Head-to-head comparison
Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia vs Bella Capelli Academy: which has better ROI?
Option A Philadelphia, PA
Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia
- Net price / year
- $17,520
- Earnings, 10 years
- $22,377
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Monroeville, PA
Bella Capelli Academy
- Net price / year
- $20,459
- Earnings, 10 years
- $25,817
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Bella Capelli Academy comes closer — median earnings $25,817 against a $81,836 total, vs $22,377 at Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia | Bella Capelli Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $17,520 | $20,459 |
| Total net cost | $70,080 | $81,836 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $22,377 | $25,817 |
| Median debt | $10,667 | $8,028 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$589,740 | -$532,696 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia or Bella Capelli Academy?
Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia, at $17,520 a year after aid versus $20,459 — a gap of $2,939 a year, or $11,756 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 Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia or Bella Capelli Academy graduates earn more?
Bella Capelli Academy graduates report a median $25,817 ten years after entry, $3,440 more than the $22,377 at Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia. 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, Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia or Bella Capelli Academy?
Bella Capelli Academy: its completers carry a median $8,028 in federal loans versus $10,667 at Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia, a difference of $2,639. 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?
76% of students finish at Bella Capelli Academy, against 36% at Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia. 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.