Head-to-head comparison
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Philadelphia vs Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia: which has better ROI?
Option A Philadelphia, PA
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Philadelphia
- Net price / year
- $25,437
- Earnings, 10 years
- $42,785
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Philadelphia, PA
Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia
- Net price / year
- $17,520
- Earnings, 10 years
- $22,377
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Philadelphia comes closer — median earnings $42,785 against a $101,748 total, vs $22,377 at Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Philadelphia | Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $25,437 | $17,520 |
| Total net cost | $101,748 | $70,080 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $42,785 | $22,377 |
| Median debt | $32,397 | $10,667 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$213,248 | -$589,740 |
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-Philadelphia or Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia?
Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia, at $17,520 a year after aid versus $25,437 — a gap of $7,917 a year, or $31,668 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-Philadelphia or Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia graduates earn more?
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Philadelphia graduates report a median $42,785 ten years after entry, $20,408 more than the $22,377 at Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia. 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-Philadelphia or Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia?
Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia: its completers carry a median $10,667 in federal loans versus $32,397 at Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Philadelphia, a difference of $21,730. 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?
63% of students finish at Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Philadelphia, against 36% at Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia. 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.