Head-to-head comparison
Glendale Career College-North-West College-Bakersfield vs Advance Beauty College: which has better ROI?
Option A Bakersfield, CA
Glendale Career College-North-West College-Bakersfield
- Net price / year
- $51,867
- Earnings, 10 years
- $41,472
- 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 Glendale Career College-North-West College-Bakersfield comes closer — median earnings $41,472 against a $103,734 total, vs $11,575 at Advance Beauty College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Glendale Career College-North-West College-Bakersfield | Advance Beauty College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $51,867 | $10,358 |
| Total net cost | $103,734 | $41,432 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $41,472 | $11,575 |
| Median debt | $9,500 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$241,494 | -$777,132 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Glendale Career College-North-West College-Bakersfield or Advance Beauty College?
Advance Beauty College, at $10,358 a year after aid versus $51,867 — a gap of $41,509 a year, or $62,302 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 Glendale Career College-North-West College-Bakersfield or Advance Beauty College graduates earn more?
Glendale Career College-North-West College-Bakersfield graduates report a median $41,472 ten years after entry, $29,897 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 50% at Glendale Career College-North-West College-Bakersfield. 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.