Laney College — Main Campus

At 900 Fallon Street, Laney College’s main campus sits in downtown Oakland between Lake Merritt and the Estuary. The campus map marks bus and BART connections, and Lake Merritt station is nearby. Laney combines transfer study with career education. Founded in 1927 as Central Trade School, it moved to this Fallon Street site in 1970–71.

The first step is an online OpenCCC application. Select Laney, submit your information and watch for a Peralta student ID, which the college says normally arrives by email within about an hour. New students complete orientation, meet a counselor to plan courses and clear prerequisites, then register in Campus Solutions. Nursing and other limited-access majors have separate requirements and selection steps. Laney’s new-student guide and Welcome Center explain the current process.

Peralta currently charges California residents $46 per credit unit. Twelve units in each of two semesters would total $1,104 in enrollment fees for the year before campus, health, transportation, books and program expenses. Nonresidents pay an additional $401 per unit; rates may change. Eligible California residents can apply for the California College Promise Grant, which waives the per-unit enrollment fee but not every cost. Compare your residency and course load against the district’s fee schedule.

Laney accepts the federal FAFSA or California Dream Act Application; its federal school code is 001266. Depending on eligibility, students may qualify for federal and state grants, fee waivers, work-study and Foundation scholarships. Laney’s financial-aid pages also identify Oakland Promise and East Bay College Fund scholarships for qualifying Oakland public-school graduates. Each award has separate rules and deadlines. Begin with the college’s financial-aid office and confirm what applies to your program.

Laney’s free noncredit Basic English sequence has four eight-week levels. The college also offers 17-week credit ESOL in reading, writing, grammar, listening and speaking, along with work and college-readiness English. Guided placement helps students choose an entry level; credit and noncredit courses have different costs and do not count the same way toward a degree. Current offerings are listed on the ESOL course page.

The catalog spans liberal arts, business, culinary arts, cosmetology, construction, carpentry, electrical technology, HVAC, machining, welding and other certificates. Credits and duration vary by program. Laney’s map locates the Welcome Center, admissions, financial aid, counseling, tutoring, library, health services, fitness center, gymnasium, food pantry and culinary spaces. The student-run Laney Bistro operates according to its current menu and course schedule.

Laney identifies 40 free student parking spaces at its 510 Fallon Street lot, available first come, first served; other district lots require a permit, and visitors currently pay $2 per day. Peralta’s shuttle connects Laney and Merritt in about 20 minutes each way; current students and employees with ID can ride, and students taking six units or more may qualify for AC Transit EasyPass. Confirm your classroom and access route before leaving. Read the Laney campus profile and Merritt profile for a location-by-location comparison.