Head-to-head comparison
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe vs Empire Beauty School-Tucson: 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 Tucson, AZ
Empire Beauty School-Tucson
- Net price / year
- $17,013
- Earnings, 10 years
- $25,073
- 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 $25,073 at Empire Beauty School-Tucson. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe | Empire Beauty School-Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $31,681 | $17,013 |
| Total net cost | $126,724 | $68,052 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $34,657 | $25,073 |
| Median debt | $9,500 | $13,000 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$400,784 | -$533,792 |
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 Empire Beauty School-Tucson?
Empire Beauty School-Tucson, at $17,013 a year after aid versus $31,681 — a gap of $14,668 a year, or $58,672 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 Empire Beauty School-Tucson graduates earn more?
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe graduates report a median $34,657 ten years after entry, $9,584 more than the $25,073 at Empire Beauty School-Tucson. 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 Empire Beauty School-Tucson?
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe: its completers carry a median $9,500 in federal loans versus $13,000 at Empire Beauty School-Tucson, a difference of $3,500. 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?
89% of students finish at Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe, against 83% at Empire Beauty School-Tucson. 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.