Study abroad at Rowland Heights

Rowland Heights is a vibrant, safe, affluent, and exceptionally multicultural suburban community situated in the picturesque San Gabriel Valley and Puente Hills region of Los Angeles County, Southern California, located just 25 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles, 30 minutes from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Ontario International Airport (ONT), and 25 minutes from Orange County beaches. Celebrated for the expansive 575-acre Peter F. Schabarum Regional Park (famous for annual Cherry Blossom festivals and equestrian trails), Puente Hills Mall, world-class Asian and international culinary districts along Colima Road, and its strategic proximity to Southern California's premier higher education cluster. Rowland Heights is the central residential and collegiate hub for top-ranked public and private institutions: California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona - ranked #2 Top Public University in the West by US News & World Report, globally famed for its 'learn by doing' philosophy in the College of Engineering, College of Environmental Design, and Collins College of Hospitality Management), Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC - one of America's premier top-ranking community colleges and transfer powerhouses to UCLA and UC Berkeley), California State University, Fullerton (CSU Fullerton / Mihaylo College of Business and Economics), and the prestigious Claremont Colleges (Pomona College, Harvey Mudd College, and Claremont McKenna College, located just 15 minutes away). Degrees and transfer pathways are taught 100% in English with prestigious US accreditations. International students benefit from sunny California lifestyle, exceptionally safe neighborhoods, affordable community college tuition with direct 2+2 transfer guarantees to top University of California (UC) campuses, and direct US F-1 / I-20 Student Visa support with 3-year STEM OPT work extensions.

Tuition fees for international undergraduate students in the Rowland Heights academic corridor depend on the institution: at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC - premier 2+2 transfer pathway to UCLA/UC Berkeley), international tuition is exceptionally affordable, ranging between $9,200 and $10,500 per academic year (saving over $60,000 on the first two years of a US bachelor's degree). At Cal Poly Pomona and CSU Fullerton, international undergraduate tuition ranges from $18,500 to $21,500 per academic year for College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Business (with competitive merit scholarships available). Modern student apartments and shared rental housing in Rowland Heights, Diamond Bar, Walnut, and Pomona cost between $650 and $1,150 per month for private rooms in shared townhomes and student apartments (inclusive of utilities and parking), while private 1-bedroom apartments range from $1,100 to $1,750 per month. General monthly living expenses range between $850 and $1,450.

International students require a US F-1 Student Visa. Upon academic admission and verification of financial documentation (bank statement certifying first-year tuition and living expenses approx. $22,000 for Mt. SAC or $35,000 for Cal Poly Pomona), the International Student Center issues the official Form I-20. The student pays the SEVIS I-901 fee, completes the DS-160 online visa application, and attends the F-1 visa interview at the US Embassy or Consulate. STEM graduates qualify for a 24-month OPT extension (total 36 months of US employment authorization across Southern California and nationwide).