Cosmetology at Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville

Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville's cosmetology program produces graduates earning around $21,000 annually, placing it in the 83rd percentile nationally—significantly above the typical cosmetology program. However, within Tennessee's competitive beauty education landscape, it lands in the middle of the pack at the 60th percentile. The debt burden of $9,300 is modest and slightly below both state and national medians, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.45 that most graduates should be able to handle.

The challenge here is that earnings essentially flatline after graduation, growing only 1% over four years. While some programs in Nashville (like The Salon Professional Academy at $25,878) demonstrate significantly higher earning potential, TCAT Nashville still outperforms most cosmetology programs nationwide and holds its own against Tennessee's median. For a student committed to cosmetology who wants affordable training without relocating, this represents a practical choice—just understand that $21,000 will likely be the ceiling, not the starting point.

The real question is whether your child has entrepreneurial ambitions or plans to build a clientele over time, since the earnings data only captures W-2 income. Many successful stylists eventually earn through booth rentals or salon ownership, paths that won't show up in these numbers but could justify the investment beyond what the federal data reveals.