Cosmetic Science Degree in Mesa, AZ — Salary & ROI 2026
Cosmetic Science degree analysis for Mesa, AZ. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$75K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$105K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
2.8 yrs
in Mesa
Cost of Living
110
index (100 = avg)
Cosmetic Science in Mesa, AZ Overview
Mesa is one of Arizona's top college towns, with 31 institutions and a student population of 36,638. Public tuition averages $12,467/year here — near the national average for public universities. Cosmetic Science has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for Formulation and Quality Control skills. The adjusted starting salary in Mesa is approximately $74,800.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
31
Public Tuition
$12,467/yr
Private Tuition
$36,100/yr
Room & Board
$13,027/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$15,459/yr
Unemployment
3.5%
Graduation Rate
54%
Cosmetic Science Salary in Mesa (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Mesa's cost of living index of 110 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Cosmetic Science salary: $68,000 starting, $95,000 mid-career, $125,000 senior level.Mesa adjustment factor: 1.10x based on the local cost of living index.
Cosmetic Science ROI Calculator for Mesa
Estimate your return on investment for a Cosmetic Science degree using local Mesa tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $12,467 | Private avg: $36,100
Mesa avg aid: $15,459/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$101,976
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$36,300
vs HS diploma in Mesa
ROI Payback Period
2.8 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Mesa
$-46,976
Lifetime earnings premium ($55,000) minus total education cost ($101,976)
Student Loan Payoff for Cosmetic Science in Mesa
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Mesa for Cosmetic Science
Arizona State University Polytechnic
public
$12,467/yr
$49,868 total
A.T. Still University
private
$42,500/yr
$170,000 total
Benedictine University Mesa
private
$29,700/yr
$118,800 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Mesa Community College
$2,580/yr
Top Employers for Cosmetic Science in Mesa
Mesa offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Cosmetic Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Mesa Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Cosmetic Science Job Titles
Cosmetic Science in Nearby Arizona Cities
Phoenix, AZ
$103K starting · COL 152
72 colleges
Tucson, AZ
$79K starting · COL 116
24 colleges
Chandler, AZ
$84K starting · COL 124
22 colleges
Gilbert, AZ
$81K starting · COL 119
26 colleges
Glendale, AZ
$71K starting · COL 105
16 colleges
Scottsdale, AZ
$86K starting · COL 126
16 colleges
Peoria, AZ
$71K starting · COL 103.8
7 colleges
Tempe, AZ
$77K starting · COL 113
5 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Mesa
Prompt Engineering
$55K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$105K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$94K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$97K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$90K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$55K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$88K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$55K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cosmetic Science Degree in Mesa — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Cosmetic Science ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Mesa.