Head-to-head comparison
El Camino Community College District vs American Career College-Anaheim: which has better ROI?
Option A Torrance, CA
El Camino Community College District
- Net price / year
- $5,968
- Earnings, 10 years
- $41,589
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Anaheim, CA
American Career College-Anaheim
- Net price / year
- $31,218
- Earnings, 10 years
- $38,430
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but El Camino Community College District comes closer — median earnings $41,589 against a $11,936 total, vs $38,430 at American Career College-Anaheim. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | El Camino Community College District | American Career College-Anaheim |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $5,968 | $31,218 |
| Total net cost | $11,936 | $124,872 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $41,589 | $38,430 |
| Median debt | — | $9,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$147,356 | -$323,472 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, El Camino Community College District or American Career College-Anaheim?
El Camino Community College District, at $5,968 a year after aid versus $31,218 — a gap of $25,250 a year, or $112,936 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 El Camino Community College District or American Career College-Anaheim graduates earn more?
El Camino Community College District graduates report a median $41,589 ten years after entry, $3,159 more than the $38,430 at American Career College-Anaheim. 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?
70% of students finish at American Career College-Anaheim, against 42% at El Camino Community College District. 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.