Cosmetology at Arnolds Beauty School

Arnolds Beauty School graduates earn $14,553 in their first year—roughly $3,000 below both Tennessee's median for cosmetology programs and the national average. Among Tennessee's 47 cosmetology schools, this places the program in just the 25th percentile, meaning three-quarters of comparable state programs produce better earnings outcomes. The top Tennessee programs like The Salon Professional Academy-Nashville generate nearly twice the earnings, suggesting location or training quality creates meaningful differences in graduate success.

The $11,000 in median debt isn't catastrophic by itself, but paired with these below-average earnings, new graduates face a difficult first year. That 0.76 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe about 76% of their annual income—manageable only if earnings grow substantially in subsequent years. With 59% of students receiving Pell grants, many graduates likely have limited financial cushion to weather this challenging entry period.

For Tennessee families, the economics here are straightforward: other in-state options deliver significantly better returns for similar or lower debt levels. Unless there are compelling geographic constraints—perhaps Arnolds is the only accessible school in rural West Tennessee—prospective students would benefit from exploring programs in Nashville or Murfreesboro that demonstrate stronger graduate earnings while keeping debt comparable.