Head-to-head comparison
American Career College-Los Angeles vs Sierra College of Beauty: which has better ROI?
Option A Los Angeles, CA
American Career College-Los Angeles
- Net price / year
- $32,408
- Earnings, 10 years
- $38,430
- 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 American Career College-Los Angeles comes closer — median earnings $38,430 against a $129,632 total, vs $18,519 at Sierra College of Beauty. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | American Career College-Los Angeles | Sierra College of Beauty |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $32,408 | $10,794 |
| Total net cost | $129,632 | $43,176 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $38,430 | $18,519 |
| Median debt | $9,500 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$328,232 | -$639,996 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, American Career College-Los Angeles or Sierra College of Beauty?
Sierra College of Beauty, at $10,794 a year after aid versus $32,408 — a gap of $21,614 a year, or $86,456 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 American Career College-Los Angeles or Sierra College of Beauty graduates earn more?
American Career College-Los Angeles graduates report a median $38,430 ten years after entry, $19,911 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 75% at American Career College-Los Angeles. 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.