Head-to-head comparison
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City vs Paul Mitchell the School-St Louis: which has better ROI?
Option A Kansas City, MO
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City
- Net price / year
- $26,815
- Earnings, 10 years
- $40,743
- Payback
- No payback
Option B St. Louis, MO
Paul Mitchell the School-St Louis
- Net price / year
- $24,907
- Earnings, 10 years
- $33,132
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City comes closer — median earnings $40,743 against a $107,260 total, vs $33,132 at Paul Mitchell the School-St Louis. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City | Paul Mitchell the School-St Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $26,815 | $24,907 |
| Total net cost | $107,260 | $99,628 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $40,743 | $33,132 |
| Median debt | $30,416 | $9,833 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$259,600 | -$404,188 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City or Paul Mitchell the School-St Louis?
Paul Mitchell the School-St Louis, at $24,907 a year after aid versus $26,815 — a gap of $1,908 a year, or $7,632 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 Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City or Paul Mitchell the School-St Louis graduates earn more?
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City graduates report a median $40,743 ten years after entry, $7,611 more than the $33,132 at Paul Mitchell the School-St Louis. 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, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City or Paul Mitchell the School-St Louis?
Paul Mitchell the School-St Louis: its completers carry a median $9,833 in federal loans versus $30,416 at Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City, a difference of $20,583. 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?
71% of students finish at Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City, against 59% at Paul Mitchell the School-St Louis. 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.