Head-to-head comparison
Orange Coast College vs Allan Hancock College: which has better ROI?
Option A Costa Mesa, CA
Orange Coast College
- Net price / year
- $7,203
- Earnings, 10 years
- $47,348
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Santa Maria, CA
Allan Hancock College
- Net price / year
- $5,383
- Earnings, 10 years
- $42,786
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Orange Coast College comes closer — median earnings $47,348 against a $28,812 total, vs $42,786 at Allan Hancock College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Orange Coast College | Allan Hancock College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $7,203 | $5,383 |
| Total net cost | $28,812 | $21,532 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $47,348 | $42,786 |
| Median debt | $9,500 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$49,052 | -$133,012 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Orange Coast College or Allan Hancock College?
Allan Hancock College, at $5,383 a year after aid versus $7,203 — a gap of $1,820 a year, or $7,280 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 Orange Coast College or Allan Hancock College graduates earn more?
Orange Coast College graduates report a median $47,348 ten years after entry, $4,562 more than the $42,786 at Allan Hancock 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?
48% of students finish at Orange Coast 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.