Head-to-head comparison
Kansas City Art Institute vs Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City: which has better ROI?
Option A Kansas City, MO
Kansas City Art Institute
- Net price / year
- $27,650
- Earnings, 10 years
- $37,032
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Kansas City, MO
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City
- Net price / year
- $26,815
- Earnings, 10 years
- $40,743
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City comes closer — median earnings $40,743 against a $107,260 total, vs $37,032 at Kansas City Art Institute. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Kansas City Art Institute | Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $27,650 | $26,815 |
| Total net cost | $110,600 | $107,260 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $37,032 | $40,743 |
| Median debt | $27,000 | $30,416 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$337,160 | -$259,600 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Kansas City Art Institute or Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City?
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City, at $26,815 a year after aid versus $27,650 — a gap of $835 a year, or $3,340 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 Kansas City Art Institute or Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City graduates earn more?
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City graduates report a median $40,743 ten years after entry, $3,711 more than the $37,032 at Kansas City Art Institute. 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, Kansas City Art Institute or Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City?
Kansas City Art Institute: its completers carry a median $27,000 in federal loans versus $30,416 at Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City, a difference of $3,416. 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?
71% of students finish at Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Kansas City, against 58% at Kansas City Art Institute. 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.