Head-to-head comparison
Black Hawk College vs G Skin & Beauty Institute: which has better ROI?
Option A Moline, IL
Black Hawk College
- Net price / year
- $6,944
- Earnings, 10 years
- $37,253
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Schaumburg, IL
G Skin & Beauty Institute
- Net price / year
- $21,847
- Earnings, 10 years
- $29,032
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Black Hawk College comes closer — median earnings $37,253 against a $27,776 total, vs $29,032 at G Skin & Beauty Institute. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Black Hawk College | G Skin & Beauty Institute |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $6,944 | $21,847 |
| Total net cost | $27,776 | $87,388 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $37,253 | $29,032 |
| Median debt | $8,375 | $6,333 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$249,916 | -$473,948 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Black Hawk College or G Skin & Beauty Institute?
Black Hawk College, at $6,944 a year after aid versus $21,847 — a gap of $14,903 a year, or $59,612 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 Black Hawk College or G Skin & Beauty Institute graduates earn more?
Black Hawk College graduates report a median $37,253 ten years after entry, $8,221 more than the $29,032 at G Skin & Beauty Institute. 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, Black Hawk College or G Skin & Beauty Institute?
G Skin & Beauty Institute: its completers carry a median $6,333 in federal loans versus $8,375 at Black Hawk College, a difference of $2,042. 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?
64% of students finish at G Skin & Beauty Institute, against 40% at Black Hawk College. 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.