Atlanta Institute of Music and Media vs Empire Beauty School-Morrow

What the numbers say

• Empire Beauty School-Morrow costs less after aid — $16,962 a year versus $37,832, a difference of $20,870 annually, or roughly $83,480 across four years.
• Atlanta Institute of Music and Media graduates report higher median earnings — $31,186 against $24,397 ten years after entry.
• Atlanta Institute of Music and Media graduates a larger share of its students — 32.7% versus 28.7%.
• On pure return — salary divided by net price — Empire Beauty School-Morrow comes out ahead at 1.4× versus 0.8×.

How to actually choose

Comparison tables are a starting point, not a decision. Three things matter more than anything in the table above:

• Your real aid offer. Net price is an average across all income levels. Two students at the same school can pay amounts that differ by tens of thousands. Wait for actual award letters before ruling anything out on cost.
• Your intended major. Earnings vary more between majors at one school than between schools for one major. A computer science graduate from the "lower earning" school here will likely out-earn a general studies graduate from the other.
• Whether you will finish. Graduation rate is the metric most predictive of whether the money spent turns into a credential. Campus fit, support services, and commute all feed into it more than prestige does.