Head-to-head comparison
Santa Ana College vs Allan Hancock College: which has better ROI?
Option A Santa Ana, CA
Santa Ana College
- Net price / year
- $3,133
- Earnings, 10 years
- $43,552
- 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 Santa Ana College comes closer — median earnings $43,552 against a $12,532 total, vs $42,786 at Allan Hancock College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Santa Ana College | Allan Hancock College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $3,133 | $5,383 |
| Total net cost | $12,532 | $21,532 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $43,552 | $42,786 |
| Median debt | $6,871 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$108,692 | -$133,012 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Santa Ana College or Allan Hancock College?
Santa Ana College, at $3,133 a year after aid versus $5,383 — a gap of $2,250 a year, or $9,000 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 Santa Ana College or Allan Hancock College graduates earn more?
Santa Ana College graduates report a median $43,552 ten years after entry, $766 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?
31% of students finish at Santa Ana 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.