Private company

American Career College

Logo: americancareercollege.edu³

For-profit vocational college based in California

American Career College is a private for-profit vocational college focused on healthcare education with three campuses in California: Los Angeles, Ontario, and Anaheim. It also has a campus in Richardson, Texas. accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.² Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1978Founded¹

HeadquartersIrvine¹
Founded inLos Angeles¹
Websiteamericancareercollege.edu

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The story

American Career College was founded by David Pyle in 1978 as the American College of Optics, which specialized in optical dispensing. The name was changed to the American College of Optechs in 1990 before becoming the American Career College in 1993. The college's enrollment increased following the approval of its nursing program in 1994 and the vocational nursing program in 2001. The Ontario campus opened in 2008. ACC's sister school West Coast University holds some classes for ACC on its campus and credits can be transferred between the two institutions.

In 2020, 79% of enrolled students were female and 58% identified as Hispanic/Latinx.

From Wikipedia’s article on American Career College, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.⁴

Timeline

1978Founded Founded in Los Angeles¹

Funding

Where the company's money came from, by calendar year: private offerings filed with the SEC, federal grants, loans, contracts and other assistance from USAspending.gov, and PPP loans from the SBA. Each bar links to the records below.

Money received by year$231.5M 2008–2026

Federal grants $9.0M
Other federal assistance $222.5M

Figures by year

Year	Federal grants	Other federal assistance	Total
2026	–	$15.7M	$15.7M
2025	–	$22.5M	$22.5M
2024	–	$19.4M	$19.4M
2023	–	$16.9M	$16.9M
2022	–	$10.6M	$10.6M
2021	$3.0M	–	$3.0M
2020	$5.9M	–	$5.9M
2017	–	$171.2K	$171.2K
2016	–	$11.8M	$11.8M
2015	–	$14.6M	$14.6M
2014	–	$15.4M	$15.4M
2013	–	$15.8M	$15.8M
2012	–	$13.6M	$13.6M
2011	–	$17.0M	$17.0M
2010	–	$19.7M	$19.7M
2009	–	$16.2M	$16.2M
2008	–	$13.1M	$13.1M

Federal awards

Obligated amounts from USAspending.gov⁵, by calendar year, 2008–2026, for its registration. Obligations are what agencies committed, not always what was paid out. Contracts pay for goods and services; grants, loans and direct payments are assistance. Loans are charted at the face value of the loans listed here. An award’s amount below is its lifetime total, and some began before the years charted.

Largest grants

Feb 4, 2021$3.0M from Department of Education: Education Stabilization Fund⁶ To AMERICAN CAREER COLLEGE INC Award P425Q210045
Apr 24, 2020$3.0M from Department of Education: Education Stabilization Fund⁷ To AMERICAN CAREER COLLEGE INC Award P425E201470
May 4, 2020$3.0M from Department of Education: Education Stabilization Fund⁸ To AMERICAN CAREER COLLEGE INC Award P425F200309

Largest direct payments

$22.5M from Department of Education: Federal Pell Grant Program⁹ To AMERICAN CAREER COLLEGE INC Award P063P254013
$19.9M from Department of Education: Federal Pell Grant Program¹⁰ To AMERICAN CAREER COLLEGE INC Award P063P244013
May 24, 2010$19.8M from Department of Education: Federal Pell Grant Program¹¹ To AMERICAN CAREER COLLEGE INC Award P063P104013

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

1
WikidataAmerican Career College on Wikidata
2
WikipediaAmerican Career College on Wikipedia
3
Company websiteAmerican Career College logo
4
WikipediaAmerican Career College on Wikipedia (revision used)
5
USAspending.govUSAspending.gov recipient profile: AMERICAN CAREER COLLEGE INC
6
USAspending.govP425Q210045: Department of Education
7
USAspending.govP425E201470: Department of Education
8
USAspending.govP425F200309: Department of Education
9
USAspending.govP063P254013: Department of Education
10
USAspending.govP063P244013: Department of Education
11
USAspending.govP063P104013: Department of Education