Los Medanos College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Los Medanos College charges a net price of $7,443/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $14,886. Median earnings ten years after entry are $42,454, 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, Los Medanos College does not clear its cost — it ranks #157 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) | $7,443/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $14,886 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $42,454 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$5,906/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$133,006 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Los Medanos College's own numbers. Net price $7,443 × 2 years = $14,886 total. Median earnings $42,454 fall $5,906 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 $14,886 bill in about 1.5 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Los Medanos College students graduate?
41% finish their degree — 59% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $14,886 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $36,307 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Los Medanos College expensive compared with other California colleges?
Its $7,443 net price runs $12,462 below the $19,905 median across the 334 California colleges we profile, and $24,924 less across the full degree.