Head-to-head comparison
Eastern Arizona College vs Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe: which has better ROI?
Option A Thatcher, AZ
Eastern Arizona College
- Net price / year
- $9,197
- Earnings, 10 years
- $38,018
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Tempe, AZ
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
- Net price / year
- $31,681
- Earnings, 10 years
- $34,657
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Eastern Arizona College comes closer — median earnings $38,018 against a $36,788 total, vs $34,657 at Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Eastern Arizona College | Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $9,197 | $31,681 |
| Total net cost | $36,788 | $126,724 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $38,018 | $34,657 |
| Median debt | — | $9,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$243,628 | -$400,784 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Eastern Arizona College or Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe?
Eastern Arizona College, at $9,197 a year after aid versus $31,681 — a gap of $22,484 a year, or $89,936 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 Eastern Arizona College or Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe graduates earn more?
Eastern Arizona College graduates report a median $38,018 ten years after entry, $3,361 more than the $34,657 at Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe. 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?
89% of students finish at Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe, against 42% at Eastern Arizona 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.