How much debt do Mississippi Barber Academy cosmetology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $10,005, which ranks 9th lowest of 12 cosmetology certificate programs in Mississippi. That works out to about $106 a month over 10 years.

Is the cosmetology program at Mississippi Barber Academy worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 75% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 55%. Compare the cost with other Mississippi programs before deciding.

Mississippi Barber Academy Cosmetology (Certificate): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Mississippi Barber Academy cosmetology graduates stay in Mississippi?

Most do. 94% (66 of 70) were working in Mississippi one year after graduating.

Certificate in Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
Private for-profit school
Jackson, MS
About 33 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Mississippi Barber Academy cosmetology graduates earn less than graduates of most cosmetology programs nationally, $13,348 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $10,005 in federal loans, close to the national median of $9,833. Several Mississippi programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$13,34817th percentile of 961 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$18,40738% more than year one

Median federal debt$10,0059th lowest of 12 Mississippi programs

Debt-to-earnings75%Mississippi median 55%, national 55%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Mississippi and national columns are the medians across all cosmetology certificate programs that report the figure.

	Mississippi Barber Academy	Mississippi	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$13,348	$13,865	$17,247
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$18,407	$19,753	$22,164
Median federal debt at graduation	$10,005	$9,003	$9,833
Debt as share of first-year pay	75%	55%	55%
Programs compared		17	961

Five years out, Mississippi Barber Academy graduates earn less than the national figure and about $1,346 less than the Mississippi median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Mississippi cosmetology program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Mississippi medians.

Mississippi Barber AcademyOther Mississippi programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 38% between the first and fifth year. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in Mississippi earn a median of $27,560 across all experience levels, which shows how much room there is to grow after the first few years.

Mississippi Barber Academy grads, year 1$13,348

Mississippi Barber Academy grads, year 5$18,407

All Mississippi cosmetology grads, year 5$19,753

All hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in Mississippi$27,560

Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in Jackson metro$26,990

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate. BLS figures cover hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists at every experience level.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $106 a month, or 9.5% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (96 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20% or less
Paused payments (forbearance)	40–59%
In default	20% or less

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

94% of graduates (66 of 70) were working in Mississippi one year after graduating. Prices in the Jackson area are about 11% below the national average, so a $13,348 salary here buys what about $14,990 buys in a typical US city.

The median Mississippi cosmetologist earns $27,560, compared with a national median of $35,790. After adjusting for Mississippi prices, that pay is worth about $31,695, which puts Mississippi 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

$27,560

Median pay in Mississippi. 1,040 people work in this job in Mississippi. 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.

Bottom 10%: $17,370Top 10%: $58,790

Manicurists and Pedicurists

$37,300

Median pay in Mississippi. 520 people work in this job in Mississippi. 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.

Bottom 10%: $21,750Top 10%: $82,040

First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers

$37,910

Median pay in Mississippi. 980 people work in this job in Mississippi. 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.

Bottom 10%: $28,010Top 10%: $71,150

Skincare Specialists

$41,160

Median pay in Mississippi. 320 people work in this job in Mississippi. 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.

Bottom 10%: $20,960Top 10%: $140,920

About Mississippi Barber Academy

Tuition and fees for the school's largest program	$19,500
Average net price after aid, largest program	$17,356
Graduation rate (within 1.5 times the normal program length)	78%
Undergraduate students	71

Cosmetology is the only certificate program at Mississippi Barber Academy that reports first-year earnings.

Other cosmetology certificate programs near Jackson

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Mississippi Barber AcademyJackson, MS · private for-profit		$13,348	$10,005
Academy of Hair Design-PearlPearl, MS · private for-profit	7 mi	$15,440	$7,800
Traxlers School of HairJackson, MS · private for-profit	10 mi	$9,525	$5,250
Mississippi Institute of Aesthetics Nails & CosmetologyClinton, MS · private for-profit	11 mi	$15,875	$5,616
Hinds Community CollegeRaymond, MS · public	18 mi	$17,704	$9,781

Common questions

The median graduate earns $13,348 one year after graduating and $18,407 five years after. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in the Jackson metro area earn a median of $26,990 across all experience levels.

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 Mississippi 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

Cosmetology certificate programs in Mississippi, ranked17 programs by pay and debt Cosmetology certificate programs in the US, ranked961 programs by pay and debt