The college explorer
Find a college.
See what it returns.
Look beyond the sticker price. Explore real costs, graduate earnings, and how long a degree takes to pay for itself.
How we measure value3,376colleges to explore
434with a Strong ROI verdict
College Scorecard · 2026 release
Federal figures. Our calculations.
334 matching colleges · Showing 217–240
Compare collegesBrowse by state or territory
Payback guideStrong ≤5 yearsSolid ≤10Slow ≤20Weak >20 or no payback
California 334 matching
View state rankingStrong ROI
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA
Net price / year$35,924Payback1.6 years
Weak ROI
Glendale Career College
Glendale, CA
Net price / year$49,195PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario
Ontario, CA
Net price / year$27,024PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Downey Adult School
Downey, CA
Net price / year$13,695PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
UEI College-Stockton
Stockton, CA
Net price / year$28,455PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, CA
Net price / year$46,080PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
New York Film Academy
Burbank, CA
Net price / year$39,011PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
UEI College-Oceanside
Oceanside, CA
Net price / year$29,253PaybackNot available
Slow ROI
Simpson University
Redding, CA
Net price / year$27,817Payback18.6 years
Strong ROI
Pacific Union College
Angwin, CA
Net price / year$41,008Payback3.7 years
Strong ROI
Cal Poly Maritime Academy
Vallejo, CA
Net price / year$20,555Payback1.8 years
Weak ROI
San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA
Net price / year$23,351PaybackNot available
Solid ROI
Woodbury University
Burbank, CA
Net price / year$33,692Payback7.8 years
Weak ROI
Institute for Business and Technology
San Jose, CA
Net price / year$27,207PaybackNot available
Solid ROI
Whittier College
Whittier, CA
Net price / year$25,757Payback9.3 years
Weak ROI
Musicians Institute
Hollywood, CA
Net price / year$46,518PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Casa Loma College-Los Angeles
Sherman Oaks, CA
Net price / year$27,596Payback36.9 years
Strong ROI
Menlo College
Atherton, CA
Net price / year$31,100Payback4.4 years
Strong ROI
Chamberlain University-California
Rancho Cordova, CA
Net price / year$36,559Payback3.3 years
Weak ROI
Laguna College of Art and Design
Laguna Beach, CA
Net price / year$42,505PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
North-West College-Riverside
Riverside, CA
Net price / year$33,139PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
North-West College-West Covina
West Covina, CA
Net price / year$30,332PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
North-West College-Long Beach
Long Beach, CA
Net price / year$33,503PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
San Joaquin Valley College-Temecula
Temecula, CA
Net price / year$25,869PaybackNot available