Commercial Wiring; Industrial Wiring; and Programmable Logic Controllers and Industrial Electronics. Students also earn OSHA 10 and CPR cards. In California the certificate is the DLSE-approved route toward the state’s General Electrician Certification Exam. Graduates at Phoenix, Sacramento and San Leandro can continue to the associate degree, and graduates elsewhere can add the online Trades Studies associate.
HVAC-R
The 40-unit certificate takes about 10 months and moves through seven courses: Theory and Applications of HVAC Systems, Refrigeration, Electricity (10 units), Advanced HVAC, Advanced Refrigeration, Advanced Electricity, and Air Distribution Systems. EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification is part of the program, along with OSHA 10. Phoenix is the only campus where students can take the HVAC-R associate degree; elsewhere, graduates can add the online Trades Studies associate degree in about 25 weeks.
Maintenance Technician
Despite its general name, this 30-unit certificate trains industrial and manufacturing maintenance technicians rather than apartment or building maintenance staff. It has four courses: Power Transmission, Industrial Electricity, Fluid Power and Programmable Logic Controllers. It takes about 7 months and is taught at only three campuses: Modesto (Salida), Ontario and Visalia. SJVC names no industry certification for it, and applicants need a Wonderlic score of at least 14, the same as for SJVC’s other trade programs.
Aviation Maintenance Technology
This FAA-approved certificate is SJVC’s longest certificate: 61 units and 1,455 clock hours, about 14 months, at the Fresno Trades Education Center only. It runs on a linear schedule with fewer start dates. Courses are Aircraft Basic Mechanics; Regulations and Inspections; Aviation Math and Physics; Electricity and Ground Operations; Helicopter and Airframe Essentials; Metallic Structures; Aircraft Systems I and II; Turbine Engines; Reciprocating Engines; Auxiliary Systems I and II; and an Exam Readiness Seminar for the FAA Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) tests.
Construction Management
This is a management program, not training in a building trade. The associate degree takes about 14 months, on campus at Fresno and Ontario or online, and covers project scheduling and control, estimating and bidding, computer applications, and labor and construction law. An online bachelor’s degree takes about 32 months, with bridge options. SJVC’s 2025 Impact Report says it awarded more construction management associate degrees than any other California school from 2022 to 2024 (130+ graduates).
Information Technology (online)
The fully online IT certificate takes about 8 months (31 weeks) and the associate degree about 15 months. Courses cover hardware and software, operating systems, help desk work and networking essentials, and the program contains three embedded certificates: Computer Support, Networking and Security. SJVC says the program prepares students for industry-specific certifications but does not name CompTIA on its program page, so ask which exams are covered and whether vouchers are included. The entrance requirement is a Wonderlic score of 18, higher than for every other SJVC program except the Construction Management bachelor’s (19).
Cost and paying for it
SJVC publishes a program total for each program and location in its catalog. In the 2026–27 catalog (effective 13 April 2026), totals include tuition, eBooks and required textbooks. The California Electrical and HVAC-R certificates cost about $27,600 to $27,800 (Electrical $27,787, HVAC-R $27,647), the same at every California campus; the same certificates cost about $24,000 in Phoenix. Totals range from $16,703 (the online Trades Studies associate) and $18,687 (the online HR certificate) to $42,076 for aviation maintenance and $76,932 for the online Construction Management bachelor’s. For single courses starting from 31 August 2026, the catalog supplement lists $3,473 per five-credit electrical course in California ($2,999 in Phoenix).
SJVC takes part in federal student aid: Pell Grants, FSEOG, Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans, PLUS loans and Federal Work-Study, plus private loans and an institutional payment plan. In its 2024 annual report to California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE), before the health programs moved, SJVC reported that 72% of students took federal loans, a 0% cohort default rate, and “No” for Cal Grant. VA education benefits are accepted. SJVC says it awards scholarship funds each year to high school seniors who meet set criteria; we could not confirm any named scholarships or amounts.
Admissions and schedule
Applicants must be 17 in California or 16 in Arizona (younger with proficiency or early high school graduation) and have a high school diploma or equivalent; foreign diplomas need an AACRAO evaluation. Everyone takes the Wonderlic SLE, with minimum scores of 14 for the trade programs and the on-campus Construction Management degree, 12 for the online business and HR programs, 18 for IT and 19 for the Construction Management bachelor’s. Applicants meet an Enrollment Services Associate and a director, have a financial services meeting and attend orientation, and attendance on the first day is required. Admission is open to anyone who meets these requirements. Classes run in five-week modules, and campus pages list hours up to about 10 pm Monday to Thursday, which suggests evening classes; ask your campus for shift times.
Accreditation and results
SJVC is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), which reaffirmed its accreditation in June 2026; the next step is a progress report in fall 2027. SJVC was accredited by ACCJC from 1995 until it withdrew on 25 August 2021 after joining WSCUC, so references to ACCJC on older pages are out of date. The Aviation Maintenance Technology program is FAA-approved. SJVC is approved by California’s BPPE and Arizona’s State Board for Private Postsecondary Education, and, for online students, by the Iowa College Student Aid Commission.
SJVC’s School Performance Fact Sheet for the Ontario Electrical Technology certificate (effective 30 November 2025) reports:
| Ontario Electrical certificate | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Finished on time (40 weeks) | 77% (154 of 199) | 76% (181 of 238) |
| Finished within 150% of program length | 85% | 82% |
| Placed in the field (of graduates counted) | 65% (107 of 165) | 66% (123 of 187) |
SJVC’s 2024 BPPE annual report gives these college-wide placement rates for current programs (the report summary we read does not define placement): Electrical certificate 59.6% (974 awards), HVAC-R certificate 63.5% (374), Aviation Maintenance 55.6% (48), Construction Management associate 81.8% (58), Business Office Administration certificate 80.8% (76), HR certificate 77.8% (49) and IT certificate 50% (34). The same report lists a 62.5% licensing exam pass rate for aviation maintenance graduates in 2024. Federal data shown on Niche for the Visalia campus, from before the alignment, give a 36% graduation rate.
Before you enroll
- SJVC no longer teaches any health care program. Older listings, reviews and ads for SJVC medical, dental, nursing, respiratory therapy or veterinary programs now refer to Carrington College programs.
- Check that your campus teaches your program: aviation maintenance is only at Fresno’s Trades Education Center, industrial maintenance only at Modesto, Ontario and Visalia, the HVAC-R associate only in Phoenix, and San Leandro teaches electrical only.
- The cost is high for the credential. A California electrical or HVAC-R certificate costs about $27,700, and in 2024, 72% of SJVC students took federal loans. Compare community college trade programs before you sign.
- SJVC’s campus network has changed fast: four sites closed or were taught out in 2026 and Porterville is not enrolling. Ask what happens to your program if your campus changes.
- Placement rates differ by program: the 2024 BPPE report shows about 60% for the electrical certificate and 50% for the IT certificate, compared with 82% for the Construction Management associate degree.
What students say
Seven SJVC campus pages on Niche have 25 or more reviews, 1,135 in all, averaging about 4.2 out of 5 weighted by review count (checked October 2026): Ontario 4.25 (349 reviews), Visalia 4.22 (295), Bakersfield 4.10 (191), Fresno 4.28 (101), Hesperia 3.56 (91), Temecula 4.28 (67), Modesto 4.34 (41). Most of these reviews predate the 2025–26 change, when the health programs moved to Carrington, and are about health programs, so they say little about SJVC’s trade programs today; recent reviews (late 2024 to mid 2025) include electrical and business students.
- Praised: supportive instructors, hands-on training, small classes and a helpful enrollment process.
- Criticized: tuition well above community college prices, credits that are hard to transfer, and five-week modules that feel crammed.
Sources
SJVC 2026–27 catalog · Catalog supplement (Aug 2026) · SJVC–Carrington alignment · WSCUC · BPPE 2024 annual report · Ontario Electrical fact sheet · BPPE closure notices · Niche
Programs & Courses
Skilled Trades (on campus)
- Electrical Technology (certificate; associate at Phoenix, Sacramento and San Leandro)
- Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC-R) (certificate; associate at Phoenix)
- Maintenance Technician (industrial; certificate)
- Aviation Maintenance Technology (certificate; Fresno Trades Education Center)
Construction Management
- Construction Management (associate; Fresno TEC, Ontario or online)
- Construction Management (bachelor's; online)
Business and Technology (online)
- Business Office Administration (certificate and associate)
- Human Resources Administration (certificate and associate)
- Information Technology (certificate and associate)
- Organizational Leadership (bachelor's)
- Trades Studies (associate, after a trades certificate)
Campus Locations
Lancaster, CA 42135 10th St. West, Ste 200, Lancaster, CA 93534
Bakersfield, CA 201 New Stine Rd., Bakersfield, CA 93309
Fresno, CA 4985 E. Andersen Ave., Fresno, CA 93727
Salida, CA 5380 Pirrone Rd., Ste 301B, Salida, CA 95368
Ontario, CA 4580 Ontario Mills Pkwy, Ontario, CA 91764
Rancho Mirage, CA 34275 Monterey Ave., Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
Sacramento, CA 8909 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95826
San Leandro, CA 15555 E. 14th St., Ste 500, San Leandro, CA 94577
Temecula, CA 27270 Madison Ave., Ste 103, Temecula, CA 92590
Hesperia, CA 9331 Mariposa Rd., Hesperia, CA 92344
Visalia, CA 8344 W. Mineral King Ave., Visalia, CA 93291
Phoenix, AZ 8836 N. 23rd Ave., Bldg. B, Phoenix, AZ 85021