The college explorer
Find a college.
See what it returns.
Look beyond the sticker price. Explore real costs, graduate earnings, and how long a degree takes to pay for itself.
How we measure value3,376colleges to explore
434with a Strong ROI verdict
College Scorecard · 2026 release
Federal figures. Our calculations.
334 matching colleges · Showing 121–144
Compare collegesBrowse by state or territory
Payback guideStrong ≤5 yearsSolid ≤10Slow ≤20Weak >20 or no payback
California 334 matching
View state rankingWeak ROI
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt
Arcata, CA
Net price / year$13,171PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Reedley College
Reedley, CA
Net price / year$6,814PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Los Angeles Film School
Hollywood, CA
Net price / year$30,980PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Merritt College
Oakland, CA
Net price / year$14,021PaybackNot available
Strong ROI
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Net price / year$41,431Payback4 years
Weak ROI
Contra Costa College
San Pablo, CA
Net price / year$9,490PaybackNot available
Strong ROI
Canada College
Redwood City, CA
Net price / year$32Payback0 years
Strong ROI
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA
Net price / year$12,885Payback2.9 years
Strong ROI
California State University-Channel Islands
Camarillo, CA
Net price / year$9,849Payback2.9 years
Strong ROI
Unitek College
Fremont, CA
Net price / year$25,179Payback3.2 years
Weak ROI
Gavilan College
Gilroy, CA
Net price / year$6,542PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Yuba College
Marysville, CA
Net price / year$2,576PaybackNot available
Solid ROI
University of Massachusetts Global
Aliso Viejo, CA
Net price / year$32,654Payback7.5 years
Weak ROI
College of Alameda
Alameda, CA
Net price / year$8,496PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Berkeley City College
Berkeley, CA
Net price / year$9,096PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Victor Valley College
Victorville, CA
Net price / year$1,947PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
College of Marin
Kentfield, CA
Net price / year$12,351PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
College of the Redwoods
Eureka, CA
Net price / year$6,904PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Napa Valley College
Napa, CA
Net price / year$14,644Payback25.3 years
Weak ROI
Los Angeles Southwest College
Los Angeles, CA
Net price / year$5,964PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Lake Tahoe Community College
South Lake Tahoe, CA
Net price / year$8,516PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, CA
Net price / year$40,613PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Taft College
Taft, CA
Net price / year$2,823PaybackNot available
Solid ROI
Pepperdine University
Malibu, CA
Net price / year$58,098Payback6.7 years