10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$183,452at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Orange Coast College
⌖ Costa Mesa, CA · 7 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$183,452 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
With these assumptions, the added earnings do not recover the cost within ten years.
82.3 yrsModeled economic break-even
−88%Modeled 10-year ROI
$47,536Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about Orange Coast College
What does Orange Coast College cost?
Orange Coast College reports an average annual net price of $7,203 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Orange Coast College graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $47,536 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Orange Coast College graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $9,500. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Orange Coast College worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 7 field-and-credential outcomes at Orange Coast College; reported earnings and debt can differ substantially by program category.
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$154,640
$7,000Current college-wide context−$182,640
$8,000Current college-wide context−$186,640
$16,000Annual price−$218,640
$24,000Annual price−$250,640
$32,000Annual price−$282,640
$40,000Annual price−$314,640
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
- Main award level
- Certificates
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Open admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$7,203Average net price / year
$15,561Cost of attendance
$9,500Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$101/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$47,536Median earnings · year 5 after completion
47.6%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
16,091Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
44% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
26 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
52% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$46,169Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$50,396Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$58,568Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income47%
Middle income52%
Higher income61%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$39,813Year 1
$49,927Year 4
$47,536Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Associate's Degree$91,6822Engineering, General · Associate's Degree$73,2373Business Administration, Management and Operations · Associate's Degree$60,1934Communication and Media Studies · Associate's Degree$53,8295Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities · Associate's Degree$46,4546Biological and Physical Sciences · Associate's Degree$41,7017Psychology, General · Associate's Degree$40,152Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's Degree · $91,682 reported+40%vs same-degree national median$11,000federal debt2Communication and Media StudiesAssociate's Degree · $53,829 reported+24%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's Degree · $60,193 reported+24%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's Degree · $46,454 reported+5%vs same-degree national median$6,955federal debt5Psychology, GeneralAssociate's Degree · $40,152 reported+2%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Engineering, GeneralAssociate's Degree · $73,237 reported+0%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in CA
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Moreno Valley, CA
Moreno Valley College
- Annual net price
- $6,483
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,604
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -87%
Mt San Jacinto Community College District
- Annual net price
- $6,806
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,953
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -86%
Mendocino College
- Annual net price
- $8,330
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,553
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -88%
MiraCosta College
- Annual net price
- $7,339
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $46,348
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -94%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Associate's Degree | $91,682 | $11,000 | 16 |
| Engineering, General | Associate's Degree | $73,237 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's Degree | $60,193 | Not available | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Associate's Degree | $53,829 | Not available | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $46,454 | $6,955 | Not reported |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | Associate's Degree | $41,701 | Not available | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Associate's Degree | $40,152 | Not available | Not reported |
Awards use first-major IPEDS completions aggregated to the same four-digit field and credential.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.