Lake Tahoe Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Lake Tahoe Community College charges a net price of $8,516/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $17,032. Median earnings ten years after entry are $36,657, 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, Lake Tahoe Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #219 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) | $8,516/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $17,032 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $36,657 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$11,703/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$251,092 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Lake Tahoe Community College's own numbers. Net price $8,516 × 2 years = $17,032 total. Median earnings $36,657 fall $11,703 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 $17,032 bill in about 1.7 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Lake Tahoe Community College students graduate?
45% finish their degree — 55% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $17,032 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $37,849 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Lake Tahoe Community College expensive compared with other California colleges?
Its $8,516 net price runs $11,389 below the $19,905 median across the 334 California colleges we profile, and $22,778 less across the full degree.