Cosmetology at Lia Schorr Institute of Cosmetic Skin Care Training

The small class sizes here require caution, but the numbers tell a troubling story: graduates earn barely above minimum wage while carrying debt that, although modest in absolute terms, ranks in the worst 5% nationally for cosmetology programs. At $17,926 first-year earnings, students make roughly $8.60 per hour—and that's slightly above New York's median for these programs, where the competition is fierce and the market apparently saturated.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.35 sounds manageable until you realize what it means practically: even with relatively low borrowing of $6,333, students face payments that consume a significant chunk of subsistence-level wages in one of America's most expensive cities. Compare this to top New York cosmetology programs where graduates earn $22,000-plus—that $4,000-$5,000 difference matters enormously when you're starting near the poverty line. The 44% Pell Grant rate indicates this program serves students who likely can't afford to gamble on underwhelming returns.

For a parent considering this investment, the math is stark: your child would earn barely more than an entry-level retail worker while servicing educational debt in Manhattan. Unless they have a guaranteed job lined up with significantly higher pay than these outcomes suggest, or plan to use this as a stepping stone to build their own client base quickly, this certificate doesn't provide a clear path to financial stability.