ROI Major

Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services at Ranger College

TX · Certificate Degree · CIP 12.04

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services degree from Ranger College earn a median salary of $28,143 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $30,557. The degree typically pays for itself in over 10 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$23,193

Typical Career

$28,143

Top Performers

$38,279

Break-even is not clear from the available earnings data.

Debt-to-Income Check

$188

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,345. Most students can comfortably afford about a $188 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.4x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Other Services, Educational Services.

Where Certificate Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 66.8%
Other Services 6.6%
Educational Services 4.8%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$30,557

Nominal: $28,143 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

>10 years (extrapolated) to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $17,516 $22,494 $29,534
5 Years After Graduation $23,193 $28,143 $38,279
10 Years After Graduation $24,926 $32,582 $39,842

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $28,143 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $28,143 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $30,557 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates from Ranger College's Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services program can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $22,494, rising to $28,143 after five years and reaching $32,582 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $30,557, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for growth in real terms as graduates gain experience.

The primary industries that graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 66.8% of placements, followed by Educational Services at 19.5%. Given the estimated break-even point of more than ten years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment may be lower for those seeking immediate financial gains. However, the strong presence in health-related fields suggests opportunities for career advancement and stability in the long term.

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Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.