Cosmetology at Madison Area Technical College

Madison Area Technical College's cosmetology program ranks impressively against national competition—94th percentile—but tells a more complicated story within Wisconsin. While graduates earn $22,152 their first year, significantly above the national median of $17,113, they're trailing the state median and several in-state alternatives by $3,000 to $5,000. Programs at Waukesha County Technical College and multiple other Wisconsin schools are producing graduates who earn 15-25% more in the same market.

The debt picture offers a silver lining: at $8,875, it's below both state and national averages, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.40 that most cosmetology graduates would find reasonable. However, the small sample size (under 30 graduates) makes these figures less reliable than data from larger programs. A few outliers in either direction could shift these numbers substantially.

For Wisconsin families, this creates a clear question: if your child is committed to cosmetology and prefers Madison, this program offers a safer debt profile than many alternatives. But if location is flexible, other technical colleges in the state are delivering notably better first-year outcomes. Given the modest earnings typical in this field, that $3,000-5,000 annual difference could meaningfully impact your child's ability to build financial stability early in their career.