Head-to-head comparison
Fresno City College vs Advance Beauty College: which has better ROI?
Option A Fresno, CA
Fresno City College
- Net price / year
- $8,069
- Earnings, 10 years
- $37,361
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Garden Grove, CA
Advance Beauty College
- Net price / year
- $10,358
- Earnings, 10 years
- $11,575
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Fresno City College comes closer — median earnings $37,361 against a $32,276 total, vs $11,575 at Advance Beauty College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Fresno City College | Advance Beauty College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $8,069 | $10,358 |
| Total net cost | $32,276 | $41,432 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $37,361 | $11,575 |
| Median debt | $4,058 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$252,256 | -$777,132 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Fresno City College or Advance Beauty College?
Fresno City College, at $8,069 a year after aid versus $10,358 — a gap of $2,289 a year, or $9,156 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 Fresno City College or Advance Beauty College graduates earn more?
Fresno City College graduates report a median $37,361 ten years after entry, $25,786 more than the $11,575 at Advance 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?
67% of students finish at Advance Beauty College, against 24% at Fresno City 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.