---
title: Is a Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services degree worth the debt?
cip: 1204
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

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

Leading with the **Certificate**, across **1,081** colleges (1,081 of 1,081 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $17,128 ($17,027 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $8,500 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.49× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $15,034–$19,126 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Certificate | $17,128 | $8,500 | 0.49× | 1,081 | 1,081/1,081 |
| Associate's | $18,218 | $12,000 | 0.57× | 14 | 14/14 |

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

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lia Schorr Institute of Cosmetic Skin Care Training (NY) | $36,823 | $6,333 |
| University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology (IL) | $31,962 | $7,917 |
| Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Seattle (WA) | $30,633 | $7,673 |
| San Francisco Institute of Esthetics & Cosmetology Inc (CA) | $27,448 | $6,333 |
| Saint Paul College (MN) | $27,193 | $7,597 |
| O'Briens Aveda Institute (VT) | $27,051 | $8,379 |
| J D Academy of Salon and Spa (CA) | $26,806 | $6,211 |
| Cerritos College (CA) | $26,738 | — |
| Atelier Esthetique Institute of Esthetics (NY) | $26,532 | $5,846 |
| Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy-Shoreline (WA) | $26,426 | $12,344 |
| Chippewa Valley Technical College (WI) | $25,996 | $8,174 |
| Medspa Academies (UT) | $25,893 | $8,443 |
| Medspa Academies-National Institute of Modern Aesthetics (NV) | $25,893 | $8,443 |
| Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Minneapolis (MN) | $25,857 | $6,333 |
| Paroba College of Cosmetology | $25,782 | $7,917 |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/cosmetology-and-related-personal-grooming-services.jsonld` · `/education/fields/cosmetology-and-related-personal-grooming-services.json`