Free tool · federal data

What does this major pay at different colleges?

Pick a major, a degree level and a state. You get what graduates of each college's program earned four years after graduating and what they borrowed in federal loans, from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, with the national median for the same program as the yardstick.

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Cosmetology, undergraduate certificate programs nationwide

Nationally, undergraduate certificate graduates in Cosmetology earn a median $26,307 four years after graduating. Among 70 programs with federal earnings data, Madison Area Technical College (WI) graduates had the highest median, $39,022 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).

Programs with data
70
Highest median
$39,022
National median
$26,307
The link opens this exact comparison.
Cosmetology, undergraduate certificate programs nationwide: median earnings four years after graduating and median federal debt, in order of earnings.
CollegeStateMedian earnings, 4 yrs aftervs national medianDebt borrowed at this college (median)Add to the side-by-side comparison
Madison Area Technical CollegeWI$39,022+48%$8,875Compare
Saint Paul CollegeMN$38,855+48%$7,597Compare
Florida State College at JacksonvilleFL$37,819+44%$6,498Compare
Johnson County Community CollegeKS$37,166+41%$5,299Compare
Chippewa Valley Technical CollegeWI$34,901+33%$8,174Compare
Northwood Technical CollegeWI$32,846+25%$5,500Compare
Southwest Institute of Healing ArtsAZ$32,667+24%$7,917Compare
Penn Commercial Business/Technical SchoolPA$32,158+22%$7,638Compare
IBMC CollegeCO$31,427+19%$6,399Compare
Douglas Education CenterPA$31,412+19%$8,750Compare
Palm Beach State CollegeFL$31,237+19%$4,500Compare
Kansas City Kansas Community CollegeKS$30,972+18%—
Georgia Northwestern Technical CollegeGA$30,855+17%—Compare
Central Oklahoma CollegeOK$30,315+15%$6,708Compare
Daytona State CollegeFL$30,232+15%$5,500Compare
Springfield Technical Community CollegeMA$29,980+14%—
Central Carolina Community CollegeNC$29,811+13%—Compare
Ridgewater CollegeMN$29,574+12%$9,500Compare
Pensacola State CollegeFL$29,523+12%$3,500Compare
Cape Fear Community CollegeNC$28,983+10%—Compare
George C Wallace Community College-DothanAL$28,688+9%—Compare
Rowan-Cabarrus Community CollegeNC$28,595+9%—Compare
Wiregrass Georgia Technical CollegeGA$28,312+8%—Compare
MTI CollegeCA$28,154+7%$9,833Compare
Ogeechee Technical CollegeGA$27,904+6%—Compare

The 25 highest of 70 programs. Ordered by median earnings four years after graduating: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality.

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Same major, other degree levels: Associate's

The Cosmetology major guideHow much the college matters, by major

What these numbers are

Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Only programs with at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort are listed, and a multi-state system whose figure pools campuses in several states is left out of state lists. 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. Federal program group: Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services. Earnings reflect who enrolls and where graduates work as well as the program itself.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field-of-study data, 10 June 2026. Download every program (CSV).