Orange Coast College - Ratings, Reviews & Ranking

" OCC is a wonderful community college. The campus is extremely walkable and flat. It looks much more spread out on a map than it actually is. There are several brand-new buildings, like classrooms and the student union, with more currently under construction. Most of the professors are phenomenal. Some are just okay, and a few aren't the best in terms of personality or teaching style. The campus is also fairly diverse in terms of race and ethnicity, gender, and age. That said, their disability student services (DSPS) could use significant improvement. The counselor I met when I first enrolled became my assigned DSPS counselor, and the office made it nearly impossible to schedule with anyone else. Unfortunately, that counselor was not helpful. She didn't fully explain the services available and only offered accommodations she chose, without informing me of everything I qualified for. I only discovered some available services this semester, and I'm about to graduate. Even when I finally met with another counselor, it was still a challenge. I've also taken a few courses at Golden West College (GWC), and I found their DSPS program to be significantly better. On a more positive note, OCC's transfer counselors are amazing. They are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. If you're planning to transfer to a four-year university, I highly recommend working specifically with a transfer counselor, as they are much better equipped to guide you through both graduation requirements and transfer planning. "

" As a community college, Orange Coast College is definitely one of the best in Southern California. The academic staff is great; the majority of them truly want you to succeed and will help you with anything.During my two years at OCC, I've only had about two professors that I did not enjoy. The Comm department at OCC is great and their debate team has won many competitions. Additionally, if you choose to play sports here, know that the sports facilities are amazing for a cc. So much money goes to those lol. As for the administrative staff, I found that they proved to be very unhelpful. I ended up navigating the logistic side of college on my own because they often gave me false information. Finally, the social scene...Well it's a cc, so there is none. If you want to have a chance at making friends, join a club or team your first semester there. Sometimes the sport teams will throw parties in their apartments, but you only get an invite if you know them and are also a student athlete. Also, introduce yourself to people in your classes and be friendly every day. Overall, if you want to go to a cc in Orange County OCC is pretty decent. "

" If you utilize Rate My Professor and register as far in advance as you can, you are sure to find the kind of professor you're looking for -- at least for gen ed. I've been pleasantly surprised by my ability to find challenging classes, as this is a JC, but I've also been able to find easy professors for subjects that won't contribute to my long-term academic career or personal development. The DSPS (Disabled Students Program and Services) isn't really accessibly via the phone -- if you need to go in and make an appointment I recommend doing so in person or they probably won't actually get back to you. However, once you have an appointment, the counselors are extremely helpful. The non-DSPS counselors I've worked with have also been quite helpful. Between the computer lab and the library there's almost always enough computers for everyone to use. My only points of dissatisfaction with OCC are things that are endemic to commuter colleges -- no strong sense of community, a lack of structure to help students find their own social groups, etc. -- but there are various clubs you can join to make friends. It's definitely a JC, but it's a pretty damn good one from my perspective. "