Cosmetology at Northern Michigan University

Northern Michigan University's cosmetology certificate stands out in a crowded field: graduates earn $21,628 in their first year, placing this program in the 89th percentile nationally and 80th percentile among Michigan's 41 cosmetology programs. That's 42% above the typical Michigan graduate in this field and $4,000+ above the state median. Only a handful of Michigan schools—specialized beauty academies like Taylor Andrews—report higher earnings, making this an unexpectedly strong performer for a university-based program.

The $9,833 in typical debt sits right at the median for both Michigan and national cosmetology programs, yielding a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.45. That means graduates can expect to pay roughly half their first-year earnings toward debt—manageable in a field where many programs saddle students with similar or higher debt for lower returns. The combination of above-average earnings and average debt creates better-than-typical value in an industry where the inverse is common.

The caveat: this data reflects fewer than 30 graduates, so individual outcomes could vary more than at larger programs. Still, for families considering cosmetology training in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, this program punches well above its weight, delivering earnings that compete with specialized beauty schools in more populated areas of the state.