Contra Costa College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Contra Costa College charges a net price of $9,490/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $18,980. Median earnings ten years after entry are $40,850, 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, Contra Costa College does not clear its cost — it ranks #178 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) | $9,490/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $18,980 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $40,850 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$7,510/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$169,180 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Contra Costa College's own numbers. Net price $9,490 × 2 years = $18,980 total. Median earnings $40,850 fall $7,510 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 $18,980 bill in about 1.9 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Contra Costa College students graduate?
28% finish their degree — 72% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $18,980 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $67,786 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Contra Costa College expensive compared with other California colleges?
Its $9,490 net price runs $10,415 below the $19,905 median across the 334 California colleges we profile, and $20,830 less across the full degree.