Empire Beauty School-Avondale — ROI, Cost & Payback
Empire Beauty School-Avondale charges a net price of $16,134/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $64,536. Median earnings ten years after entry are $23,589, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, Empire Beauty School-Avondale does not clear its cost — it ranks #63 of 63 Arizona colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $16,134/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $64,536 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $23,589 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$24,771/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $10,231 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$559,956 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Empire Beauty School-Avondale's own numbers. Net price $16,134 × 4 years = $64,536 total. Median earnings $23,589 fall $24,771 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $64,536 bill in about 6.5 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Empire Beauty School-Avondale students graduate with?
A median $10,231 in federal loans among completers, or 43% of the $23,589 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
What share of Empire Beauty School-Avondale students graduate?
53% finish their degree — 47% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $64,536 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $121,766 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Empire Beauty School-Avondale expensive compared with other Arizona colleges?
Its $16,134 net price runs $1,305 below the $17,439 median across the 63 Arizona colleges we profile, and $5,220 less across the full degree.