Head-to-head comparison
Foothill College vs Norco College: which has better ROI?
Option A Los Altos Hills, CA
Foothill College
- Net price / year
- $7,653
- Earnings, 10 years
- $57,072
- Payback
- 3.5 yrs
Option B Norco, CA
Norco College
- Net price / year
- $5,169
- Earnings, 10 years
- $51,206
- Payback
- 3.6 yrs
Foothill College has the better ROI: it clears its 4-year net cost of $30,612 in 3.5 years versus 3.6 years at Norco College, on median earnings of $57,072 vs $51,206 ten years out. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Foothill College | Norco College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $7,653 | $5,169 |
| Total net cost | $30,612 | $10,338 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $57,072 | $51,206 |
| Median debt | $10,500 | — |
| Payback | 3.5 yrs | 3.6 yrs |
| 20-year net return | $143,628 | $46,582 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Foothill College or Norco College?
Norco College, at $5,169 a year after aid versus $7,653 — a gap of $2,484 a year, or $20,274 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 Foothill College or Norco College graduates earn more?
Foothill College graduates report a median $57,072 ten years after entry, $5,866 more than the $51,206 at Norco 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?
56% of students finish at Foothill College, against 42% at Norco 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.