Head-to-head comparison
Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa vs South University-West Palm Beach: which has better ROI?
Option A Tampa, FL
Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa
- Net price / year
- $14,277
- Earnings, 10 years
- $20,948
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Royal Palm Beach, FL
South University-West Palm Beach
- Net price / year
- $20,271
- Earnings, 10 years
- $34,421
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but South University-West Palm Beach comes closer — median earnings $34,421 against a $81,084 total, vs $20,948 at Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa | South University-West Palm Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $14,277 | $20,271 |
| Total net cost | $57,108 | $81,084 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $20,948 | $34,421 |
| Median debt | $6,333 | $26,123 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$605,348 | -$359,864 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa or South University-West Palm Beach?
Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa, at $14,277 a year after aid versus $20,271 — a gap of $5,994 a year, or $23,976 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 Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa or South University-West Palm Beach graduates earn more?
South University-West Palm Beach graduates report a median $34,421 ten years after entry, $13,473 more than the $20,948 at Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa. 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, Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa or South University-West Palm Beach?
Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa: its completers carry a median $6,333 in federal loans versus $26,123 at South University-West Palm Beach, a difference of $19,790. 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?
77% of students finish at Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa, against 18% at South University-West Palm Beach. 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.