Cosmetology at Garden City Community College

Garden City Community College's cosmetology certificate offers a rare combination: extremely low debt with earnings that beat the national average. At just $5,500 in debt—half what most Kansas cosmetology programs charge—graduates start with minimal financial burden. First-year earnings of $18,724 exceed the national median by nearly $1,600, though they trail the Kansas median by about $1,700. This debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.29 means graduates owe less than three months' salary, making this one of the most financially accessible cosmetology programs in the state.

The tradeoff is clear in the rankings: while this program sits in the 64th percentile nationally for earnings, it falls to the 40th percentile within Kansas. Top programs like Washburn Institute of Technology produce graduates earning $22,500—about $4,000 more annually. However, those programs typically come with significantly higher debt loads. For students in western Kansas who need to minimize borrowing, Garden City delivers solid training without the financial stress common in beauty school programs.

For a student planning to work locally or who absolutely needs to keep debt low, this is a smart choice. The real question is whether the $4,000 earnings gap with top Kansas programs justifies staying closer to home versus potentially relocating for higher-earning opportunities elsewhere in the state.