Head-to-head comparison
Pellissippi State Community College vs Brillare Beauty Institute: which has better ROI?
Option A Knoxville, TN
Pellissippi State Community College
- Net price / year
- $4,983
- Earnings, 10 years
- $38,440
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Cleveland, TN
Brillare Beauty Institute
- Net price / year
- $17,894
- Earnings, 10 years
- $24,728
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Pellissippi State Community College comes closer — median earnings $38,440 against a $9,966 total, vs $24,728 at Brillare Beauty Institute. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Pellissippi State Community College | Brillare Beauty Institute |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $4,983 | $17,894 |
| Total net cost | $9,966 | $71,576 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $38,440 | $24,728 |
| Median debt | $8,725 | $7,479 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$208,366 | -$544,216 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Pellissippi State Community College or Brillare Beauty Institute?
Pellissippi State Community College, at $4,983 a year after aid versus $17,894 — a gap of $12,911 a year, or $61,610 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 Pellissippi State Community College or Brillare Beauty Institute graduates earn more?
Pellissippi State Community College graduates report a median $38,440 ten years after entry, $13,712 more than the $24,728 at Brillare Beauty 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, Pellissippi State Community College or Brillare Beauty Institute?
Brillare Beauty Institute: its completers carry a median $7,479 in federal loans versus $8,725 at Pellissippi State Community College, a difference of $1,246. 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?
84% of students finish at Brillare Beauty Institute, against 31% at Pellissippi State 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.