Head-to-head comparison
Academy of Art University vs Sierra College of Beauty: which has better ROI?
Option A San Francisco, CA
Academy of Art University
- Net price / year
- $40,613
- Earnings, 10 years
- $39,008
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Merced, CA
Sierra College of Beauty
- Net price / year
- $10,794
- Earnings, 10 years
- $18,519
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Academy of Art University comes closer — median earnings $39,008 against a $162,452 total, vs $18,519 at Sierra College of Beauty. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Academy of Art University | Sierra College of Beauty |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $40,613 | $10,794 |
| Total net cost | $162,452 | $43,176 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $39,008 | $18,519 |
| Median debt | $31,000 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$349,492 | -$639,996 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Academy of Art University or Sierra College of Beauty?
Sierra College of Beauty, at $10,794 a year after aid versus $40,613 — a gap of $29,819 a year, or $119,276 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do Academy of Art University or Sierra College of Beauty graduates earn more?
Academy of Art University graduates report a median $39,008 ten years after entry, $20,489 more than the $18,519 at Sierra College of Beauty. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
84% of students finish at Sierra College of Beauty, against 34% at Academy of Art University. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.