Ventura College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Ventura College charges a net price of -$982/yr after aid — a 2-year total of -$1,964. Median earnings ten years after entry are $43,430, 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, Ventura College does not clear its cost — it ranks #138 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) | -$982/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | -$1,964 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $43,430 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$4,930/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $13,876 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$96,636 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Ventura College's own numbers. Net price -$982 × 2 years = -$1,964 total. Median earnings $43,430 fall $4,930 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 -$1,964 bill in about -0.2 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Ventura College students graduate with?
A median $13,876 in federal loans among completers, or 32% of the $43,430 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Ventura College students graduate?
38% finish their degree — 62% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the -$1,964 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays -$5,168 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Ventura College expensive compared with other California colleges?
Its -$982 net price runs $20,887 below the $19,905 median across the 334 California colleges we profile, and $41,774 less across the full degree.