Head-to-head comparison
Southern State Community College vs Aveda Institute-Columbus: which has better ROI?
Option A Hillsboro, OH
Southern State Community College
- Net price / year
- $9,674
- Earnings, 10 years
- $35,463
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Columbus, OH
Aveda Institute-Columbus
- Net price / year
- $20,800
- Earnings, 10 years
- $30,231
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Southern State Community College comes closer — median earnings $35,463 against a $19,348 total, vs $30,231 at Aveda Institute-Columbus. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Southern State Community College | Aveda Institute-Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $9,674 | $20,800 |
| Total net cost | $19,348 | $83,200 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $35,463 | $30,231 |
| Median debt | $11,457 | $6,333 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$277,288 | -$445,780 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Southern State Community College or Aveda Institute-Columbus?
Southern State Community College, at $9,674 a year after aid versus $20,800 — a gap of $11,126 a year, or $63,852 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 Southern State Community College or Aveda Institute-Columbus graduates earn more?
Southern State Community College graduates report a median $35,463 ten years after entry, $5,232 more than the $30,231 at Aveda Institute-Columbus. 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, Southern State Community College or Aveda Institute-Columbus?
Aveda Institute-Columbus: its completers carry a median $6,333 in federal loans versus $11,457 at Southern State Community College, a difference of $5,124. 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?
74% of students finish at Aveda Institute-Columbus, against 37% at Southern 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.