Lassen Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Lassen Community College charges a net price of $12,517/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $25,034. Median earnings ten years after entry are $35,994, 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, Lassen Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #231 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) | $12,517/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $25,034 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $35,994 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$12,366/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$272,354 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Lassen Community College's own numbers. Net price $12,517 × 2 years = $25,034 total. Median earnings $35,994 fall $12,366 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 $25,034 bill in about 2.5 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Lassen Community College students graduate?
31% finish their degree — 69% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $25,034 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $80,755 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Lassen Community College expensive compared with other California colleges?
Its $12,517 net price runs $7,388 below the $19,905 median across the 334 California colleges we profile, and $14,776 less across the full degree.