Federal data
Highest earning certificate cosmetology programs in the United States
U.S. 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 | Saint Paul College | Saint Paul | Public, 2-year | $32,987 | 72 |
| 2 | Florida State College at Jacksonville | Jacksonville | Public, 4-year | $29,668 | 71 |
| 3 | The Salon Professional Academy-Fargo | Fargo | For-profit, under 2-year | $29,330 | 81 |
| 4 | The Hair Academy | Bismarck | For-profit, 2-year | $29,327 | 39 |
| 5 | The Esthetic Institute | Vienna | For-profit, under 2-year | $29,301 | 95 |
| 6 | Josef's School of Hair, Skin & Body | Grand Forks | For-profit, under 2-year | $28,331 | 133 |
| 7 | Summit Salon Academy Kansas City | Independence | For-profit, under 2-year | $27,878 | 42 |
| 8 | Summit Salon Academy-Portland | Tigard | For-profit, 2-year | $27,110 | 38 |
| 9 | Aveda Institute-Des Moines | West Des Moines | For-profit, under 2-year | $27,081 | 155 |
| 10 | Paul Mitchell the School-Austin | Austin | For-profit, under 2-year | $26,824 | 106 |
| 11 | Southwest Institute of Healing Arts | Tempe | For-profit, 2-year | $26,795 | 157 |
| 12 | Aveda Institute-Denver | Denver | For-profit, under 2-year | $26,636 | 350 |
| 13 | DuVall's School of Cosmetology | Bedford | For-profit, under 2-year | $26,435 | 100 |
| 14 | International Academy of Style | Reno | For-profit, under 2-year | $26,349 | 143 |
| 15 | Catherine Hinds Institute of Esthetics | Woburn | For-profit, under 2-year | $26,234 | 171 |
| 16 | Capitol Beauty School | Omaha | For-profit, 2-year | $25,942 | 157 |
| 17 | The Salon Professional Academy-Nashville | Nashville | For-profit, under 2-year | $25,878 | 58 |
| 18 | Model College of Hair Design | Saint Cloud | For-profit, under 2-year | $25,814 | 82 |
| 19 | Nova Academy of Cosmetology Woodbury | WOODBURY | For-profit, under 2-year | $25,754 | 121 |
| 20 | Nova Academy of Cosmetology | Rochester | For-profit, under 2-year | $25,754 | 121 |
| 21 | Medspa Academies | South Jordan | For-profit, under 2-year | $25,502 | 199 |
| 22 | Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy-Shoreline | Shoreline | For-profit, under 2-year | $25,497 | 38 |
| 23 | Acaydia School of Aesthetics | Provo | For-profit, under 2-year | $25,253 | 70 |
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.