Community college · International student guide
Diablo Valley College
Pleasant Hill, CA
Diablo Valley College is one of the Contra Costa Community Colleges, a California community college that admits international F-1 students through the district's international admissions portal. It offers transfer-oriented coursework and an online-first 1+1+2 pathway for international students.
Photos: “DVC welcome to fall” by Annekingsley, CC BY-SA 4.0; “Student Union at DVC” by Bill Larkins, CC BY-SA 2.0. Via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
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This guide puts first what matters when you apply from outside the United States: costs, English requirements, dates and documents. Every figure links to the college's own page.
Your yearly costs
2026–27 academic-year estimates. The $447 unit rate is not the yearly price. Housing estimate is for the college’s academic year; placement fees may be extra.
$10,728USD · per academic year
Tuition & fees
12 units per semester × 2 semesters × $447. Published costs: 2026–27.
$11,700USD · per academic year
Housing & meals estimate
Cost year: 2026–27.
$1,945USD · per academic year
Health insurance estimate
Cost year: 2026–27.
$30,495USD · per academic year
Estimated total budget / I-20 funds
Includes books, transport and personal expenses.
These are school or college costs, not our advisory fees. A budget estimate is not an all-inclusive invoice. Confirm your course load, housing, insurance and required extras before paying.
Cost
Estimated I-20 financial proof / total
$30,495 I-20 total for a full academic year: tuition and fees $10,728, homestay food and housing $11,700, medical insurance $1,945, plus miscellaneous and personal costs
Source · checked 3 Oct 2026Dates and deadlines
Spring 2027 deadlines (regular programme)
1 Dec 2026 — Spring Semester (January-May): applicants abroad Dec. 1; applicants in the U.S. Jan. 1
Source · checked 3 Oct 2026English, documents and requirements
English proficiency tests (district list)
TOEFL iBT 61 (57 for gap-year students or DVC Bridge Program only); IELTS Academic 5.5 (min band 4.5); Duolingo 95 (90 restricted); iTEP Academic 3.5; PTE Academic 45; Cambridge CAE 160
Source · checked 3 Oct 2026ESL pathway - partner programs and Bridge
Conditional admission letters for completion of partner programs, e.g. ELS Level 109 (EAP), UC Davis CPE community college pathway track with 3.0+ GPA, Kaplan Higher Intermediate, CLS ESL Advanced
Source · checked 3 Oct 2026Enrolment load for F-1 students
At least 12 units, of which at least nine must be fully in-person or hybrid
Source · checked 3 Oct 2026Programmes and transfer
UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (UC page)
TAG offered at six UC campuses: Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz. Berkeley, UCLA and San Diego do not offer TAG
Source · checked 3 Oct 2026DVC TAG partners and transfer claims
DVC states TAGs (conditional transfer guarantees) to six UC campuses, including Davis, Irvine and Santa Barbara; over 1,400 international students have transferred to UC Berkeley since 2010
Source · checked 3 Oct 2026Suggested majors for the online-first pathway
Business, economics, psychology, communications, sociology, international studies, political science; STEM (computer science, engineering) may need extra time due to limited online maths/lab sciences
Source · checked 3 Oct 2026We are not an official representative of these institutions, and listing one is not a claim of partnership. Admission decisions are made only by each institution.
When a student we advise enrols, we may receive a commission from the institution, paid through our placement partners. This does not change what you pay us.
US Admissions is operated by Blackstone School System, LLC. It is a private admissions consultancy, not a government agency, and is not affiliated with the U.S. government or any embassy or consulate. We do not provide legal or immigration advice; any visa assistance is administrative only. Visa decisions rest solely with U.S. consular officers.