Head-to-head comparison
Brillare Beauty Institute vs Paul Mitchell the School-Memphis: which has better ROI?
Option A Cleveland, TN
Brillare Beauty Institute
- Net price / year
- $17,894
- Earnings, 10 years
- $24,728
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Memphis, TN
Paul Mitchell the School-Memphis
- Net price / year
- $18,186
- Earnings, 10 years
- $25,306
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Paul Mitchell the School-Memphis comes closer — median earnings $25,306 against a $72,744 total, vs $24,728 at Brillare Beauty Institute. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Brillare Beauty Institute | Paul Mitchell the School-Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $17,894 | $18,186 |
| Total net cost | $71,576 | $72,744 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $24,728 | $25,306 |
| Median debt | $7,479 | $9,833 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$544,216 | -$533,824 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Brillare Beauty Institute or Paul Mitchell the School-Memphis?
Brillare Beauty Institute, at $17,894 a year after aid versus $18,186 — a gap of $292 a year, or $1,168 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 Brillare Beauty Institute or Paul Mitchell the School-Memphis graduates earn more?
Paul Mitchell the School-Memphis graduates report a median $25,306 ten years after entry, $578 more than the $24,728 at Brillare 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, Brillare Beauty Institute or Paul Mitchell the School-Memphis?
Brillare Beauty Institute: its completers carry a median $7,479 in federal loans versus $9,833 at Paul Mitchell the School-Memphis, a difference of $2,354. 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?
84% of students finish at Brillare Beauty Institute, against 59% at Paul Mitchell the School-Memphis. 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.