College Scorecard · field of study · all U.S. colleges

Is a Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services degree worth the debt?

The figures below lead with the Certificate, aggregated across 1,081 colleges (1,081 of 1,081 programs report earnings). Other credential levels are in the table further down.

Median pay · 1 yr after

$17,128

Graduates only, early career.$17,027 two years out.

Median federal debt

$8,500

Federal loans only — not private or Parent PLUS.

Debt vs a year's pay

0.49×

49% of a first year's earnings.

Typical debt is well under a single year's early-career pay.

The college you pick moves this a lot

The middle 50% of Certificate programs in Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services report early-career pay between $15,034 and $19,126 — a spread of $4,092 that depends on the program and who attends it, not the major alone.

25th pct $15,034 median $17,128 75th pct $19,126

By degree level

Each level is a separate decision — more schooling usually means more pay and more debt.

LevelPay · 1yrDebtDebt/pay

Certificate 1,081 colleges $17,128 $8,500 0.49×

Associate's 14 colleges $18,218 $12,000 0.57×

Where a Certificate in this field reports the highest early-career pay

The 15 programs with the highest reported pay one year after completion. This reflects who enrolls and where they live as much as the program itself — it is not a causal quality ranking.

Lia Schorr Institute of Cosmetic Skin Care Training NY $36,823 $6,333 debt

University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology IL $31,962 $7,917 debt

Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Seattle WA $30,633 $7,673 debt

San Francisco Institute of Esthetics & Cosmetology Inc CA $27,448 $6,333 debt

Saint Paul College MN $27,193 $7,597 debt

O'Briens Aveda Institute VT $27,051 $8,379 debt

J D Academy of Salon and Spa CA $26,806 $6,211 debt

Cerritos College CA $26,738 —

Atelier Esthetique Institute of Esthetics NY $26,532 $5,846 debt

Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy-Shoreline WA $26,426 $12,344 debt

Chippewa Valley Technical College WI $25,996 $8,174 debt

Medspa Academies UT $25,893 $8,443 debt

Medspa Academies-National Institute of Modern Aesthetics NV $25,893 $8,443 debt

Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Minneapolis MN $25,857 $6,333 debt

Paroba College of Cosmetology $25,782 $7,917 debt

What these numbers are — and are not

Every figure here is a median across college programs in Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services, from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. It is not a prediction of what you would earn (your college, effort, and local job market vary enormously — see the spread above), not lifetime earnings (it is measured 1–2 years after completion, early career), not proof the major caused the outcome (who enters a field differs by field — selection, not causation), and not a "best majors" ranking: earnings are one dimension of worth, not the whole of it. Teaching and social work pay far less than the fields at the top of this list and matter enormously. Earnings cover federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report.

Also available: structured data (JSON-LD) · plain text · JSON. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release). · explore this field on the official Scorecard