PCC Named National #1 for Open-Source Textbooks

Students at Pasadena City College save more money on textbooks than students at any other college or university in the United States.

This announcement was made by Rice University-based publisher OpenStax, as it listed the top 10 schools that have served the most students with the adoption of its free college textbooks in the 2017-18 school year.

Over 46,000 students at PCC are using a free OpenStax textbook, saving an estimated $4.2 million. 

“We are so excited to hear about the cost savings that our students have realized through their faculty adopting OpenStax textbooks,” said Walter Butler, acquisitions librarian at Pasadena City College. “Being able to participate in the OpenStax Institutional Partnership was immensely helpful in establishing and nurturing a campus community dedicated to increasing student savings on instructional materials. Our success is a testament to not just our faculty, but to our larger community’s continued investment and dedication to support student success and to close equity gaps.”

 The University of Georgia ranks second in number of students using OpenStax textbooks, with 42,245 students saving an estimated $3.9 million.

OpenStax textbooks have saved college students more than $177 million in the 2017-18 school year alone, and they’re used in over 100 countries around the world. Thirty-two books have been published so far, and the library is still growing.

 OpenStax textbooks are in use at 48 percent of colleges and universities in the U.S., and 2.2 million students used at least one of its books in the 2017-18 school year alone. OpenStax textbooks have been used by over 6.2 million students since 2012.

The top 10 schools that have served the most students with OpenStax free textbooks are: 

1. Pasadena City College - 46,396 students, estimated $4,241,055 saved
2. University of Georgia - 42,245 students, estimated $3,939,027 saved
3. Salt Lake Community College - 41,339 students, estimated $3,742,798 saved
4. University of Maryland, University College - 39,151 students, estimated $3,583,518 saved
5. Grand Rapids Community College - 35,421 students, estimated $3,269,956 saved
6. Georgia Highlands College - 31,414 students, estimated $2,869,610 saved
7. De Anza College - 30,918 students, estimated $2,763,580 saved
8. Lansing Community College - 27,812 students, estimated $2,499,835 saved
9. Hillsborough Community College - 27,519 students, estimated $2,516,266 saved
10. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign - 27,080 students, estimated $2,447,362 saved