Sierra College of Beauty — ROI, Cost & Payback
Sierra College of Beauty charges a net price of $10,794/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $43,176. Median earnings ten years after entry are $18,519, 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, Sierra College of Beauty does not clear its cost — it ranks #328 of 334 California colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $10,794/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $43,176 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $18,519 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$29,841/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$639,996 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Sierra College of Beauty's own numbers. Net price $10,794 × 4 years = $43,176 total. Median earnings $18,519 fall $29,841 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 $43,176 bill in about 4.3 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Sierra College of Beauty students graduate?
84% finish their degree. Spread the $43,176 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $51,400 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Sierra College of Beauty expensive compared with other California colleges?
Its $10,794 net price runs $9,111 below the $19,905 median across the 334 California colleges we profile, and $36,444 less across the full degree.