Head-to-head comparison
American Career College-Los Angeles vs North-West College-Long Beach: which has better ROI?
Option A Los Angeles, CA
American Career College-Los Angeles
- Net price / year
- $32,408
- Earnings, 10 years
- $38,430
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Long Beach, CA
North-West College-Long Beach
- Net price / year
- $33,503
- Earnings, 10 years
- $39,876
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but North-West College-Long Beach comes closer — median earnings $39,876 against a $134,012 total, vs $38,430 at American Career College-Los Angeles. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | American Career College-Los Angeles | North-West College-Long Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $32,408 | $33,503 |
| Total net cost | $129,632 | $134,012 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $38,430 | $39,876 |
| Median debt | $9,500 | $9,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$328,232 | -$303,692 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, American Career College-Los Angeles or North-West College-Long Beach?
American Career College-Los Angeles, at $32,408 a year after aid versus $33,503 — a gap of $1,095 a year, or $4,380 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 American Career College-Los Angeles or North-West College-Long Beach graduates earn more?
North-West College-Long Beach graduates report a median $39,876 ten years after entry, $1,446 more than the $38,430 at American Career College-Los Angeles. 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 leaves students with less debt, American Career College-Los Angeles or North-West College-Long Beach?
Completers at both borrow a median $9,500, so neither school has the debt advantage. That figure covers federal loans of students who finished — borrowers who leave early are not counted, and private loans sit outside it.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
75% of students finish at American Career College-Los Angeles, against 58% at North-West College-Long Beach. 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.