Empire Beauty School-Indianapolis — ROI, Cost & Payback
Empire Beauty School-Indianapolis charges a net price of $17,213/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $68,852. Median earnings ten years after entry are $24,397, 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-Indianapolis does not clear its cost — it ranks #55 of 56 Indiana colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $17,213/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $68,852 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $24,397 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$23,963/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $10,667 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$548,112 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Empire Beauty School-Indianapolis's own numbers. Net price $17,213 × 4 years = $68,852 total. Median earnings $24,397 fall $23,963 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 $68,852 bill in about 6.9 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
How much debt do Empire Beauty School-Indianapolis students graduate with?
A median $10,667 in federal loans among completers, or 44% of the $24,397 its graduates earn ten years out — our math. The figure excludes private loans and students who left before finishing.
Is Empire Beauty School-Indianapolis expensive compared with other Indiana colleges?
Its $17,213 net price runs $2,485 below the $19,698 median across the 56 Indiana colleges we profile, and $9,938 less across the full degree.