Cosmetology at New England Hair Academy

New England Hair Academy delivers middle-of-the-pack first-year earnings, but here's what matters: graduates see their income jump 51% by year four—reaching $26,294, which approaches what the state's top programs produce initially. Among Massachusetts cosmetology schools, this program ranks in the 60th percentile for earnings, meaning it outperforms most of the state's 22 options despite a slow start. The $8,083 debt load sits below both the state and national medians, creating a manageable entry point into the field.

The trade-off is clear: your child will likely start at barely above minimum wage ($17,390 annually), which means tight budgeting in those first years. But the earnings trajectory shows steady improvement as graduates build clientele and skills. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.46 means they'd owe roughly half their first-year income—not ideal, but workable with careful planning.

For a Massachusetts family, this represents a reasonable path into cosmetology without the premium pricing of top-tier schools like Catherine Hinds, where graduates earn $26,000 immediately but presumably carry higher debt. The question is whether your child can weather those lean early years while building their career.