Cosmetology at Skin Institute

Skin Institute graduates earn about $4,000 less annually than the typical cosmetology graduate in Missouri, landing at the 40th percentile statewide. While that puts them above the national median for the field, it matters more that they're trailing the state benchmark—particularly when several St. Louis area competitors consistently produce graduates earning $22,000-$28,000. That gap compounds over a career and suggests students might find better training-to-earnings value elsewhere in the region.

The debt load of $7,947 is actually lighter than both state and national averages, which keeps the financial risk manageable. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.4, graduates are looking at roughly five months of gross income to pay off their loans—not ideal, but workable in a field where earnings typically remain modest. The 7% earnings growth over four years is encouraging, showing graduates do see some income progression as they build clientele.

For families committed to cosmetology training in St. Louis, Skin Institute won't bury students in debt, but the earnings lag behind local competitors is hard to ignore. If your child has offers from schools like Summit Salon Academy or The Salon Professional Academy in St. Charles, those programs demonstrate substantially stronger graduate outcomes. Skin Institute works as a fallback option, but it shouldn't be the first choice when better-performing programs are accessible in the same metro area.