Head-to-head comparison
St Charles Community College vs Academy of Hair Design-Springfield: which has better ROI?
Option A Cottleville, MO
St Charles Community College
- Net price / year
- $5,837
- Earnings, 10 years
- $42,422
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Springfield, MO
Academy of Hair Design-Springfield
- Net price / year
- $15,904
- Earnings, 10 years
- $25,129
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but St Charles Community College comes closer — median earnings $42,422 against a $11,674 total, vs $25,129 at Academy of Hair Design-Springfield. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | St Charles Community College | Academy of Hair Design-Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $5,837 | $15,904 |
| Total net cost | $11,674 | $63,616 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $42,422 | $25,129 |
| Median debt | $6,187 | $9,500 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$130,434 | -$528,236 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, St Charles Community College or Academy of Hair Design-Springfield?
St Charles Community College, at $5,837 a year after aid versus $15,904 — a gap of $10,067 a year, or $51,942 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 St Charles Community College or Academy of Hair Design-Springfield graduates earn more?
St Charles Community College graduates report a median $42,422 ten years after entry, $17,293 more than the $25,129 at Academy of Hair Design-Springfield. 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, St Charles Community College or Academy of Hair Design-Springfield?
St Charles Community College: its completers carry a median $6,187 in federal loans versus $9,500 at Academy of Hair Design-Springfield, a difference of $3,313. 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?
64% of students finish at Academy of Hair Design-Springfield, against 25% at St Charles 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.