Head-to-head comparison
Los Angeles Southwest College vs Advance Beauty College: which has better ROI?
Option A Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles Southwest College
- Net price / year
- $5,964
- Earnings, 10 years
- $32,172
- 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 Los Angeles Southwest College comes closer — median earnings $32,172 against a $11,928 total, vs $11,575 at Advance Beauty College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Los Angeles Southwest College | Advance Beauty College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $5,964 | $10,358 |
| Total net cost | $11,928 | $41,432 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $32,172 | $11,575 |
| Median debt | — | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$335,688 | -$777,132 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Los Angeles Southwest College or Advance Beauty College?
Los Angeles Southwest College, at $5,964 a year after aid versus $10,358 — a gap of $4,394 a year, or $29,504 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 Los Angeles Southwest College or Advance Beauty College graduates earn more?
Los Angeles Southwest College graduates report a median $32,172 ten years after entry, $20,597 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 34% at Los Angeles Southwest 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.