Undergraduate certificate · Wilmington, North Carolina
Is Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services at Cape Fear Community College worth it?
Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Graduates typically don't earn back the cost within 20 years, compared with the no-degree baseline.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $26,952
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $31,131
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $4,750
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $7k (likely $7k – $9k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- −$5k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in NC
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- Not within 20 years in most scenarios
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$101k (likely −$134k – −$60k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$138k (likely −$211k – −$34k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 41%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Change income, residency or loans Compare Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services at other schools
Other majors at Cape Fear Community College
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's)$75,252
- Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's)$60,921
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Undergraduate certificate)$57,650
- Criminal Justice and Corrections (Undergraduate certificate)$55,088
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Associate's)$50,244
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's)$42,093
- Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Associate's)$41,134
- Health and Medical Administrative Services (Associate's)$39,940
- Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate certificate)$38,927
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's)$37,055
- Accounting and Related Services (Associate's)$36,984
- Health and Medical Administrative Services (Undergraduate certificate)$35,067
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services at other schools in North Carolina
- Wake Technical Community College$34,789
- Aveda Institute-Chapel Hill$32,580
- Paul Mitchell the School-Raleigh$31,587
- Guilford Technical Community College$31,179
- Gaston College$30,509
- Central Carolina Community College$29,811
- Rowan-Cabarrus Community College$28,595
- Paul Mitchell the School-Charlotte$28,529
- Leons Beauty School Inc$28,080
- Carolina College of Hair Design Inc$27,878