Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-Lakeland

Empire Beauty School-Lakeland delivers solid earnings performance for cosmetology students, outpacing both national and state benchmarks with first-year median earnings of $18,639—about $1,500 above the national average and nearly $2,000 above the Florida median. Among Florida's 127 cosmetology programs, this ranks in the 60th percentile, placing it comfortably in the upper half of state options.

The debt picture is particularly encouraging. At $13,849, graduates carry more debt than typical ($4,000 above national median), but the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74 means students can reasonably expect to earn more than their total debt in their first year—a healthy financial foundation. The program ranks in just the 13th percentile nationally for debt, meaning 87% of similar programs saddle students with more borrowing.

However, parents should understand the earning ceiling in cosmetology. Even the top Florida programs like Florida State College at Jacksonville ($29,668) show this field has limited upward mobility, with Empire's modest 9% growth over four years reflecting industry norms. For students passionate about beauty services and entrepreneurship, this program offers a cost-effective entry point with below-average debt and above-average starting earnings. The robust sample size of 100+ graduates makes these figures reliable for planning purposes.