Cosmetology at World Class Academy of Beauty Careers

World Class Academy graduates earn $20,087 their first year out—better than 76% of cosmetology programs nationwide and 60% of Florida schools. That's $3,400 above Florida's median for this field and nearly $3,000 ahead of the national benchmark. While this doesn't approach the $29,000+ that top state programs like Florida State College at Jacksonville achieve, it's solid performance for a certificate program serving mostly lower-income students (62% receive Pell grants).

The debt load of $13,867 is higher than typical for cosmetology—about $4,300 above both state and national medians—but the ratio to first-year earnings stays manageable at 0.69. That means graduates owe roughly eight months of their starting salary, which is reasonable for vocational training. The real question is whether those earnings grow enough to justify the premium debt, and with fewer than 30 graduates in this cohort, we're working with limited data.

For Florida families, this represents an above-average entry point into cosmetology, though not the strongest value in the state. If your child is set on this career path and needs a program in Tallahassee, these outcomes suggest they'll at least start ahead of most peers statewide. Just be prepared for that slightly elevated debt relative to what other cosmetology programs typically require.