East Los Angeles College has an international, multicultural student body that complements the 14 communities comprising its primary service area. East Los Angeles College (ELAC) offers both academic transfer courses, which prepare students for admission to four-year colleges and universities, as well as occupational programs, which prepare students for careers in two years or less.

Many of the students who transfer from ELAC to a four-year university move on to nearby California State University, Los Angeles or to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

The college is located in the suburban community of Monterey Park, California, 10 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.