Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-Elizabethtown

Empire Beauty School-Elizabethtown delivers mixed results for cosmetology training, with earnings that lag nationally but perform reasonably within Kentucky's market. Graduates earn $15,322 in their first year—about $1,800 below the national median for cosmetology programs but exactly matching Kentucky's state median. While this ranks only in the 30th percentile nationally, it hits the 60th percentile among Kentucky schools, suggesting the program performs adequately for local market conditions.

The debt picture is manageable at $10,667, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70—meaning graduates owe about 8.5 months of first-year income. This debt load sits in the 43rd percentile nationally and is actually $2,200 below Kentucky's typical cosmetology program debt. Earnings do show modest growth, reaching $18,075 by year four, though this still trails stronger Kentucky programs like PJ's College in Bowling Green ($21,439) by a significant margin.

For families considering cosmetology training in Kentucky, this program offers a middle-of-the-road option with reasonable debt levels. However, given that several other Kentucky schools produce graduates earning $3,000-6,000 more annually for similar or even lower debt, parents should strongly consider those alternatives first. The program's main advantage is debt control, but the earnings gap with top Kentucky programs may compound over a career.