Cosmetology at Southern Careers Institute-Corpus Christi

Starting at $15,634 and dropping to $13,351 by year four, this program trails both Texas and national medians for cosmetology—and the earnings trajectory moves in the wrong direction. While you're below the state median of $16,412, you're at least in the 40th percentile among Texas cosmetology programs, meaning about 40% of similar schools produce even weaker outcomes. The debt load of $8,394 is slightly below the Texas median, but that modest advantage doesn't offset the fundamental earnings problem.

The comparison to top Texas programs is stark: the highest earners make double what Southern Careers Institute graduates earn. Even accounting for the school's high Pell grant population (73%), which suggests students from lower-income backgrounds who may face additional barriers, these numbers indicate students aren't gaining the skills or connections that lead to higher-paying salon positions or booth rentals. The robust sample size means this pattern is reliable, not a statistical fluke.

For a cosmetology career, your child would start behind most peers and fall further behind over time. Unless there's a compelling geographic reason to stay in Corpus Christi with this specific program, exploring higher-performing Texas schools—particularly in larger markets like Austin or Houston where salon economics may be stronger—would likely deliver better returns on similar debt levels.