Head-to-head comparison
St Petersburg College vs Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa: which has better ROI?
Option A St. Petersburg, FL
St Petersburg College
- Net price / year
- $1,471
- Earnings, 10 years
- $42,557
- 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 St Petersburg College comes closer — median earnings $42,557 against a $2,942 total, vs $20,948 at Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | St Petersburg College | Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $1,471 | $14,277 |
| Total net cost | $2,942 | $57,108 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $42,557 | $20,948 |
| Median debt | $16,868 | $6,333 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$119,002 | -$605,348 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, St Petersburg College or Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa?
St Petersburg College, at $1,471 a year after aid versus $14,277 — a gap of $12,806 a year, or $54,166 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 Petersburg College or Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa graduates earn more?
St Petersburg College graduates report a median $42,557 ten years after entry, $21,609 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 leaves students with less debt, St Petersburg College or Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa?
Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa: its completers carry a median $6,333 in federal loans versus $16,868 at St Petersburg College, a difference of $10,535. 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?
77% of students finish at Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy-Tampa, against 38% at St Petersburg 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.