Head-to-head comparison
Allan Hancock College vs Cuyamaca College: which has better ROI?
Option A Santa Maria, CA
Allan Hancock College
- Net price / year
- $5,383
- Earnings, 10 years
- $42,786
- Payback
- No payback
Option B El Cajon, CA
Cuyamaca College
- Net price / year
- $6,618
- Earnings, 10 years
- $32,435
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Allan Hancock College comes closer — median earnings $42,786 against a $21,532 total, vs $32,435 at Cuyamaca College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Allan Hancock College | Cuyamaca College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $5,383 | $6,618 |
| Total net cost | $21,532 | $13,236 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $42,786 | $32,435 |
| Median debt | — | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$133,012 | -$331,736 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Allan Hancock College or Cuyamaca College?
Allan Hancock College, at $5,383 a year after aid versus $6,618 — a gap of $1,235 a year, or $8,296 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do Allan Hancock College or Cuyamaca College graduates earn more?
Allan Hancock College graduates report a median $42,786 ten years after entry, $10,351 more than the $32,435 at Cuyamaca College. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
41% of students finish at Cuyamaca College, against 26% at Allan Hancock College. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.