Head-to-head comparison
Arizona College of Nursing-Tucson vs Southwest Institute of Healing Arts: which has better ROI?
Option A Tucson, AZ
Arizona College of Nursing-Tucson
- Net price / year
- $37,136
- Earnings, 10 years
- $34,657
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Tempe, AZ
Southwest Institute of Healing Arts
- Net price / year
- $43,883
- Earnings, 10 years
- $29,544
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Arizona College of Nursing-Tucson comes closer — median earnings $34,657 against a $148,544 total, vs $29,544 at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Arizona College of Nursing-Tucson | Southwest Institute of Healing Arts |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $37,136 | $43,883 |
| Total net cost | $148,544 | $175,532 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $34,657 | $29,544 |
| Median debt | $9,500 | $9,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$422,604 | -$551,852 |
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-Tucson or Southwest Institute of Healing Arts?
Arizona College of Nursing-Tucson, at $37,136 a year after aid versus $43,883 — a gap of $6,747 a year, or $26,988 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-Tucson or Southwest Institute of Healing Arts graduates earn more?
Arizona College of Nursing-Tucson graduates report a median $34,657 ten years after entry, $5,113 more than the $29,544 at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts. 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-Tucson or Southwest Institute of Healing Arts?
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.