Ashwaubenon, WIprivate forprofitwww.empire.edu/
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Empire Beauty School-Green Bay is a for-profit, less-than-two-year cosmetology school in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, offering a singular, hands-on path into the beauty industry. With an open admissions policy and a focus on practical, clinical training, it serves a small, predominantly full-time student body aiming for licensure in cosmetology. The school's character is defined by its modern salon facilities, a direct pipeline to service careers, and a financial model where most students rely on aid to cover costs.
More details
Outcomes & value
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Campus & location
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Admissions at Empire Beauty School-Green Bay are decidedly non-selective, operating under an open admission policy where virtually all applicants with a high school diploma or GED are accepted. The is reported as 100%. The school does not require or consider SAT or ACT scores for admission, and there is no available data on GPA requirements for incoming students. The process is geared toward career-changers and recent graduates seeking vocational training, not traditional undergraduate applicants. There is no mention of Early Decision or Early Action programs, and demonstrated interest is not a factor in the admissions process. The application requires a fee, reported as $110.
The academic offering is laser-focused: Empire Beauty School-Green Bay provides a single major in Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General. The program is designed to prepare students for state licensure through a combination of theoretical instruction and extensive hands-on practice. The school is accredited by the National Accrediting Commission for Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS). The student-to-faculty ratio is 25:1, suggesting classes are small and instruction is relatively personalized within a career-school context. The first-year retention rate is a solid 89%, indicating students who enroll are generally satisfied and persist in the program. The workload is entirely centered on mastering cosmetology skills, from hair cutting and styling to skincare and nail techniques.
Student life revolves entirely around the cosmetology studio. With a total undergraduate enrollment of approximately 85 students, the campus is intimate and focused. The setting is suburban, located in Ashwaubenon, a suburb of Green Bay. The core of the student experience is the on-site student salon and clinic, a modern, real-world environment where senior students gain clinical experience by providing affordable services to the public by appointment. This is not a residential campus with dorms and football games; social and professional life blends together in the salon. The school promotes a supportive environment, highlighting the importance of time management and a support system for success. The student body demographics show diversity, with data indicating a Black student population, among others.
Outcomes are measured by licensure and entry into the beauty industry. The graduation rate is reported as 72.73%, which is considered average among similar private, for-profit, less-than-two-year colleges. Post-graduation earnings start modestly: reported earnings one year after graduation are $18,299 per year, rising to $22,786 per year five years after graduation. The school celebrates individual student achievements, such as winning external industry scholarships like the $5,000 Sport Clips Scholarship. The definitive outcome is meeting all program graduation requirements, which includes fulfilling all financial obligations to the school, before students can sit for state board exams and begin their careers as licensed cosmetologists.
As a for-profit institution, cost is a central consideration. The average after aid is reported from various sources around $15,000-$16,000 per year; the canonical figure provided is $16,250. The total before aid includes tuition, fees, books, and supplies. Financial aid is crucial for most students: last year, 80% of Empire students received grants, and the school reports that most students qualify for some form of aid. The average financial aid package is reported as $5,149. Aid options include federal grants, scholarships (such as a $1,000 scholarship for students maintaining 90% cumulative attendance), and loans. Students are directed to complete the FAFSA to determine eligibility. The school provides a net price calculator for prospective students to estimate their costs.
Empire Beauty School-Green Bay stands out for its pure, unadulterated focus on vocational cosmetology training. It is not a liberal arts college; it is a trade school with a clear, narrow mission: to turn students into licensed, employable beauty professionals in under two years. Its distinctiveness lies in the complete integration of education and real-world service through its student salon, where the public becomes the clientele. The 100% and lack of academic prerequisites make it an accessible, if costly, on-ramp to a specific career path. Its vibe is pragmatic and hands-on, attracting students who want to skip the traditional campus experience and dive directly into skill-building for a service industry career. The school's ecosystem—from its NACCAS accreditation to its industry scholarship connections—is entirely built around this single purpose.