Cosmetology at Raphael's School of Beauty Culture Inc-Alliance

Graduates from Raphael's School of Beauty Culture in Alliance earn about $13,600 in their first year—roughly $3,500 below both the national and Ohio medians for cosmetology programs. Among Ohio's 59 cosmetology schools, this ranks in just the 25th percentile, meaning three-quarters of comparable programs produce better earning outcomes. The gap is substantial: top Ohio programs like Paul Mitchell-Columbus see graduates earning nearly $24,000, almost double what Alliance graduates make initially.

The $10,250 in median debt isn't catastrophic relative to other cosmetology programs, but paired with these low earnings, it creates a challenging start. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.75, graduates would need to dedicate three-quarters of their first year's income just to pay off loans—before taxes or living expenses. Given that 65% of students here receive Pell grants, many are already financially vulnerable and need programs that deliver stronger returns.

For families considering cosmetology training in Ohio, this program underperforms the state median by $3,500 annually. That's not a trivial difference when starting salaries are already modest. Unless there are compelling location-specific reasons to attend here, other Ohio programs offer significantly better financial positioning without dramatically higher debt burdens.