Cosmetology at Stacey James Institute

Stacey James Institute's cosmetology program sits in an uncomfortable middle ground: earnings that beat most programs nationally but lag behind what's typical in Colorado's competitive beauty industry. At nearly $20,000 in first-year earnings, graduates outperform roughly 72% of cosmetology programs nationwide. However, within Colorado—where the state's strongest programs regularly produce graduates earning $25,000 to $27,000—this falls below the state median of $20,014.

The debt picture offers some relief. At $6,500, students here borrow significantly less than both the state median ($9,832) and national average ($9,862). This results in a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.33, meaning graduates could theoretically pay off their loans with about four months of gross income. That's a meaningful advantage over many cosmetology programs that saddle students with $10,000-plus in debt for similar or even lower earnings.

The real question is opportunity cost. Colorado's top cosmetology programs demonstrate that substantially higher earnings are possible in this market—some graduates earn 35-40% more in their first year. If your child can access one of those stronger programs without dramatically increasing debt, that extra earning power compounds over a career. This program works as a lower-cost entry point to the field, but it's not positioning graduates for the upper tier of Colorado salon earnings.