Head-to-head comparison
Santa Rosa Junior College vs American Career College-Los Angeles: which has better ROI?
Option A Santa Rosa, CA
Santa Rosa Junior College
- Net price / year
- $6,331
- Earnings, 10 years
- $47,224
- 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 Rosa Junior College comes closer — median earnings $47,224 against a $25,324 total, vs $38,430 at American Career College-Los Angeles. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Santa Rosa Junior College | American Career College-Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $6,331 | $32,408 |
| Total net cost | $25,324 | $129,632 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $47,224 | $38,430 |
| Median debt | $9,500 | $9,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$48,044 | -$328,232 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Santa Rosa Junior College or American Career College-Los Angeles?
Santa Rosa Junior College, at $6,331 a year after aid versus $32,408 — a gap of $26,077 a year, or $104,308 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 Rosa Junior College or American Career College-Los Angeles graduates earn more?
Santa Rosa Junior College graduates report a median $47,224 ten years after entry, $8,794 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 Rosa Junior 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 37% at Santa Rosa Junior 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.