American Career College, Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
American Career College, Inc. and West Coast University, Inc. 401(k) Plan
Irvine, CAEducational Services2,917 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$2,278Employer $ per active participant
$4,704Employee $ saved per active participant
0.20%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$134.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$37,827Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity42.4 / 5085th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost8.6 / 2535th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving10.5 / 1570th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score69 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Educational Services plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (34 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 85th |
| Lower admin cost | 35th |
| Employee saving | 70th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 65% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $35,014 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- American Career College put in about $2,278 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,155). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Direct plan expenses (0.20% of assets) are well above similar-size plans (0.12%). Check your annual fee disclosure, choose low-cost index funds if you can, and think about whether savings beyond the match belong in an IRA.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $6,643,716 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $13,721,400 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,164,032 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $245,061 |
| Contract administrator fees | $1,500 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $26,625 |
| Benefits paid out | $12,975,174 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $110.1M / $134.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 2,892 / 2,942 |
| Participants with account balances | 3,550 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Almich & Associates |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Fidelity Investments Institutional | $206,236 reported compensation |
| NFP Retirement, Inc | $26,625 reported compensation |
| Almich & Associates | $12,200 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251014144808NAL0003063121001, received 2025-10-14, EIN 95-3236475, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.