El Camino Community College District — ROI, Cost & Payback
El Camino Community College District charges a net price of $5,968/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $11,936. Median earnings ten years after entry are $41,589, 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, El Camino Community College District does not clear its cost — it ranks #169 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) | $5,968/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $11,936 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $41,589 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$6,771/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$147,356 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on El Camino Community College District's own numbers. Net price $5,968 × 2 years = $11,936 total. Median earnings $41,589 fall $6,771 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 $11,936 bill in about 1.2 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of El Camino Community College District students graduate?
42% finish their degree — 58% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $11,936 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $28,419 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is El Camino Community College District expensive compared with other California colleges?
Its $5,968 net price runs $13,937 below the $19,905 median across the 334 California colleges we profile, and $27,874 less across the full degree.