Cosmetology at Elevate Salon Institute

Elevate Salon Institute graduates earn $21,340 their first year—nearly $4,000 more than both the national and North Carolina medians for cosmetology programs. While this lands in the 60th percentile statewide (meaning 40% of NC cosmetology programs produce higher earners), it significantly outperforms most of the 1,500+ cosmetology programs nationwide. The $9,500 in median debt is notably lower than North Carolina's typical $13,000, giving graduates a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.45—meaning the loan balance equals roughly five months of first-year income.

The challenge with any cosmetology program is the earnings ceiling: even top-performing NC programs like Gaston College max out around $27,000 in first-year earnings. That's the reality of the profession, not this particular school. Elevate positions graduates in the middle tier of state options, trailing community colleges by a few thousand dollars but requiring less debt than most NC alternatives.

For a certificate program that gets students working in under a year, these numbers work if your child is committed to the beauty industry. They'll graduate with debt they can reasonably handle on a stylist's income, earning more than most cosmetology grads nationally. Just recognize this is career training with modest financial returns, not a pathway to high income—even the best programs in this field start graduates in the low-to-mid $20,000s.