Head-to-head comparison
Cuesta College vs American Beauty College: which has better ROI?
Option A San Luis Obispo, CA
Cuesta College
- Net price / year
- $12,124
- Earnings, 10 years
- $46,047
- Payback
- No payback
Option B West Covina, CA
American Beauty College
- Net price / year
- $25,781
- Earnings, 10 years
- $22,481
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Cuesta College comes closer — median earnings $46,047 against a $48,496 total, vs $22,481 at American Beauty College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Cuesta College | American Beauty College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $12,124 | $25,781 |
| Total net cost | $48,496 | $103,124 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $46,047 | $22,481 |
| Median debt | $13,750 | $5,430 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$94,756 | -$620,704 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Cuesta College or American Beauty College?
Cuesta College, at $12,124 a year after aid versus $25,781 — a gap of $13,657 a year, or $54,628 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 Cuesta College or American Beauty College graduates earn more?
Cuesta College graduates report a median $46,047 ten years after entry, $23,566 more than the $22,481 at American Beauty College. 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, Cuesta College or American Beauty College?
American Beauty College: its completers carry a median $5,430 in federal loans versus $13,750 at Cuesta College, a difference of $8,320. 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?
69% of students finish at American Beauty College, against 48% at Cuesta 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.