Head-to-head comparison
Cuyamaca College vs American Beauty College: which has better ROI?
Option A El Cajon, CA
Cuyamaca College
- Net price / year
- $6,618
- Earnings, 10 years
- $32,435
- 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 Cuyamaca College comes closer — median earnings $32,435 against a $13,236 total, vs $22,481 at American Beauty College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Cuyamaca College | American Beauty College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $6,618 | $25,781 |
| Total net cost | $13,236 | $103,124 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $32,435 | $22,481 |
| Median debt | — | $5,430 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$331,736 | -$620,704 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Cuyamaca College or American Beauty College?
Cuyamaca College, at $6,618 a year after aid versus $25,781 — a gap of $19,163 a year, or $89,888 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 Cuyamaca College or American Beauty College graduates earn more?
Cuyamaca College graduates report a median $32,435 ten years after entry, $9,954 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 graduates more of its students?
69% of students finish at American Beauty College, against 41% at Cuyamaca 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.