Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-Charlotte

Empire Beauty School-Charlotte's cosmetology program delivers below-average earnings outcomes that should give parents pause. At $15,322 in first-year earnings, graduates earn significantly less than both the national median ($17,113) and North Carolina median ($17,193) for cosmetology programs. More concerning, this program ranks in just the 30th percentile nationally and 40th percentile within North Carolina, meaning 60-70% of similar programs produce better-earning graduates.

The debt picture offers some relief—at $10,667, it's slightly higher than the national average but notably lower than North Carolina's typical $12,999. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70, graduates can reasonably expect to manage their debt burden, though the low starting wages mean financial pressure will be real. The 18% earnings growth to $18,075 by year four shows modest improvement but still leaves graduates well behind peers from stronger programs.

The performance gap within North Carolina is particularly striking. Top community colleges like Gaston and Central Carolina produce graduates earning $24,000-$27,000—roughly $9,000-$12,000 more annually than Empire Beauty School graduates. For a career field where earnings are already modest, this difference is substantial and compounds over time. Given the robust data from 100+ graduates, these results are reliable indicators of program performance rather than statistical noise.