College of Alameda — ROI, Cost & Payback
College of Alameda charges a net price of $8,496/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $16,992. Median earnings ten years after entry are $42,563, 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, College of Alameda does not clear its cost — it ranks #156 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) | $8,496/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $16,992 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $42,563 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$5,797/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$132,932 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on College of Alameda's own numbers. Net price $8,496 × 2 years = $16,992 total. Median earnings $42,563 fall $5,797 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 $16,992 bill in about 1.7 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of College of Alameda students graduate?
33% finish their degree — 67% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $16,992 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $51,491 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is College of Alameda expensive compared with other California colleges?
Its $8,496 net price runs $11,409 below the $19,905 median across the 334 California colleges we profile, and $22,818 less across the full degree.