Cosmetology at Francis Tuttle Technology Center

Francis Tuttle's cosmetology program lands squarely in the middle of Oklahoma's crowded field—40th percentile statewide—but the real concern is the slow earnings trajectory. Graduates start at $15,765 annually, nearly $10,000 behind the state's top program at Tulsa Technology Center, and even four years out they're only reaching $18,445. That's below what many Oklahoma cosmetology graduates earn right after finishing school.

The debt load of $12,250 isn't catastrophic—it's actually lower than about 70% of cosmetology programs nationally—but it still represents nearly 10 months of first-year income. For context, Oklahoma's median cosmetology graduate carries $10,272 in debt, meaning Francis Tuttle students are borrowing about 20% more than typical in-state peers. When you're earning in the high teens, every extra thousand dollars of debt matters.

The modest 17% earnings growth suggests graduates do gain some traction in the field, but they're playing catch-up rather than pulling ahead. With 42 cosmetology programs in Oklahoma alone, parents should ask why this program underperforms its state median and whether attending a higher-earning alternative—several are clustered around $17,000-$19,000 for first-year earnings—might offset any convenience factor of choosing Francis Tuttle.