Cosmetology at Master's Barber & Styling College

Master's Barber & Styling College graduates earn about $2,600 more than the typical Tennessee cosmetology program graduate—placing this program at the 60th percentile statewide—while keeping debt significantly below both state and national averages. At $13,467, graduates here borrow roughly $3,500 more than the typical cosmetology student, but the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67 means they'd need less than a year's salary to cover what they owe. That's a manageable starting point for a field where many stylists eventually supplement salon income with tips or transition to booth rental arrangements.

The first-year earnings of $20,082 trail the top Tennessee programs by $5,000-6,000 annually, though the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift considerably with more data. What's working in this program's favor is the relatively light debt load—at the 17th percentile nationally, most cosmetology programs saddle students with more borrowing for similar or lower earnings outcomes.

For families willing to accept some uncertainty from limited data, this represents a reasonable entry point into Tennessee's beauty industry. The earnings aren't exceptional, but they're above average for the state, and the debt won't create the kind of financial burden that makes building a clientele unnecessarily stressful in those critical early career years.