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Is Smith Chason College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Smith Chason, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Workable
Smith Chason lands in the workable band for a typical family. Median debt of $23,947 can be carried by median long-run earnings of $60,886, but the margin is not huge. For context, Smith Chason's net price runs about 31% above the typical 4-year, private for-profit school. This is the kind of school where your actual aid offer can move the answer meaningfully.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 186 similar 4-year, private for-profit schools
This school
$33,522
/yrAverage school like this
$25,582
/yrThis weighs on your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $7,941 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $32,000 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
$35,227
Median earnings 10 years out
$60,886
Median debt at graduation
$23,947
Graduation rate
70%
At Smith Chason, a typical graduate carries about $23,947 in student debt and earns roughly $60,886 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $272 per month, or 5% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $19,086 more than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
75% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
Smith Chason is a two year school in Los Angeles, 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
National Polytechnic
Lakewood, CA
Worth-It Score: 52/100
Median net price: $35,305
2-year
North-West College-West Covina
West Covina, CA
Worth-It Score: 58/100
Median net price: $35,100
2-year
American Career College-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
Worth-It Score: 66/100
Median net price: $35,032
2-year
Spartan College of Aeronautics & Technology
Inglewood, CA
Worth-It Score: 64/100
Median net price: $35,589
2-year
Federico Beauty Institute
Sacramento, CA
Worth-It Score: 58/100
Median net price: $36,236
Common questions about Smith Chason
The median net price at Smith Chason is $35,227 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 for-profit colleges options in California? See the most affordable for-profit 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 Smith Chason in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$32,817a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024. 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 →