Head-to-head comparison
Orange Coast College vs American Career College-Los Angeles: 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 Los Angeles, CA
American Career College-Los Angeles
- Net price / year
- $32,408
- Earnings, 10 years
- $38,430
- 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 $38,430 at American Career College-Los Angeles. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Orange Coast College | American Career College-Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $7,203 | $32,408 |
| Total net cost | $28,812 | $129,632 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $47,348 | $38,430 |
| Median debt | $9,500 | $9,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$49,052 | -$328,232 |
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 American Career College-Los Angeles?
Orange Coast College, at $7,203 a year after aid versus $32,408 — a gap of $25,205 a year, or $100,820 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 American Career College-Los Angeles graduates earn more?
Orange Coast College graduates report a median $47,348 ten years after entry, $8,918 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, Orange Coast College or American Career College-Los Angeles?
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 48% at Orange Coast 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.