Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia — ROI, Cost & Payback
Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia charges a net price of $17,520/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $70,080. Median earnings ten years after entry are $22,377, 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-Center City Philadelphia does not clear its cost — it ranks #169 of 169 Pennsylvania colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $17,520/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $70,080 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $22,377 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$25,983/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $10,667 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$589,740 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia's own numbers. Net price $17,520 × 4 years = $70,080 total. Median earnings $22,377 fall $25,983 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 $70,080 bill in about 7.0 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia students graduate with?
A median $10,667 in federal loans among completers, or 48% of the $22,377 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-Center City Philadelphia students graduate?
36% finish their degree — 64% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $70,080 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $194,667 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia expensive compared with other Pennsylvania colleges?
Its $17,520 net price runs $4,221 below the $21,741 median across the 169 Pennsylvania colleges we profile, and $16,884 less across the full degree.