Folsom Lake College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Folsom Lake College charges a net price of $5,975/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $11,950. Median earnings ten years after entry are $42,568, 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, Folsom Lake College does not clear its cost — it ranks #152 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) | $5,975/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $11,950 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $42,568 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$5,792/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$127,790 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Folsom Lake College's own numbers. Net price $5,975 × 2 years = $11,950 total. Median earnings $42,568 fall $5,792 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 $11,950 bill in about 1.2 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Folsom Lake College students graduate?
44% finish their degree — 56% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $11,950 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $27,159 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Folsom Lake College expensive compared with other California colleges?
Its $5,975 net price runs $13,930 below the $19,905 median across the 334 California colleges we profile, and $27,860 less across the full degree.