Head-to-head comparison
All-State Career School-Pittsburgh vs Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia: which has better ROI?
Option A West Mifflin, PA
All-State Career School-Pittsburgh
- Net price / year
- $15,576
- Earnings, 10 years
- $33,193
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Philadelphia, PA
Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia
- Net price / year
- $17,520
- Earnings, 10 years
- $22,377
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but All-State Career School-Pittsburgh comes closer — median earnings $33,193 against a $62,304 total, vs $22,377 at Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | All-State Career School-Pittsburgh | Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $15,576 | $17,520 |
| Total net cost | $62,304 | $70,080 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $33,193 | $22,377 |
| Median debt | $9,500 | $10,667 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$365,644 | -$589,740 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, All-State Career School-Pittsburgh or Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia?
All-State Career School-Pittsburgh, at $15,576 a year after aid versus $17,520 — a gap of $1,944 a year, or $7,776 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 All-State Career School-Pittsburgh or Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia graduates earn more?
All-State Career School-Pittsburgh graduates report a median $33,193 ten years after entry, $10,816 more than the $22,377 at Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia. 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 leaves students with less debt, All-State Career School-Pittsburgh or Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia?
All-State Career School-Pittsburgh: its completers carry a median $9,500 in federal loans versus $10,667 at Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia, a difference of $1,167. The figure counts students who finished; it excludes private loans and anyone who left before graduating.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
75% of students finish at All-State Career School-Pittsburgh, against 36% at Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia. 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.