Cosmetology at Ponca City Beauty College

The numbers here tell two different stories. On one hand, graduates leave with minimal debt—just $3,390, far below both the state ($10,272) and national ($9,862) medians for cosmetology programs. That low debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.24 means manageable payments even on modest incomes. On the other hand, first-year earnings of $13,838 lag behind Oklahoma's state median by nearly $2,500 and rank in just the 19th percentile nationally.

The earnings picture improves somewhat over time, growing 25% to $17,260 by year four, which brings graduates closer to state norms. However, even with that growth, earnings remain well below what the state's top cosmetology programs achieve—Tulsa Technology Center graduates earn nearly double at $26,713. Within Oklahoma's competitive market of 42 cosmetology schools, this program sits right at the median (40th percentile), meaning half of Oklahoma programs deliver better outcomes.

The small sample size here is a real limitation—we're looking at fewer than 30 graduates, so individual circumstances could be skewing these figures significantly. If you're choosing based purely on career earnings potential, several Oklahoma programs show stronger returns. But if keeping debt low is the priority and local convenience matters, the minimal financial burden makes this workable, provided your child understands they'll likely need years to build a profitable clientele.