Head-to-head comparison
Lake Tahoe Community College vs American Beauty College: which has better ROI?
Option A South Lake Tahoe, CA
Lake Tahoe Community College
- Net price / year
- $8,516
- Earnings, 10 years
- $36,657
- Payback
- No payback
Option B West Covina, CA
American Beauty College
- Net price / year
- $25,781
- Earnings, 10 years
- $22,481
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Lake Tahoe Community College comes closer — median earnings $36,657 against a $17,032 total, vs $22,481 at American Beauty College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Lake Tahoe Community College | American Beauty College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $8,516 | $25,781 |
| Total net cost | $17,032 | $103,124 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $36,657 | $22,481 |
| Median debt | — | $5,430 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$251,092 | -$620,704 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Lake Tahoe Community College or American Beauty College?
Lake Tahoe Community College, at $8,516 a year after aid versus $25,781 — a gap of $17,265 a year, or $86,092 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 Lake Tahoe Community College or American Beauty College graduates earn more?
Lake Tahoe Community College graduates report a median $36,657 ten years after entry, $14,176 more than the $22,481 at American 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?
69% of students finish at American Beauty College, against 45% at Lake Tahoe Community 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.