Arkansas State University-Newport Cosmetology (Certificate): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt
- Certificate in Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
- Public university
- Newport, AR
- About 29 graduates a year
College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025
The short answer
Arkansas State University-Newport cosmetology graduates earn about what cosmetology graduates earn nationally, $15,140 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $7,250 in federal loans, less than at 84% of cosmetology programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying cosmetology programs in Arkansas.
How it compares
Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Arkansas and national columns are the medians across all cosmetology certificate programs that report the figure.
Debt and first-year pay at every Arkansas cosmetology program
Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Arkansas medians.
Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.
Paying back the loans
On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $77 a month, or 6.1% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.
Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth
84% of graduates (21 of 25) were working in Arkansas one year after graduating. Prices in the parts of Arkansas outside metro areas are about 17% below the national average, so a $15,140 salary here buys what about $18,251 buys in a typical US city.
The median Arkansas cosmetologist earns $28,830, compared with a national median of $35,790. After adjusting for Arkansas prices, that pay is worth about $33,162, which puts Arkansas behind.
Careers this field leads to
These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to cosmetology, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists
$28,830Median pay in Arkansas. 1,410 people work in this job in Arkansas. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 73,400 openings a year. Typical education to start: postsecondary nondegree award.
Manicurists and Pedicurists
$27,690Median pay in Arkansas. 230 people work in this job in Arkansas. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 21,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: postsecondary nondegree award.
First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers
$39,420Median pay in Arkansas. 960 people work in this job in Arkansas. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 12,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: high school diploma or equivalent, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.
Skincare Specialists
$36,520Median pay in Arkansas. 340 people work in this job in Arkansas. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 14,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: postsecondary nondegree award.
About Arkansas State University-Newport
Cosmetology ranks 5th of 5 certificate programs at Arkansas State University-Newport by first-year earnings. The top three are Electrician Training ($71,039), Truck Driving and Equipment Operation ($45,980), and Practical Nursing ($39,979).
Other cosmetology certificate programs near Newport
Common questions
The median graduate earns $15,140 one year after graduating. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in Arkansas earn a median of $28,830 across all experience levels.
The median federal loan balance is $7,250, which ranks the lowest of 16 cosmetology certificate programs in Arkansas. That works out to about $77 a month over 10 years.
On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 48% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 55%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several Arkansas programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.
Most do. 84% (21 of 25) were working in Arkansas one year after graduating.
About this data
- Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
- Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
- Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
- Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Arkansas comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
- Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
- School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the cosmetology program.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
- Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024