At $26,922/yr net price, Douglas Education Center graduates earn $30,814/yr within 10 years of enrollment.
Cost vs. Outcomes
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Net Price (per year) | $26,922 |
| Estimated 4-Year Cost | $107,688 |
| Median Earnings (10yr post-entry) | $30,814/yr |
| Earnings Premium vs. HS Diploma | $-3,186/yr |
| Graduation Rate (6-year) | 81.7% |
| Median Debt at Graduation | $12,000 |
What You'll Actually Pay
Average net price by family income
| Family Income | Estimated Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $23,175/yr |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $25,790/yr |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $29,405/yr |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $30,435/yr |
| $110,001+ | $30,867/yr |
Earnings by Major
Top programs ranked by median earnings
| Program | Level | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services. | Certificate | $35,594 | |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services. | Associate | $21,508 | |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services. | Associate | $19,508 | $12,000 |
| Design and Applied Arts. | Associate | $19,227 | |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts. | Associate | $19,227 | |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services. | Certificate | $15,633 | $8,750 |
The Risk Factor
81.7% of students at Douglas Education Center graduate within 6 years. Most students who start here finish their degree.
Analysis
Douglas Education Center's numbers don't work in your favor. You pay close to $27,000 a year in net price, but ten years out the median graduate earns $30,814. That gap between what you put in and what you get back is the core problem here, and it holds across nearly every program the school offers.
The one program that pays is the plumbing certificate at $35,594. That's a certificate, so you finish faster and skip the multi-year tuition load, and plumbing is steady work across western Pennsylvania. Everything else runs backward. The associate degrees in cosmetology, design and applied arts, and film and photographic arts all land around $19,000 to $19,500. Allied health and medical assisting isn't much better at $21,508. You'd be paying two years of $27,000 net price to reach earnings below what many jobs pay without any degree.
The financial risk is concrete: the low-earning associate programs cost the most time and money and return the least. The bright spot is debt. Median debt sits at $12,000, low enough that repayment stays manageable even on weak earnings. The 81.7% graduation rate also means you're likely to actually finish, so you're not paying for a credential you never get.
The net price tiers barely move with income. Earning under $30,000 still leaves you paying $23,175, and the gap between the lowest and highest tiers is under $8,000. Aid here does not scale much to family need, so a low-income family gets little relief.
This school makes sense if you want the plumbing certificate and plan to work locally. If you're drawn to cosmetology, film, or design, the earnings don't justify the cost, and you should price out community college or apprenticeship routes first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Douglas Education Center worth the cost?
Douglas Education Center's graduates earn $30,814 ten years after graduation, which is low compared to the $26,922 annual cost. The plumbing program shows better returns at $35,594, but most other programs lead to earnings below $22,000.
What is the ROI for Douglas Education Center programs?
Only the plumbing program at Douglas Education Center offers solid ROI with graduates earning $35,594. Programs in cosmetology, design, and film lead to earnings around $19,000, making them poor investments given the school's cost.
How much debt do Douglas Education Center graduates have?
Douglas Education Center graduates have a median debt of $12,000, which is relatively manageable. However, with most programs leading to earnings below $22,000, even this modest debt load can be challenging to repay.
Should I attend Douglas Education Center for cosmetology?
Douglas Education Center's cosmetology graduates earn just $19,508 after ten years, which makes the program's cost difficult to justify. You'll likely find better ROI at community colleges offering similar training at lower prices.