Federal Data — September 2026
Cosmetology Schools: What They Cost And What Graduates Actually Earn
Cosmetology is the single most widely offered program in US vocational education, and one of the slowest to pay back. Both facts come from the same federal dataset.
See The SchoolsU.S. Department of Education data. No school paid to be listed.
Across the 987 US institutions that report both figures, a cosmetology program leaves $9,862 of median federal debt and produces $17,395 of median earnings one year after completion. That works out at 6.8 months of gross pay to cover the debt, against a national median of 4.7 months across all vocational programs.
Nearly a thousand US institutions teach cosmetology, more than any other program measured, and the payback is slower than for nine out of ten other trades.
Only the certificate route has enough reporting institutions to publish a national median for this field: $9,855 of median debt against $17,395 of first-year earnings, across 1031 programs.
The table below ranks the individual schools. Every number is reproduced from the federal files, and the method is the same one behind our payback ranking of 58 programs and our ranking of 153 institutions.
The Numbers
Cosmetology at a glance
School By School
The 60 cosmetology programs with the strongest reported outcomes
Filter by state. Click any column heading to sort. Lower is better.
| # | School▲▼ | Credential▲▼ | Months▲▼ | Debt▲▼ | Earnings▲▼ | Completion▲▼ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beyond 21st Century Beauty AcademySanta Fe Springs, CA | Certificate | 2.6 | $3,850 | $17,655 | n/a |
| 2 | Professional Institute of BeautyEl Monte, CA | Certificate | 2.8 | $3,501 | $15,081 | 76% |
| 3 | Pensacola State CollegePensacola, FL | Certificate | 2.8 | $5,500 | $23,911 | 36% |
| 4 | Ponca City Beauty CollegePonca City, OK | Certificate | 2.9 | $3,390 | $13,838 | 82% |
| 5 | Institute of Advanced Medical EstheticsAshland, VA | Certificate | 3.0 | $6,944 | $27,490 | 100% |
| 6 | Barber & Beauty Institute of New YorkHempstead, NY | Certificate | 3.0 | $4,848 | $19,470 | 77% |
| 7 | University of Spa & Cosmetology ArtsSpringfield, IL | Certificate | 3.1 | $5,500 | $21,114 | 64% |
| 8 | Johnson County Community CollegeOverland Park, KS | Certificate | 3.1 | $5,424 | $21,250 | 31% |
| 9 | Shawnee Beauty CollegeShawnee, OK | Certificate | 3.1 | $4,333 | $16,577 | 83% |
| 10 | Fort Scott Community CollegeFort Scott, KS | Certificate | 3.2 | $5,500 | $20,691 | 35% |
| 11 | Chattanooga College Medical Dental and & Technical CareersChattanooga, TN | Certificate | 3.2 | $5,499 | $20,488 | 12% |
| 12 | Cameo College of Essential BeautyMurray, UT | Certificate | 3.2 | $6,150 | $22,885 | 85% |
| 13 | Dallas Barber & Stylist CollegeDallas, TX | Certificate | 3.3 | $5,125 | $18,506 | 81% |
| 14 | American Beauty and Trade SchoolMiami, FL | Certificate | 3.3 | $3,200 | $11,693 | 98% |
| 15 | Daytona State CollegeDaytona Beach, FL | Certificate | 3.4 | $5,807 | $20,212 | 43% |
| 16 | Alturas Cosmetology of Arizona LLCChandler, AZ | Certificate | 3.4 | $6,333 | $22,434 | 77% |
| 17 | Aesthetic Science InstituteLatham, NY | Certificate | 3.4 | $6,333 | $22,638 | 94% |
| 18 | Cortiva InstituteSt. Petersburg, FL | Certificate | 3.5 | $6,333 | $21,812 | 79% |
| 19 | Garden City Community CollegeGarden City, KS | Certificate | 3.5 | $5,500 | $18,724 | 50% |
| 20 | Catherine Hinds Institute of EstheticsWoburn, MA | Certificate | 3.5 | $7,667 | $26,234 | 96% |
| 21 | Lone Star College SystemThe Woodlands, TX | Certificate | 3.5 | $5,500 | $18,887 | 21% |
| 22 | Wharton County Junior CollegeWharton, TX | Certificate | 3.5 | $5,500 | $19,087 | 27% |
| 23 | Davis Technical CollegeKaysville, UT | Certificate | 3.5 | $5,500 | $18,745 | 57% |
| 24 | Nuvani InstituteSan Antonio, TX | Certificate | 3.5 | $4,450 | $15,416 | 88% |
| 25 | Atelier Esthetique Institute of EstheticsNew York, NY | Certificate | 3.5 | $6,333 | $21,516 | 57% |
| 26 | Northwood Technical CollegeRice Lake, WI | Certificate | 3.6 | $5,500 | $18,294 | 56% |
| 27 | MJ Barber & Beauty AcademyLa Quinta, CA | Certificate | 3.6 | $3,423 | $11,561 | 83% |
| 28 | DuVall’s School of CosmetologyBedford, TX | Certificate | 3.6 | $7,917 | $26,435 | 57% |
| 29 | Acaydia School of AestheticsProvo, UT | Certificate | 3.6 | $7,668 | $25,253 | 68% |
| 30 | Pure Aesthetics Natural Skincare SchoolTucson, AZ | Certificate | 3.6 | $6,333 | $21,125 | 91% |
| 31 | Larry’s Barber CollegeChicago, IL | Certificate | 3.6 | $3,726 | $12,461 | 62% |
| 32 | MJ Barber & Beauty AcademyHemet, CA | Certificate | 3.6 | $3,423 | $11,561 | 92% |
| 33 | Larry’s Barber CollegeChicago, IL | Certificate | 3.6 | $3,726 | $12,461 | 88% |
| 34 | Larry’s Barber College-JolietJoliet, IL | Certificate | 3.6 | $3,726 | $12,461 | 91% |
| 35 | Northwest Mississippi Community CollegeSenatobia, MS | Certificate | 3.7 | $5,500 | $17,660 | 45% |
| 36 | College of the MainlandTexas City, TX | Certificate | 3.7 | $5,711 | $18,495 | 31% |
| 37 | Emma’s Beauty Academy-Juana DiazJuana Diaz, PR | Certificate | 3.7 | $2,625 | $8,607 | 64% |
| 38 | The Chrysm Institute of EstheticsVirginia Beach, VA | Certificate | 3.7 | $7,333 | $23,974 | 81% |
| 39 | Christine Valmy International School for Esthetics Skin Care & MakeupNew York, NY | Certificate | 3.8 | $6,197 | $19,396 | 94% |
| 40 | Artistic Academy of Hair DesignMorris Plains, NJ | Certificate | 3.8 | $5,500 | $17,274 | 83% |
| 41 | Skinworks School of Advanced SkincareSalt Lake City, UT | Certificate | 3.8 | $7,667 | $24,463 | 73% |
| 42 | Hoss Lee AcademyRoseville, CA | Certificate | 3.8 | $6,333 | $19,797 | 92% |
| 43 | New York School of Esthetics & Day Spawhite plains, NY | Certificate | 3.9 | $6,625 | $20,531 | 98% |
| 44 | Southeastern Esthetics InstituteElgin, SC | Certificate | 3.9 | $7,029 | $21,547 | 90% |
| 45 | American Beauty CollegeWest Covina, CA | Certificate | 4.0 | $6,091 | $18,085 | 69% |
| 46 | Manatee Technical CollegeBradenton, FL | Certificate | 4.0 | $7,242 | $21,731 | 64% |
| 47 | Spa Tech Institute-WestbrookWestbrook, ME | Certificate | 4.0 | $7,117 | $21,124 | 85% |
| 48 | Wake Technical Community CollegeRaleigh, NC | Certificate | 4.0 | $7,693 | $23,286 | 33% |
| 49 | Tint School of Makeup & CosmetologyIrving, TX | Certificate | 4.0 | $7,698 | $23,225 | 67% |
| 50 | Tint School of Makeup and Cosmetology-DallasGrand Prairie, TX | Certificate | 4.0 | $7,698 | $23,225 | 50% |
| 51 | Spa Tech Institute-WestboroWestborough, MA | Certificate | 4.0 | $7,117 | $21,124 | 77% |
| 52 | Spa Tech Institute-PlymouthPlymouth, MA | Certificate | 4.0 | $7,117 | $21,124 | 87% |
| 53 | Instituto Educativo PremierPonce, PR | Certificate | 4.0 | $3,500 | $10,432 | 78% |
| 54 | Manuel and Theresa’s School of Hair Design-BryanBryan, TX | Certificate | 4.0 | $6,993 | $20,768 | 85% |
| 55 | Manuel and Theresa’s School of Hair Design-VictoriaVictoria, TX | Certificate | 4.0 | $6,993 | $20,768 | 86% |
| 56 | Christine Valmy International School of Esthetics & CosmetologyWayne, NJ | Certificate | 4.0 | $6,211 | $18,519 | 80% |
| 57 | New York Institute of BeautyIslandia, NY | Certificate | 4.0 | $6,062 | $18,365 | 87% |
| 58 | Manuel and Theresa’s School of Hair DesignBrenham, TX | Certificate | 4.0 | $6,993 | $20,768 | 100% |
| 59 | Stacey James InstituteParker, CO | Certificate | 4.0 | $6,500 | $19,659 | 81% |
| 60 | Spa Tech Institute-North AndoverNorth Andover, MA | Certificate | 4.0 | $7,117 | $21,124 | n/a |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Cohorts by Field of Study and by Institution (published 9 June 2026), CIP 1204. 987 institutions report this program with both debt and earnings; the 60 with the fastest payback are shown. Debt is median federal Stafford and Grad PLUS loan debt of completers; earnings are median earnings one year after completion; completion is the institution’s published rate.
Read It Carefully
What these figures do not tell you
It is a ratio, not a repayment plan
Months of gross pay to cover the debt is a way of comparing programs on one consistent basis. Nobody repays a loan with their entire gross salary.
Local wages move the numbers
The same program pays differently in different labour markets. Use the state filter and compare within a state before comparing across the country.
Only federal loan debt is counted
Cash payments, private loans and employer sponsorship are invisible here. A school whose students pay out of pocket shows low debt without being cheap.
One year out is an early snapshot
Trades where pay climbs steeply with experience are penalised by a first-year measure. Absence from the table usually means suppressed data, not a poor school.
Go Deeper
The wider picture
Related Reading
Before you choose a program
For School Operators
If you run one of these programs
By State
The same ranking, one state at a time
Local wages shape earnings as much as the school does, so comparing programs inside a single state is more informative than comparing across the country. These 43 states have at least three ranked institutions each, covering 864 of the 987 in the national table.
Use This Data
Want your own program’s numbers against this benchmark?
We run this analysis for individual schools, program by program, against their own federal data. Where the answer is good, it is the strongest recruitment argument a school owns, and almost nobody publishes it.
Book Your Free Enrollment AuditBy application only — reserved for trade and vocational school operators enrolling 50+ students a year.