Diablo Valley College Developmental Children'S Ctr

This is a great Community College. The teachers and faculty are amazing, they go above and beyond for the students. I've come here as a 40+yr old student for the Culinary Arts/ Hospitality Associate of Science Degree for Transfer and was lucky enough to start when Chef Prater head of the Culinary Arts program has taken over and instating a Culinary Curriculum that he's spent 10 years developing, along with Chef Oscar they've developed an amazing very technical, hands on, business and service program that is designed to teach us not just how to cook but why we cook, the science and art of this passion based career. If you're considering a Culinary Arts degree I highly recommend coming to DVC and at least check it out, you'll be impressed I guarantee it. I'm happy and proud to be a student here at DVC.

I went to UC Davis expecting rigor, mentorship, and a strong intellectual culture. What I actually encountered was an environment that felt bloated by reputation and thin on substance. Collaboration was more slogan than reality. Instead, the campus culture revolved around cliques, internal politics, and people performing intelligence rather than practicing it. Decisions—academic and otherwise—often seemed driven by ego and hierarchy, not by what actually helped students grow or succeed. What made it worse was the disconnect between confidence and competence. Many students leaned heavily on the UC label as proof of ability, yet struggled with basic critical thinking or accountability. Those who thought independently or demonstrated real skill were often met with resistance or hostility, while average performance was rewarded as long as it didn’t disrupt the status quo. There was little self-awareness and even less humility. Support systems didn’t compensate for this. Advisors were overwhelmed, professors were frequently inaccessible, and career guidance felt vague and detached from reality. If you weren’t already connected or highly visible, it was easy to be overlooked. For an institution that demands so much financially, the payoff was questionable—especially when many graduates walk away earning about the same as an Uber driver. Then there’s Diablo Valley College. DVC was the opposite in almost every meaningful way. It was efficient, focused, and unapologetically practical. Despite being a community college, it consistently sends a large number of students to UC Davis—often better prepared than those who started there as freshmen. At DVC, instruction emphasized mastery, not image. Professors were present, standards were clear, and students were expected to actually understand the material. Advising at DVC was personal and strategic. Counselors worked with students to build realistic transfer plans, not vague aspirations. The environment rewarded effort, discipline, and growth rather than networking or academic theater. There was no inflated ego—just people trying to move forward intelligently. When you strip away branding and look at outcomes, Diablo Valley College delivered more value than UC Davis ever did. It respected students’ time, intelligence, and finances while quietly doing the work UC Davis takes credit for. If I had to choose again, I’d start at DVC without hesitation. It offered clarity, preparation, and real return—things UC Davis promised but never truly delivered.

DVC is a great school. Among many programs, it provides an excellent low cost Dental Hygiene school that is open to public patients.

In the USA, there’s a thing called negative competition, aka, sabotage. Anyone who starts to become successful and climb out of the hole will be pulled back down by people who do the sabotage. At the University of California they say “Los de abajo tumban.” This is why so many Americans are afraid to become successful or have difficulty becoming successful. But here they are called educators. Very unprofessional people.

Beautiful campus. Many walks of life. Teachers and staff may not be reasonable at times but its generally good for an education. Already had 2 friends transfer, you can go your own pace.