Head-to-head comparison
Palo Alto College vs Angelina College: which has better ROI?
Option A San Antonio, TX
Palo Alto College
- Net price / year
- $4,463
- Earnings, 10 years
- $37,448
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Lufkin, TX
Angelina College
- Net price / year
- $7,773
- Earnings, 10 years
- $37,301
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Palo Alto College comes closer — median earnings $37,448 against a $8,926 total, vs $37,301 at Angelina College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Palo Alto College | Angelina College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $4,463 | $7,773 |
| Total net cost | $8,926 | $31,092 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $37,448 | $37,301 |
| Median debt | $13,393 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$227,166 | -$252,272 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Palo Alto College or Angelina College?
Palo Alto College, at $4,463 a year after aid versus $7,773 — a gap of $3,310 a year, or $22,166 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 Palo Alto College or Angelina College graduates earn more?
Palo Alto College graduates report a median $37,448 ten years after entry, $147 more than the $37,301 at Angelina 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?
33% of students finish at Palo Alto College, against 29% at Angelina 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.