Downey Adult School — ROI, Cost & Payback
Downey Adult School charges a net price of $13,695/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $54,780. Median earnings ten years after entry are $46,851, 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, Downey Adult School does not clear its cost — it ranks #134 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) | $13,695/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $54,780 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $46,851 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$1,509/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$84,960 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Downey Adult School's own numbers. Net price $13,695 × 4 years = $54,780 total. Median earnings $46,851 fall $1,509 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 $54,780 bill in about 5.5 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Downey Adult School students graduate?
31% finish their degree — 69% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $54,780 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $176,710 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Downey Adult School expensive compared with other California colleges?
Its $13,695 net price runs $6,210 below the $19,905 median across the 334 California colleges we profile, and $24,840 less across the full degree.