Head-to-head comparison
Professional Skills Institute vs Art Academy of Cincinnati: which has better ROI?
Option A Maumee, OH
Professional Skills Institute
- Net price / year
- $20,721
- Earnings, 10 years
- $47,765
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Cincinnati, OH
Art Academy of Cincinnati
- Net price / year
- $34,253
- Earnings, 10 years
- $34,368
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Professional Skills Institute comes closer — median earnings $47,765 against a $41,442 total, vs $34,368 at Art Academy of Cincinnati. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Professional Skills Institute | Art Academy of Cincinnati |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $20,721 | $34,253 |
| Total net cost | $41,442 | $137,012 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $47,765 | $34,368 |
| Median debt | $17,813 | $27,000 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$53,342 | -$416,852 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Professional Skills Institute or Art Academy of Cincinnati?
Professional Skills Institute, at $20,721 a year after aid versus $34,253 — a gap of $13,532 a year, or $95,570 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 Professional Skills Institute or Art Academy of Cincinnati graduates earn more?
Professional Skills Institute graduates report a median $47,765 ten years after entry, $13,397 more than the $34,368 at Art Academy of Cincinnati. 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, Professional Skills Institute or Art Academy of Cincinnati?
Professional Skills Institute: its completers carry a median $17,813 in federal loans versus $27,000 at Art Academy of Cincinnati, a difference of $9,187. 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?
43% of students finish at Professional Skills Institute, against 41% at Art Academy of Cincinnati. 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.