Gavilan College, Gilroy

What Gavilan College, Gilroy does

Gavilan College, legally Gavilan Joint Community College District, is a public community college founded in 1919 and operating as part of the California Community Colleges system. It is headquartered at 5055 Santa Teresa Blvd in Gilroy, California, and serves southern Santa Clara County and San Benito County through three campus locations: the main Gilroy campus, a Hollister Campus that began instruction in January 2025, and the San Martin Airport (E16) facility housing its FAA Part 147-accredited Aviation Maintenance Technology Program. The college offers associate degrees, certificates, transfer pathways to UC and CSU systems, career technical education, dual enrollment, and non-credit community education programs across departments including Business, Computer Science, Nursing/Allied Health, Digital Media, Cosmetology, and ESL. Student support services include a Veterans Resource Center, El Centro basic needs center, AEC disability services, Tutoring and Writing Center, and Career and Transfer Center. Technology infrastructure is built on Canvas LMS (branded iLearn) for online and hybrid course delivery, Ellucian Cloud for the myGav student portal, Cranium Café for virtual counseling, and CCCApply/ID.me for standardized admissions. The institution holds Hispanic Serving Institution status with active Title V funding, ACCJC accreditation reaffirmed in 2021, FAA Part 147 aviation accreditation, and adherence to federal Principles of Excellence for veteran students.

Revenue mechanics rely on three streams: per-unit tuition and enrollment fees (heavily subsidized by the California College Promise for eligible residents), state apportionment based on Full-Time Equivalent Students (FTES) through the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, and philanthropic donations and grants channeled through the Gavilan College Educational Foundation. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via CCCApply, augmented by community-led outreach including partnerships with local high schools (Mt. Madonna, Gilroy Unified), dual enrollment pipelines through the TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy, Welcome Center live Zoom sessions, and events such as Rock and Enroll Day. Distribution channels span on-campus instruction, online learning, off-campus instructional sites at partner high schools and community centers, and the specialized aviation training facility at San Martin Airport. Recent strategic priorities under President Dr. Pedro Avila (selected 2022) include geographic expansion into Hollister, infrastructure investment in a new Library and Student Resource Center, and ecosystem integration via the California Virtual Campus consortium.

Name

Gavilan College, Gilroy

Legal name

Gavilan Joint Community College District

Website

https://gavilan.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Gavilan College is a public California community college serving southern Santa Clara and San Benito counties, offering associate degrees, transfer pathways, FAA-accredited aviation maintenance, and career technical education across Gilroy, Hollister, and San Martin campuses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community College Education

NAICS

Junior Colleges (61121), Junior Colleges (6112), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Junior Colleges (Associate-Degree Granting) (EDAHADAC), Cooperative Education (Co-op) Technical Universities (EDAHAEAF), Professional & Applied Skills Noncredit Certificates (Non-licensure) (EDAAAEAD), Lifelong Learning Institutes (Osher/OLLI-style) & Senior Academies (EDAAAMAA)

Keywords

• Community college education
• Associate degree programs
• Career technical education
• Transfer pathway programs
• Aviation maintenance training

Headquarters

HQ city

Gilroy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Enrollment Fees: Community college tuition and enrollment fees charged per unit for California residents and out-of-state/international students. Fees collected through admissions and records office.
2. State Funding: California Community Colleges system funding based on enrollment (FTES - Full Time Equivalent Students) and performance metrics.
3. Private Donations and Grants: Gavilan College Educational Foundation receives donations and grants from private donors, foundations, and government agencies to support student programs, scholarships, and capital projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gavilan College is a public community college that delivers affordable associate degrees, transfer pathways to four-year universities, career technical education certificates, dual enrollment for high school students, and continuing/community education. Core offerings are delivered across the Gilroy main campus, the Hollister campus (opened for instruction January 2025), and the FAA-accredited aviation training facility at San Martin Airport, supported by comprehensive student services including counseling, tutoring, veterans support, and basic needs assistance.

Product overview

Gavilan College is a community college offering a unified portfolio of educational products and services centered on transfer degrees, career technical education, and workforce development. The institution operates core academic divisions (Business, Computer Science, Nursing/Allied Health, Digital Media, Communication, Child Development, Cosmetology, English, ESL, Math) alongside specialized programs including FAA-accredited Aviation Maintenance Technology at San Martin Airport and dual enrollment through TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy (GECA). Student support services include the Veterans Resource Center, El Centro (basic needs), Library Services, Tutoring Center, and Career & Transfer Center. Technology platforms include Ellucian Cloud-powered myGav student portal and Canvas-based iLearn LMS. The college recently expanded with a new Hollister Campus opening in January 2025 and is constructing a new Library and Student Resource Center on the Gilroy campus.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aviation Maintenance Technology Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked 16th statewide and 5th in Bay Area for ROI among 327 California community colleges

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and strategic.

• YMCA of Silicon ValleymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYMCA of Silicon Valley received $1.75 million grant to renovate Gavilan's Early Learning Center and Lab School. This investment supports the renovation of the Gavilan Child Development Center and the launch of the Early Learning Center to expand child care services for students.
• Mt. Madonna High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGavilan College and Mt. Madonna High School established a new partnership in December 2025 to expand early access through dual enrollment, allowing high school students to earn college credit.
• Gilroy Unified School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy (GECA) and expanded dual enrollment initiatives with local high schools including Gilroy High School, Christopher High School, and others.
• California Virtual CampusstrategicTechnology or IntegrationGavilan joined California Virtual Campus in September 2024, allowing students to seamlessly access classes across California's community colleges through the CVC-OEI consortium.
• UC Santa CruzstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple students awarded the $20,000 Karl S. Pister Leadership Opportunity Scholarship to transfer from Gavilan to UC Santa Cruz, supporting transfer pathways to four-year universities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• West Valley College: Saratoga-based community college in the same California Community Colleges system, similar two-year transfer and CTE portfolio, and overlapping commuter-student draw.
• San Jose City College: Bay Area community college in the same California Community Colleges system serving similar Santa Clara County student demographics, with comparable associate degree, transfer, and CTE programs.
• Cabrillo College: Central Coast California community college serving Santa Cruz County; comparable size, similar CTE and transfer mission, and same California Community Colleges governance model.
• Las Positas College: Livermore-based California community college with comparable size and scope; serves as a relevant system peer for transfer, CTE, and workforce training program comparison.
• Mission College: Santa Clara County community college with overlapping service area and similar transfer/CTE focus; competes for the same southern Bay Area student pool.
• Hartnell College: Adjacent California community college serving Salinas Valley and parts of San Benito County; comparable rural/semi-rural service area, similar transfer and CTE mission, and overlapping geographic competition for students in Gavilan's service region.
• Evergreen Valley College: San Jose-based community college in the same district family as Mission College; comparable size, similar HSI demographics, and direct competition for Santa Clara County students.
• Modesto Junior College: Central Valley California community college with similar size, rural-adjacent service area, and comparable associate degree / CTE / workforce development mission.

Broad incumbents

• Foothill College: Los Altos Hills-based community college paired with De Anza in the Foothill-De Anza district; broader program catalog and stronger four-year transfer brand make it a benchmark competitor for Bay Area community college students.
• De Anza College: Large, well-resourced Bay Area community college with broader program catalog and stronger transfer reputation; represents the upper-tier peer Gavilan is benchmarked against in ROI rankings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/gavilan_college
• Xx.com/GavilanCollege
• Facebookfacebook.com/22761589838
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gavilan-college

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gavilan College, Gilroy