Construction Engineering and Management • Whittier, CA • Campus • $50/Credit (In-State, incl. fees)
Rio Hondo College offers 1 construction management pathway:
Program Pathways Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.S. | $3.1K-$3.3K in-state / $28.7K-$30.5K out-of-state | 2 years (4 semesters plus 2 summers) | 62.5-66.5 (35 in the major) |
Tuition estimates use the $46 per unit California community college enrollment fee plus Rio Hondo College’s health, college service, representation, and GoRio transit fees; out-of-state adds $409 per unit in nonresident tuition for 2026-27.
- Why choose it: Rio Hondo College’s major blends civil engineering and architecture, with required surveying and GPS, concrete testing, residential and commercial design and construction, BIM, and statistics, and it prepares students for civil engineering technician work.
- Trade-off: There is no certificate, no internship, and no stand-alone scheduling, contracts, or project management course in the 2026-27 plan.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Credentials Offered | Construction Management, A.S. |
| Format | Campus |
| Campus Location | Whittier, CA |
| Credit Hours | 62.5 (local GE plan) or 66.5 (Cal-GETC plan); 35 in the major |
| Internship | Not required |
| Programmatic Accreditation | None stated |
| Software Taught | BIM (ARCH 261); products not named |
| Transferability | Most major courses transfer to CSU, per Rio Hondo College |
| Free Tuition | Rio Promise covers enrollment fees for two years for eligible first-time, full-time California residents |
| Tuition | $46 per unit in-state; $455 per unit out-of-state (2026-27) |
Construction Management, A.S.
The estimated tuition for the Construction Management A.S. at Rio Hondo College is approximately $3,115 in-state (62.5 credits at $49.84/credit, derived from $46 per unit plus mandatory fees for 4 semesters and 2 summer terms).
The program can generally be completed in about 2 years (4 semesters plus 2 summer terms), following Rio Hondo College’s sample plan.
The Construction Management A.S. prepares students for construction support roles and employment as civil engineering technicians, pairing construction theory with hands-on construction management tasks in a framework drawn from bachelor’s-level programs, per Rio Hondo College. The 35-unit major is combined with general education to reach 62.5 units under the local pattern or 66.5 under Cal-GETC. The out-of-state estimate is about $28,678 to $30,498.
A.S. Curriculum
The 2026-27 sample plan lists ten major courses, each completed with a C or better.
- Architecture and construction (5 courses, 19 units): ARCH 110 Construction Document Reading and Estimating (3 units), ARCH 115 Introduction to Residential Architecture: Drawing and Design, ARCH 125 Residential Architecture: Design and Construction, ARCH 225 Commercial Architecture: Design and Construction, and ARCH 261 Construction Technology and BIM.
- Civil engineering (3 courses, 10 units): CIV 140 Civil Engineering and Construction Fundamentals, CIV 142 Introduction to Surveying and GPS, and CIV 210 Concrete Technology and Testing (2 units).
- Engineering and statistics (2 courses, 6 units): ENGT 100 or ENGR 100 Introduction to Engineering (2 units) and STAT C1000 Introduction to Statistics (4 units).
Rio Hondo College’s major is closer to construction engineering technology than to project controls: surveying, concrete testing, and design and construction studios dominate, and estimating appears only within ARCH 110. Students aiming for project manager roles should plan to take scheduling, contracts, and cost control after transfer.
More curriculum details are available here.
You Should Know
- The 2024-25 major listed 37 units, including financial accounting, business law, and engineering statics; the 2026-27 sample plan drops those courses and adds ARCH 115 and ARCH 261.
- The 35-unit major total is derived from the 2026-27 course list; the plan does not state it.
- Rio Hondo College labels the plan one possible pathway and advises confirming it with a counselor.
A.S. Internship and Field Experience
- Required: No internship or co-op is listed.
- Hands-on work: Rio Hondo College says the program includes hands-on construction management tasks, and the major requires surveying and concrete testing courses.
- Hours, pay, and employer partners: Not clearly stated.
Surveying and concrete testing give students field-ready technical skills even without a formal internship.
A.S. Admissions
Rio Hondo College is open-enrollment, and the program lists no separate admission requirements.
- Prerequisites: ARCH 125 and ARCH 225 build on earlier architecture courses, per the program map.
- General education: the local GE pattern or Cal-GETC; students who started before Fall 2025 may use CSU GE or IGETC.
Tuition
California residents pay the $46 per unit enrollment fee plus, each fall and spring semester, a $23 health fee, a $7 college service fee, a $2 representation fee, and a $15 GoRio transit fee. Nonresidents add $409 per unit in tuition for 2026-27, per the state’s nonresident tuition report.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Enrollment fee (all students) | $46 per unit |
| Nonresident tuition (2026-27) | +$409 per unit |
| Student health fee | $23 per fall or spring semester; $20 summer |
| College service fee | $7 per fall or spring semester; $4 summer |
| Student representation fee | $2 per term |
| GoRio transit fee | $15 per fall or spring semester |
- A.S. estimate: 62.5 × $46 = $2,875, plus 4 × $47 and 2 × $26 in summer fees ($240), for $3,115 in-state; 66.5 units under Cal-GETC comes to $3,299. Out-of-state: 62.5 to 66.5 × $455 + $240 = $28,678 to $30,498 (derived).
Be aware that:
- Rio Hondo College’s fee page lists $400 per unit nonresident tuition; the state’s 2026-27 report lists $409.
- Rio Promise covers enrollment fees for two years for first-time California residents enrolled in at least 12 units each fall and spring, and the California College Promise Grant waives the fee for other eligible residents.
- Parking ($40 per semester), books, and materials are not included.
At about $3,100 in-state, the A.S. costs a fraction of a year at CSU Long Beach, one of the nearest construction management bachelor’s programs profiled here. See Rio Hondo College’s fees.
Why Choose This Construction Management Program?
Rio Hondo College fits Whittier-area students drawn to the engineering side of construction.
Future civil engineering technicians: Surveying with GPS, concrete testing, and civil engineering fundamentals lead directly to technician roles, per Rio Hondo College.
Transfer students: Most major courses transfer to CSU, and the statistics course also transfers to UC, though students should confirm requirements with their target program.
Students wanting project controls: Those who want required estimating and scheduling courses at the two-year level should compare Cosumnes River College or Mt. San Antonio College.
Accreditation and Credentials
Rio Hondo College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, which supports federal financial aid eligibility and credit transfer.
No programmatic accreditation is listed for Rio Hondo College’s construction management program.
The program embeds no industry certification.