Head-to-head comparison
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe vs Carrington College-Mesa: which has better ROI?
Option A Tempe, AZ
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
- Net price / year
- $31,681
- Earnings, 10 years
- $34,657
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Mesa, AZ
Carrington College-Mesa
- Net price / year
- $48,877
- Earnings, 10 years
- $36,718
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe comes closer — median earnings $34,657 against a $126,724 total, vs $36,718 at Carrington College-Mesa. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe | Carrington College-Mesa |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $31,681 | $48,877 |
| Total net cost | $126,724 | $195,508 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $34,657 | $36,718 |
| Median debt | $9,500 | $9,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$400,784 | -$428,348 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe or Carrington College-Mesa?
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe, at $31,681 a year after aid versus $48,877 — a gap of $17,196 a year, or $68,784 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 Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe or Carrington College-Mesa graduates earn more?
Carrington College-Mesa graduates report a median $36,718 ten years after entry, $2,061 more than the $34,657 at Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe. 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, Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe or Carrington College-Mesa?
Completers at both borrow a median $9,500, so neither school has the debt advantage. That figure covers federal loans of students who finished — borrowers who leave early are not counted, and private loans sit outside it.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
89% of students finish at Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe, against 54% at Carrington College-Mesa. 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.