Cosmetology at O'Briens Aveda Institute

O'Brien's Aveda Institute graduates earn nearly 40% more than the typical cosmetology certificate holder nationwide, placing this program in the 95th percentile for earnings. At $23,620 in the first year, graduates are clearing a meaningful threshold above the $17,113 national median—a gap that matters in a field where many programs leave students barely scraping by. The debt load of $9,832 is essentially average for beauty school, resulting in a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.42.

The challenge here is what happens next: earnings remain flat at $23,573 four years out. This isn't unusual in cosmetology, where income often depends more on building a client base and chair rental arrangements than tenure. What's notable is that even with zero growth, O'Brien's graduates maintain their earnings advantage over the field. The program's 60th percentile ranking in Vermont is somewhat misleading since it's currently the only cosmetology program reporting data in the state—there's no meaningful state-level comparison to make.

For a student committed to becoming a stylist in Vermont, this program delivers what beauty school should: solid technical training at reasonable cost with above-average earning potential right out of the gate. The lack of income growth means success will depend on hustle and client development rather than time served, but that's the industry reality everywhere.