Head-to-head comparison
Ridge Technical College vs Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa: which has better ROI?
Option A Winter Haven, FL
Ridge Technical College
- Net price / year
- $23,170
- Earnings, 10 years
- $33,484
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Tampa, FL
Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa
- Net price / year
- $14,277
- Earnings, 10 years
- $20,948
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Ridge Technical College comes closer — median earnings $33,484 against a $92,680 total, vs $20,948 at Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Ridge Technical College | Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $23,170 | $14,277 |
| Total net cost | $92,680 | $57,108 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $33,484 | $20,948 |
| Median debt | — | $6,333 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$390,200 | -$605,348 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Ridge Technical College or Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa?
Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa, at $14,277 a year after aid versus $23,170 — a gap of $8,893 a year, or $35,572 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 Ridge Technical College or Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa graduates earn more?
Ridge Technical College graduates report a median $33,484 ten years after entry, $12,536 more than the $20,948 at Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa. 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?
99% of students finish at Ridge Technical College, against 77% at Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa. 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.