Cosmetology · Great Lakes Institute of Technology
How much do Great Lakes Institute of Technology Cosmetology graduates earn?
Great Lakes Institute of Technology's certificate graduates in Cosmetology earned a median $21,745 four years after graduating, 17% below the $26,307 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). One year after graduating, a later class (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21) earned a median $16,280; the two figures describe different graduates, not one class's growth. Graduates who borrowed took out a median $11,906 in federal loans at this college (about $126 a month on a 10-year plan).
- Median earnings, 4 years after:
- $21,745
- National median, same program:
- $26,307
- Federal debt borrowed at this college (median):
- $11,906
- Monthly payment, 10-year plan:
- $126
Great Lakes Institute of Technology, certificate in Cosmetology. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Debt: graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20. College Scorecard, 10 June 2026.
Quick answers
- What do Cosmetology graduates of Great Lakes Institute of Technology earn?
- Great Lakes Institute of Technology's certificate graduates in Cosmetology earned a median $21,745 four years after graduating (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- How much federal debt do Cosmetology graduates of Great Lakes Institute of Technology have?
- Graduates who borrowed took out a median $11,906 in federal loans at Great Lakes Institute of Technology (College Scorecard, graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20).
- How does Great Lakes Institute of Technology compare with the national median for Cosmetology?
- $21,745 is 17% below the $26,307 national median for certificate programs in the same field (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- How does Great Lakes Institute of Technology compare with other Pennsylvania Cosmetology programs?
- It is 24% below the $28,764 earned by graduates of the typical Pennsylvania certificate program in the field (4 programs, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- Is a Cosmetology degree from Great Lakes Institute of Technology worth it?
- Federal data cannot decide that for you, but it puts the figures side by side: Great Lakes Institute of Technology's certificate graduates in Cosmetology earned a median $21,745 four years after graduating (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23), and those who borrowed took out a median $11,906 in federal loans there, about $126 a month on a 10-year plan, roughly 7% of the median graduate's monthly earnings before tax (College Scorecard, graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20).
Cosmetology at Great Lakes Institute of Technology, by credential
One credential level has federal figures. Federal program group: Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services (CIP 12.04), which includes its related specialties.
| Credential | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings, 1 yr after | Earnings, 4 yrs after | vs national | Debt borrowed at this college | Total debt incl. other colleges | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 154 | $16,280 | $21,745 | −17% | $11,906 | $12,253 | $126/mo |
The one-year and four-year figures describe different graduating classes (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21 and 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23) in different dollars, so the gap between them is not one class's pay growth. A dash means the Department of Education suppressed the figure because too few graduates were measured.
What the two debt figures mean
Federal debt borrowed at this college: the median of the federal loans (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS) that graduates who borrowed took out at this college.
Total federal debt, including other colleges attended: the same graduates' federal loans from every college they attended, counting only loans at the same level as this credential (undergraduate loans for an undergraduate credential, graduate loans for a graduate one).
Neither figure includes Parent PLUS loans, private loans or accrued interest. The two differ most for transfer students and for degree-completion programs such as RN-to-BSN. Monthly payment is for the debt borrowed at this college. Source: College Scorecard, Field of Study data documentation (September 2025), "Cumulative loan debt".
Cite this data
- Statistic
- Great Lakes Institute of Technology's certificate graduates in Cosmetology earned a median $21,745 four years after graduating, against a national median of $26,307 for the same program and credential.
- Data period
- Graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19 who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled; earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars (92 graduates measured).
- Source
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field-of-study data (release of 10 June 2026)
- Page
- https://campuspin.com/schools/great-lakes-institute-of-technology/programs/cosmetology
- Suggested citation
- CampusPin (2026). Great Lakes Institute of Technology Cosmetology: graduate earnings and debt. Data: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study, 10 June 2026. https://campuspin.com/schools/great-lakes-institute-of-technology/programs/cosmetology
Or paste these figures into your page as a small table (departments, admissions, counselors)
Plain HTML with no script and no tracking: each credential's figure with its period and source, and one link back to this page.
How does Great Lakes Institute of Technology compare with other Pennsylvania Cosmetology programs?
Across the 4 Pennsylvania certificate programs in Cosmetology with a federal earnings figure, the typical program's graduates earned $28,764; Great Lakes Institute of Technology's $21,745 is 24% below that.
| College (undergraduate certificate) | Earnings, 4 yrs after | 1 yr after (later class) | Debt borrowed at this college |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn Commercial Business/Technical School | $32,158 | $20,871 | $7,638 |
| Douglas Education Center | $31,412 | $20,532 | $8,750 |
| Laurel Business Institute | $26,116 | $15,447 | $12,000 |
| Great Lakes Institute of Technology (this college) | $21,745 | $16,280 | $11,906 |
All 4 Pennsylvania programs, ordered by one federal measure (median earnings four years after graduating), not a ranking of program quality. Only programs with at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort are listed.
Great Lakes Institute of Technologyand the FAFSA “lower earnings” notice
First-year students who list Great Lakes Institute of Technology on the FAFSA see the Department of Education's "lower earnings" notice. Its graduates' median earnings four years after completing were $34,770, below the $35,008 median for high school graduates aged 25 to 34 in Pennsylvania. The notice describes the whole institution; the figures above are for Cosmetology graduates only. Every college on the FAFSA lower-earnings list.
Questions about Cosmetology at Great Lakes Institute of Technology
- How much do Great Lakes Institute of Technology Cosmetology graduates earn?
- Great Lakes Institute of Technology's certificate graduates in Cosmetology earned a median $21,745 four years after graduating, 17% below the $26,307 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). One year after graduating, a later class (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21) earned a median $16,280; the two figures describe different graduates, not one class's growth. Graduates who borrowed took out a median $11,906 in federal loans at this college (about $126 a month on a 10-year plan).
- How much student debt do Great Lakes Institute of Technology Cosmetology graduates have?
- Great Lakes Institute of Technology's certificate graduates in Cosmetology who borrowed took out a median $11,906 in federal loans at Great Lakes Institute of Technology, about $126 a month on a standard 10-year plan (graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20, College Scorecard). Neither figure includes Parent PLUS loans, private loans or accrued interest. The two differ most for transfer students and for degree-completion programs such as RN-to-BSN.
- How does Great Lakes Institute of Technology's Cosmetology program compare with others in Pennsylvania?
- Across the 4 Pennsylvania certificate programs in Cosmetology with a federal earnings figure, the typical program's graduates earned $28,764; Great Lakes Institute of Technology's $21,745 is 24% below that.
Keep going
- Great Lakes Institute of Technology: cost, admissions and every program
- Cosmetology major guide: what it pays nationally
- Same degree, different paycheck: how much the college matters
- What does Cosmetology pay at other colleges?
Jobs Cosmetology graduates often go into
- Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists: pay in Pennsylvania
- Skincare specialists: pay in Pennsylvania
From the Cosmetologymajor guide. Graduates spread across many jobs; these pay figures are for everyone in the job, not for this program's graduates.
Other programs at Great Lakes Institute of Technology with graduate earnings
Median earnings of graduates who received federal student aid, worked, and were not enrolled in school; debt is the median federal loans borrowed at this college by graduates who borrowed (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS; not Parent PLUS, private loans or interest). Programs with too few graduates are suppressed by the Department of Education. Earnings reflect who enrolls, where graduates live and the jobs they take, as well as the program itself. Download every program (CSV).
Data sources & methodology
Figures on this page come from the Department of Education's College Scorecard field-of-study file, matched to Great Lakes Institute of Technology by its federal UNITID.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
Program-level median earnings one and four years after completing, and median federal loan debt at completion, by institution, 4-digit CIP field and credential level.
College Scorecard, Field of Study data documentation
How the field-of-study cohorts are built, which graduates are counted, and how small cells are suppressed and perturbed for privacy.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (10 June 2026). Great Lakes Institute of Technology Cosmetology: graduate earnings and debt. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/great-lakes-institute-of-technology/programs/cosmetology