Cerritos College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Cerritos College charges a net price of $2,424/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $9,696. Median earnings ten years after entry are $41,156, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, Cerritos College does not clear its cost — it ranks #173 of 334 California colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $2,424/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $9,696 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $41,156 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$7,204/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $8,447 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$153,776 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Cerritos College's own numbers. Net price $2,424 × 4 years = $9,696 total. Median earnings $41,156 fall $7,204 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $9,696 bill in about 1.0 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Cerritos College students graduate with?
A median $8,447 in federal loans among completers, or 21% of the $41,156 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Cerritos College students graduate?
31% finish their degree — 69% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $9,696 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $31,277 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Cerritos College expensive compared with other California colleges?
Its $2,424 net price runs $17,481 below the $19,905 median across the 334 California colleges we profile, and $69,924 less across the full degree.