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 169–192
Compare collegesBrowse by state or territory
Payback guideStrong ≤5 yearsSolid ≤10Slow ≤20Weak >20 or no payback
California 334 matching
View state rankingWeak ROI
Carrington College-Sacramento
Sacramento, CA
Net price / year$41,338PaybackNot available
Strong ROI
University of Redlands
Redlands, CA
Net price / year$30,031Payback4.9 years
Solid ROI
Art Center College of Design
Pasadena, CA
Net price / year$48,661Payback8.2 years
Weak ROI
MTI College
Sacramento, CA
Net price / year$21,740PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Columbia College
Sonora, CA
Net price / year$11,316PaybackNot available
Strong ROI
Saint Mary's College of California
Moraga, CA
Net price / year$30,378Payback4 years
Solid ROI
Vanguard University of Southern California
Costa Mesa, CA
Net price / year$21,241Payback7.6 years
Solid ROI
Occidental College
Los Angeles, CA
Net price / year$38,263Payback5.5 years
Weak ROI
Feather River Community College District
Quincy, CA
Net price / year$10,800PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Lassen Community College
Susanville, CA
Net price / year$12,517PaybackNot available
Strong ROI
Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA
Net price / year$21,413Payback3.6 years
Slow ROI
Universal Technical Institute-Southern California
Long Beach, CA
Net price / year$27,506Payback12.2 years
Strong ROI
Pomona College
Claremont, CA
Net price / year$19,285Payback2.6 years
Weak ROI
American Career College-Anaheim
Anaheim, CA
Net price / year$31,218PaybackNot available
Slow ROI
The Master's University and Seminary
Santa Clarita, CA
Net price / year$32,647Payback14.9 years
Weak ROI
UEI College-Riverside
Riverside, CA
Net price / year$29,702PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
CBD College
Los Angeles, CA
Net price / year$23,033PaybackNot available
Slow ROI
Universal Technical Institute of California Inc
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Net price / year$26,360Payback11.7 years
Solid ROI
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA
Net price / year$13,630Payback5.2 years
Solid ROI
Concordia University-Irvine
Irvine, CA
Net price / year$28,115Payback6.7 years
Weak ROI
UEI College-Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA
Net price / year$27,257PaybackNot available
Strong ROI
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, CA
Net price / year$28,849Payback2 years
Weak ROI
Institute of Technology
Clovis, CA
Net price / year$23,159PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
UEI College-Chula Vista
Chula Vista, CA
Net price / year$28,606PaybackNot available