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Is Cabrillo College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Cabrillo, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Cabrillo sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $48,956 helps, but median debt of $10,500 plus yearly net price of $17,735 creates a tighter path. For context, Cabrillo's net price sits about 144% above the typical 2-year, public school and near the top of its sector range. It can work, but the financing plan has to be deliberate.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 791 similar 2-year, public schools
This school
$18,463
/yrAverage school like this
$7,555
/yrThis significantly impacts your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $10,908 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $44,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$17,735
Median earnings 10 years out
$48,956
Median debt at graduation
$10,500
Graduation rate
39%
At Cabrillo, a typical graduate carries about $10,500 in student debt and earns roughly $48,956 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $119 per month, or 3% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $16,480 more than the typical working high school graduate in California ($32,476) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties each undergraduate program's federal loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
The national figure is $31,269. The Department of Education uses it instead of the state figure when fewer than half of a school's students come from its state.
65% of former students here earned more than the typical high school graduate ten years after entry, by College Scorecard's own measure.
Context, not a federal determination. The benchmarks are the Department of Education's published thresholds (2024 notice, based on 2022 Census data); thresholds under the 2026 rule have not been released yet. The official test looks at each program's graduates four years after completion; our figure is College Scorecard's median for the whole school, ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
Cabrillo is a two year school in Aptos, CA. For many families, the real question is not just sticker price but what this path unlocks next, whether that is direct employment, transfer, or a lower cost route into a four year degree.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
2-year
Hinton Barber and Beauty
Vallejo, CA
Worth-It Score: 59/100
Median net price: $17,716
2-year
College of the Desert
Palm Desert, CA
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $17,769
2-year
Capstone
Pasadena, CA
Worth-It Score: 64/100
Median net price: $17,601
2-year
Stellar Career
Modesto, CA
Worth-It Score: 64/100
Median net price: $17,430
2-year
ATA
El Cajon, CA
Worth-It Score: 64/100
Median net price: $17,259
Common questions about Cabrillo
The median net price at Cabrillo is $17,735 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at community colleges options in California? See the most affordable community colleges in California →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at Cabrillo in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$17,735a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024-25. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →