Cosmetology at Ridgewater College

Ridgewater's cosmetology program costs less than $10,000 and produces earnings that beat 89% of cosmetology programs nationwide—but there's an important Minnesota context to consider. While graduates here earn substantially more than the national median ($21,574 vs. $17,113), they lag behind the typical Minnesota cosmetology program, which posts median earnings of $24,204. Among the state's 17 programs, Ridgewater sits at the 40th percentile, with top schools like Saint Paul College and Model College of Hair Design producing graduates earning $26,000-33,000 in their first year.

The debt picture is reasonable: with a 0.45 debt-to-earnings ratio, graduates owe roughly 5.5 months of first-year income. This beats many vocational programs where ratios approach or exceed 1.0. The 23% earnings growth over four years suggests steady career progression, though even at $26,494 by year four, graduates remain below where some peer programs start. One caveat matters here: the sample size is small, meaning these numbers could shift significantly as more graduates enter the data.

For Minnesota families, this comes down to cost versus outcomes. Ridgewater offers an affordable entry point to cosmetology at below-median debt, but students should understand they're likely trading some earning potential compared to programs in the Twin Cities area. If location and low debt matter most, this works. If maximizing early earnings is the priority, the numbers suggest looking at higher-performing Minnesota programs first.