Federal data
Highest earning certificate cosmetology programs in North Carolina
North Carolina cosmetology programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Carolina Community College | Sanford | Public, 2-year | $24,101 | 38 |
| 2 | Rowan-Cabarrus Community College | Salisbury | Public, 2-year | $22,578 | 71 |
| 3 | Aveda Institute-Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill | For-profit, under 2-year | $21,826 | 227 |
| 4 | Alexander Paul Institute of Hair Design | Greenville | For-profit, under 2-year | $21,443 | 40 |
| 5 | Paul Mitchell the School-Charlotte | Charlotte | For-profit, under 2-year | $20,877 | 235 |
| 6 | College of Wilmington | Wilmington | For-profit, under 2-year | $19,962 | 48 |
| 7 | Paul Mitchell the School | Fayetteville | For-profit, under 2-year | $19,583 | 493 |
| 8 | Davidson-Davie Community College | Thomasville | Public, 2-year | $19,024 | 33 |
| 9 | Paul Mitchell the School-Raleigh | Raleigh | For-profit, under 2-year | $18,849 | 90 |
| 10 | Empire Beauty School | Concord | For-profit, under 2-year | $18,408 | 626 |
| 11 | Leons Beauty School Inc | Greensboro | For-profit, under 2-year | $17,247 | 70 |
| 12 | Cleveland Community College | Shelby | Public, 2-year | $13,347 | 37 |
| 13 | Bull City Durham Beauty and Barber College | Durham | For-profit, under 2-year | $11,572 | 43 |
| 14 | No Grease Barber School | Charlotte | For-profit, under 2-year | $11,572 | 43 |
| 15 | Winston Salem Barber School | Winston-Salem | For-profit, under 2-year | $9,785 | 65 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.