What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services is tracked across 1,517 U.S. postsecondary institutions in the College Scorecard field-of-study file, which links CIP code classifications from IPEDS to Treasury earnings records. This profile covers the certificate credential level specifically, because the Department of Education reports program-level outcomes separately for associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral awards. The CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) taxonomy lets analysts roll up specialties into broader families, which is why earnings medians across schools can be compared on a common basis.
Across all reporting institutions, the mean of school-level medians is $36,072, calculated from 100 schools with published earnings data. The earnings distribution stretches from $33,683 at the low end to $43,507 at the top, with a 25th-75th percentile band between $34,680 and $37,055 around a median of $35,611. The top-reporting institution in this program is Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Seattle at $43,507. These numbers reflect earnings measured roughly a year after completion, using Social Security Administration tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants.
Variation across schools matters more than a single national figure. Completers counts reported per school indicate how many graduates’ earnings feed the median, which means small programs produce more volatile numbers. Median debt at the program level, when paired with earnings, yields a debt-to-earnings ratio that is the College Scorecard’s standard affordability signal — ratios under 1.0 indicate earnings exceed cumulative debt. Use the school-by-school table to spot institutions where Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services graduates out-earn peers at comparable cost, and to surface gainful-employment patterns that only become visible at the CIP-code level.
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services certificate credential median debt varies 5.5× across entities
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services certificate credential median debt ranges from $3,167 (lowest) to $17,559 (highest), a spread of $14,392. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme cost-of-attendance variation — students at the high end accumulate substantially more debt for the same credential, often without proportionally higher post-graduation earnings. Median debt counts only those students who borrowed federal loans — students who paid out-of-pocket or received institutional grants are excluded from the borrower median, which can flatter low-debt schools.
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.23 — low (typically associated with graduates earn substantially more than they borrowed, which is the College Scorecard standard signal for affordability — a ratio under 0.5 means a year of post-completion earnings would clear half the federal-loan principal)
debt-to-earnings ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: this ratio uses federal loan principal, not all education debt — private loans, parent PLUS loans not in the borrower’s name, and institutional debt are excluded Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services operates 1,517 institutions offer this program — among the most fragmented governance structures in the country
Each institutions offer this program has independent budgeting, hiring, and service delivery authority. The fragmentation reflects broad CIP coverage that puts the field within reach of most U.S. postsecondary students — competition for top-tier employer pipelines is high but base credential access is essentially universal. Per-region variation is largest in fragmented systems because each institutions offer this program sets its own budget, contracts, and priorities without higher-level coordination above the regulatory floor.
How much do Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services graduates earn? ▼
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services graduates earn $36,072 on average across 1,517 schools. Earnings range from $33,683 to $43,507 depending on the institution.
Which school pays the most for Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services? ▼
Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Seattle has the highest reported median earnings for Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services graduates at $43,507, based on College Scorecard data.
What credential do you get in Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services? ▼
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services programs typically award a Certificate credential. Earnings vary by school and credential level.
Top Schools for Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
Closest schools offering this program — compare earnings side by side
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Median earnings represent graduates who received federal financial aid, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal student aid applicants. Completers count and debt figures reflect program-level data reported through IPEDS. Data is updated annually.