Head-to-head comparison
Santa Barbara City College vs American Career College-Los Angeles: which has better ROI?
Option A Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Barbara City College
- Net price / year
- $11,315
- Earnings, 10 years
- $47,647
- 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 Santa Barbara City College comes closer — median earnings $47,647 against a $22,630 total, vs $38,430 at American Career College-Los Angeles. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Santa Barbara City College | American Career College-Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $11,315 | $32,408 |
| Total net cost | $22,630 | $129,632 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $47,647 | $38,430 |
| Median debt | $11,000 | $9,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$36,890 | -$328,232 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Santa Barbara City College or American Career College-Los Angeles?
Santa Barbara City College, at $11,315 a year after aid versus $32,408 — a gap of $21,093 a year, or $107,002 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 Barbara City College or American Career College-Los Angeles graduates earn more?
Santa Barbara City College graduates report a median $47,647 ten years after entry, $9,217 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, Santa Barbara City College or American Career College-Los Angeles?
American Career College-Los Angeles: its completers carry a median $9,500 in federal loans versus $11,000 at Santa Barbara City College, a difference of $1,500. The figure counts students who finished; it excludes private loans and anyone who left before graduating.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
75% of students finish at American Career College-Los Angeles, against 34% at Santa Barbara City 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.