Federal data
Highest earning certificate cosmetology programs in Colorado
Colorado cosmetology programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aveda Institute-Denver | Denver | For-profit, under 2-year | $26,636 | 350 |
| 2 | Paul Mitchell the School-Denver | Lakewood | For-profit, under 2-year | $24,952 | 141 |
| 3 | Pickens Technical College | Aurora | Public, 2-year | $22,997 | 85 |
| 4 | IBMC College | Fort Collins | For-profit, 2-year | $22,822 | 297 |
| 5 | Tigi Hairdressing Academy-Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs | For-profit, under 2-year | $21,501 | 163 |
| 6 | The Salon Professional Academy-Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs | For-profit, under 2-year | $21,340 | 82 |
| 7 | Cheeks Beauty Academy | Loveland | For-profit, under 2-year | $20,746 | 73 |
| 8 | Paul Mitchell the School-Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs | For-profit, under 2-year | $20,417 | 98 |
| 9 | Emily Griffith Technical College | Denver | Public, under 2-year | $20,014 | 108 |
| 10 | Avalon Institute-Aurora | Aurora | For-profit, under 2-year | $19,903 | 111 |
| 11 | Stacey James Institute | Parker | For-profit, under 2-year | $19,659 | 42 |
| 12 | United Beauty College | Denver | For-profit, under 2-year | $19,322 | 60 |
| 13 | Intellitec College-Grand Junction | Grand Junction | For-profit, 2-year | $18,804 | 106 |
| 14 | Technical College of the Rockies | Delta | Public, under 2-year | $17,125 | 46 |
| 15 | International Salon and Spa Academy | Colorado Springs | For-profit, under 2-year | $16,847 | 221 |
| 16 | Empire Beauty School | Thornton | For-profit, under 2-year | $16,251 | 817 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.