Cosmetology at UCAS University of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences

With all students qualifying for Pell grants, the near-$9,400 debt load at UCAS takes on real weight—that's roughly half a year's starting salary in an industry where most programs leave graduates with similar burdens. The earnings here are decent enough: graduates make about $1,500 more than the Texas median for cosmetology and nearly $800 above the national average. That puts this program in the 60th percentile statewide, meaning it outperforms three in five Texas cosmetology schools.

The challenge is that even the state's top performers—schools where graduates earn $26,000+—show this field's inherent income ceiling. A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.52 isn't alarming compared to many certificate programs, but it does mean your child will likely carry this debt for a while on a $17,900 salary. The question becomes whether the cosmetology career path itself makes sense, since UCAS performs reasonably well within that constraint.

For a low-income student already committed to cosmetology (perhaps with family connections to the industry or a clear business plan), this program delivers slightly better-than-average preparation at an average price point. Just understand that $18,000 represents the actual earning reality, not a starting point that grows significantly—the career ceiling matters more than the school's ranking here.