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 1–24
Compare collegesBrowse by state or territory
Payback guideStrong ≤5 yearsSolid ≤10Slow ≤20Weak >20 or no payback
California 334 matching
View state rankingStrong ROI
California State University-Fullerton
Fullerton, CA
Net price / year$6,555Payback1.8 years
Strong ROI
California State University-Long Beach
Long Beach, CA
Net price / year$10,440Payback2.6 years
Strong ROI
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA
Net price / year$15,364Payback3.7 years
Strong ROI
University of California-San Diego
La Jolla, CA
Net price / year$12,470Payback1.4 years
Strong ROI
University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
Net price / year$12,548Payback1.5 years
Strong ROI
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
Net price / year$13,481Payback1.2 years
Strong ROI
California State University-Northridge
Northridge, CA
Net price / year$7,021Payback2.6 years
Strong ROI
University of California-Davis
Davis, CA
Net price / year$14,741Payback1.8 years
Strong ROI
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA
Net price / year$14,251Payback1.8 years
Strong ROI
California State University-Sacramento
Sacramento, CA
Net price / year$9,338Payback2.3 years
Weak ROI
East Los Angeles College
Monterey Park, CA
Net price / year$10,852PaybackNot available
Strong ROI
San Jose State University
San Jose, CA
Net price / year$13,760Payback1.8 years
Weak ROI
Mt San Antonio College
Walnut, CA
Net price / year$6,490PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
American River College
Sacramento, CA
Net price / year$7,999PaybackNot available
Strong ROI
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, CA
Net price / year$11,531Payback2 years
Strong ROI
University of California-Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA
Net price / year$16,109Payback2.4 years
Strong ROI
University of California-Riverside
Riverside, CA
Net price / year$14,304Payback3 years
Weak ROI
Santa Ana College
Santa Ana, CA
Net price / year$3,133PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Long Beach City College
Long Beach, CA
Net price / year$6,202PaybackNot available
Strong ROI
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA
Net price / year$16,665Payback1.6 years
Strong ROI
California State University-Fresno
Fresno, CA
Net price / year$7,000Payback2.2 years
Weak ROI
Pasadena City College
Pasadena, CA
Net price / year$3,864PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica, CA
Net price / year$2,779PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Fresno City College
Fresno, CA
Net price / year$8,069PaybackNot available