Cerro Coso Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Cerro Coso Community College charges a net price of $18,306/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $36,612. Median earnings ten years after entry are $34,963, 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, Cerro Coso Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #242 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) | $18,306/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $36,612 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $34,963 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$13,397/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$304,552 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Cerro Coso Community College's own numbers. Net price $18,306 × 2 years = $36,612 total. Median earnings $34,963 fall $13,397 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 $36,612 bill in about 3.7 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Cerro Coso Community College students graduate?
25% finish their degree — 75% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $36,612 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $146,448 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Cerro Coso Community College expensive compared with other California colleges?
Its $18,306 net price runs $1,599 below the $19,905 median across the 334 California colleges we profile, and $3,198 less across the full degree.