Cosmetology at Lively Technical College

Lively Technical College's cosmetology program starts graduates at just $14,031—roughly $3,700 below Florida's median for the field and in the bottom quarter of state programs. That's concerning baseline, but here's the nuance: the debt burden is remarkably low at $5,520, less than half what typical Florida cosmetology students carry. With a 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio, graduates could theoretically clear their loans in under five months of full-time earnings, even at that depressed starting salary.

The 30% earnings growth to $18,244 by year four helps, though that still trails the state median significantly. Florida has strong performers in this field—Florida State College at Jacksonville's graduates earn more than double what Lively grads make initially. The gap suggests either weaker job placement networks, a less competitive curriculum, or perhaps students working part-time while building their client base (common in cosmetology).

The financial risk here is minimal given the modest debt, but the opportunity cost matters. If your student is committed to cosmetology in Florida, programs like Palm Beach State or Pensacola State deliver substantially higher earnings trajectories for similar training duration. Lively works if proximity to Tallahassee is essential and you're prioritizing minimal debt over maximum income potential, but it's not the value leader in Florida's cosmetology landscape.