If you grew up anywhere between Boyle Heights and Montebello, you probably know someone who has taken a class, watched a game, or visited an exhibition at East Los Angeles College. ELAC sits on the hill at 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez in Monterey Park, a commuter campus that functions like a neighborhood hub. It is part transfer launch pad, part cultural center, and part practical training ground for the Eastside’s workforce.
The campus is tucked just south of Floral Drive and Collegian Avenue, and it has its own transit hub on site. Metro buses stop at the ELAC Transit Center, with lines including 31, 68, 260, 762, and 770 serving the area. One particularly useful route is Metro Line 74, which runs between Union Station, the E Line’s East LA stations, Cal State LA, and the East LA College Transit Center. A regular Metro fare is $1.75 and includes two hours of free transfers when you tap to ride, so a train-to-bus trip from downtown stays cheap if you plan it within that window.
If you drive, parking is straightforward as long as you know the rules. ELAC sells one-day permits for $2 from vending machines located in the Stadium Lot and on the top levels of Parking Structure 3 and Parking Structure 4. For semester regulars, the posted student parking fee is $27 per semester and $10 for summer or winter sessions. Preferred student parking areas include the Stadium Lot; Parking Structure 3 (levels 2–6) off Avenida Cesar Chavez; and Parking Structure 4 (levels 1–4) at the corner of Collegian Avenue and Floral Drive. Enforcement is real, so match the permit to the allowed lots before you park.
Small campus travel tip if you’re coming for an event at the arts complex or the museum: Parking Structure 4 is under a five-minute walk to the Vincent Price Art Museum and the Performing & Fine Arts complex. If your plans put you near athletics or commencement activities, the Stadium Lot is the shortest path.
ELAC follows California’s community college pricing. For California residents, the enrollment fee is $46 per unit. Nonresidents are charged $377 per unit for the 2025–2026 year, plus the $46 enrollment fee structure that applies to everyone. Students also pay a mandatory Student Health fee of $19 per semester (and $16 during winter or summer sessions), which funds the on-campus Student Health Center operated by Via Care. If you plan to park, add the semester parking amount above or use $2 day passes as needed.
The Los Angeles College Promise removes that enrollment-fee math entirely for many first-time, full-time students. Through ELAC’s First Year Experience team, the Promise program covers up to two years of tuition-free study for eligible students, with no income requirement for the fee coverage. The Promise also layers in priority enrollment and success-coaching support. If you’re considering ELAC right out of high school or after a break, ask the Welcome Center about Promise steps and deadlines so your fees are covered before classes begin.
One more cost many locals quietly optimize is textbooks. ELAC runs Zero Textbook Cost sections across multiple subjects each term. In real life that means watching for the ZTC designation when you browse the class schedule; if you stack a few of those sections in your first year, the difference in out-of-pocket spend is immediate.
ELAC’s reputation on the Eastside is built on practical pathways into work and transfer, with a few standouts that make it a destination beyond its service area. The college offers a bachelor’s degree in Respiratory Therapy, approved through the California Community Colleges Baccalaureate Degree Program, and has Paralegal Studies as a forthcoming baccalaureate program. For students who want a four-year credential without leaving the Eastside, that’s a meaningful shift in options.
On the transfer side, you’ll find strong Associate Degrees for Transfer in fields like Business, Psychology, and Spanish, along with specialized departments that punch above their weight. Architecture routinely pipelines students to USC, Cal Poly Pomona, and other regional programs; the Performing Arts and Music departments stage a full slate of productions and ensembles in the P2 building; and Health Sciences remains a practical path into allied health careers.
ELAC is also where many adults on the Eastside retool their skills at no cost. The Adult & Continuing Education division runs free noncredit courses in English as a Second Language, GED prep, basic computer skills, short-term vocational training, and more. These classes are offered both on campus and across more than 30 neighborhood locations, which is why you’ll run into ELAC-branded ESL or citizenship classes at libraries, community centers, and partner sites from Rosemead to Huntington Park. If you’re weighing whether to enroll for credit, a free noncredit course is a low-stress way to test the waters.
You do not have to be enrolled to use parts of this campus. The most visible example is the Vincent Price Art Museum, a serious museum built into the Performing & Fine Arts complex. Admission is always free and hours are Tuesday–Friday 12–4 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. If you park, the closest structure is PS4 at Collegian and Floral; from the stairwell you can see the museum’s plaza. For K–12 or group visits, the museum schedules tours; for solo visits, you just walk in during open hours and check in at the front desk.
Two blocks downhill is Weingart Stadium, the largest single venue on campus and the place the neighborhood gathers. ELAC football and soccer play here, and the college has used the stadium for commencement; in June 2024, a crowd of more than 10,000 attended graduation. High school graduations and community rentals come through too, so don’t be surprised if you spot marching bands or fireworks on spring nights.
Beyond the museum and stadium, ELAC’s community aquatics and not-for-credit classes bring neighbors onto campus with fee-based lessons and activities. These are not academic credits; they’re short courses designed for enrichment or skills like swimming, fitness, or basic software. The lineup changes by session, so it’s worth checking the Community Services page when a new schedule drops.
ELAC has long run a South Gate center to serve students in Cudahy, South Gate, Huntington Park, and Southeast Los Angeles. The permanent ELAC Southeast Campus is slated for completion in the fourth quarter of 2026, bringing a full-service site with core student services to the southeast corner of the district. During the current transition, ELAC routed many South Gate classes into temporary facilities and used an ELAC Campus Express shuttle connecting the Southeast site and the Monterey Park campus. On full-term days the shuttle operated from early morning through late evening, with posted hours such as 6:00 a.m. to 10:35 p.m., and schedules marked “subject to change.”
If you’re a South Gate–area student eager to start before the permanent campus opens, you have practical choices. You can enroll in Monterey Park classes and use transit or parking as outlined above; you can take noncredit courses that run at partner locations closer to home; and you can mix distance-education sections into your week so you’re on the road fewer days. When the Southeast Campus opens, most of those services consolidate under one roof.
| Option | What it is | Cost signal | Logistics you won’t find on a brochure |
| Enroll for a degree or transfer | Credit classes toward an associate degree, certificate, or transfer | $46 per unit for CA residents; nonresident tuition $377 per unit (2025–2026); mandatory health fee $19/semester | Two-year tuition-free pathway via the LA College Promise for eligible first-time, full-time students; stack ZTC sections in your schedule to cut textbook costs. |
| Take free noncredit classes | Adult & Continuing Education (ESL, GED prep, computer basics, short-term vocational) | $0 tuition | Offered across 30+ neighborhood locations as well as on campus; good on-ramp if you’re deciding whether to jump into credit coursework. |
| Visit the Vincent Price Art Museum | Public art museum inside ELAC’s Performing & Fine Arts complex | Free admission; open Tue–Fri 12–4 p.m., Sat 11 a.m.–5 p.m. | Park in Parking Structure 4 at Collegian & Floral for the shortest walk; check in at the front desk and enjoy rotating exhibitions plus the permanent Ancient Americas gallery. |
| Attend a game or ceremony at Weingart Stadium | ELAC athletics, graduations, and permitted community events | Event ticketing varies; campus daily parking permit is $2 when general parking rules apply | For big events, the Stadium Lot is closest. Expect Sheriff’s Department presence and temporary traffic control on Avenida Cesar Chavez after night games. |
| Commute without a car | Metro bus service to the ELAC Transit Center | $1.75 base fare with two hours of free transfers on Metro | Bus Line 74 connects Union Station, E Line Eastside stops, Cal State LA, and ELAC. If you’re a student with GoPass, your Metro rides can be free during the program year. |
It is a commuter campus, but it’s built for that reality. If you bus, several Metro routes stop at the ELAC Transit Center and Metro’s base fare is $1.75 with two-hour transfers. If you drive, one-day parking is $2 and semester permits are $27 in fall/spring. The trick is matching your permit to the correct levels in Parking Structures 3 and 4 or the Stadium Lot.
At 12 units, your enrollment fees would be $552 at $46 per unit, plus the mandatory $19 Student Health fee. If you buy a semester parking permit, add $27, or use $2 daily permits as needed. Nonresidents pay $377 per unit on top of the enrollment fee. Many first-time, full-time students qualify for the LA College Promise, which can zero out those enrollment fees.
Yes. VPAM is open to the public with free admission Tuesday–Friday 12–4 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Park in PS4 at Collegian & Floral for the shortest walk. You’ll check in at the front desk, and you can plan a low-cost outing around current exhibitions or the permanent Ancient Americas gallery.
The permanent Southeast Campus is targeted to open in Q4 2026. During construction, ELAC has held classes at temporary South Gate locations and operated an ELAC Campus Express shuttle connecting those sites with Monterey Park from morning through late evening on full-term days, with schedules flagged as subject to change.
Bottom line, decide how you want ELAC to fit into your life. If you need a no-loan start on college, set a meeting with the First Year Experience team about the Promise. If you’re exploring, try a free noncredit class or spend an afternoon at VPAM, then work backward to the schedule and commute that make the most sense.
Published: September 9, 2026