Cosmetology major
Cosmetology: courses, careers, and where to study
Cosmetology programs train you to cut, color, and style hair, perform manicures, pedicures, and skin services, and prepare for the state board licensing exam.
Nationally, associate's graduates in Cosmetology earn a median $27,014 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $14,027 to $39,582 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). By credential and college
A cosmetology program teaches the technical craft behind salon work: sectioning and cutting hair with shears, razors, and clippers; blow-dry, thermal, and roller styling; and chemical services such as permanent color, highlights and balayage, relaxers, perms, and keratin smoothing, with patch testing and developer ratios handled carefully. Coursework covers the chemistry of the cuticle and pH, scalp and skin analysis, manicuring and pedicuring, basic esthetics and facial treatments, and the disinfection rules that govern implements, foot spas, and stations. Where Culinary Arts trains you to cook and run a kitchen and Massage Therapy focuses on muscles and soft-tissue manipulation, cosmetology centers on hair, nails, and skin services and the salon floor, including client consultation, retail, and shop management.
Most students enter through a state-approved cosmetology school and log a set number of supervised clock hours on mannequins and live clients before sitting for the state board, which usually combines a written theory exam with a practical demonstration scored on technique and sanitation. A license must be renewed and is regulated by each state's board of cosmetology or barbering, so requirements, reciprocity between states, and any separate nail-technician or esthetician licenses vary; verify the rules with your state board before enrolling. Many cosmetologists work in salons, spas, or barbershops, or rent a booth and build their own clientele over time. A program is preparation for the exam and the chair, not a guarantee, since pay, hours, and demand depend on specialty, location, and the book of clients you develop.
In federal data for the closely related occupation of hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $35,250 and projects employment to grow about 5.6% from 2024 to 2034; a postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Cosmetology maps to CIP 12.0401, Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General, within the CULINARY, ENTERTAINMENT, AND PERSONAL SERVICES family. The official definition:
A program that generally prepares individuals to cut, trim, and style scalp, facial, and body hair; apply cosmetic preparations; perform manicures and pedicures; massage the head and extremities; and prepare for practice as licensed cosmetologists in specialized or full-service salons. Includes instruction in hair cutting and styling, manicuring, pedicuring, facial treatments, shampooing, chemical applications, esthetics, shop management, sanitation and safety, customer service, and applicable professional and labor laws and regulations.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Cosmetology is awarded as
Of the 13,333 Cosmetology credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2024-25:
- Certificate: 92%, 12,210 credentials.
- Associate: 8%, 1,123 credentials.
This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 22 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 24 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2024-25, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Hair cutting with shears, texturizing shears, razors, and clippers, plus sectioning and elevation techniques
- Hair coloring and lightening, including single-process color, highlights, foiling, and balayage with developer and toner
- Chemical texture services such as perms, relaxers, and keratin smoothing, with patch and strand testing
- Blow-dry, thermal styling, and updo and event styling for different hair textures
- Manicuring and pedicuring, including nail shaping, gel and acrylic enhancements, and cuticle care
- Basic esthetics and facial treatments, skin analysis, hair removal, and makeup application
- Scalp, hair, and skin science covering the cuticle, pH, and the chemistry behind salon products
- Infection control, disinfection of implements and foot spas, and bloodborne-pathogen and safety practices
- Client consultation, retail recommendation, booth rental, and salon management fundamentals
Typical careers
- Cosmetologist
- Hairstylist
- Hair colorist
- Nail technician
- Esthetician
- Salon manager
Typical salary range: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists median $35,250).Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
How much do Cosmetology graduates earn?
Nationally, associate's graduates in Cosmetology earn a median $27,014 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $14,027 to $39,582 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).
| Credential | National median | Middle half of programs |
|---|---|---|
| Associate's | $27,014 | $14,027 to $39,582 |
| Undergraduate certificate | $26,307 | $13,783 to $41,270 |
Compare Cosmetology programs in your state
Highest-earning associate's Cosmetology programs
- Clover Park Technical College (WA): $33,290
- Douglas Education Center (PA): $32,245, median federal debt $12,000
- Central New Mexico Community College (NM): $27,398
- Trinity Valley Community College (TX): $18,037, median federal debt $5,500
Ordered by median earnings: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality. Federal program group: Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars, for graduates who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled. Programs need at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort to be listed; multi-state systems whose figures pool campuses are not listed. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 10 June 2026. How much the college matters, by major.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Cosmetology, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists | $35,250 | 75,800 | +5.6% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Manicurists and Pedicurists | $34,660 | 24,800 | +7% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Skincare Specialists | $41,560 | 14,500 | +6.7% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Shampooers | $31,470 | 2,700 | +5.5% | No formal educational credential |
| Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance | $50,280 | 1,100 | +8.1% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 5 of these 5 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Cosmetology does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Cosmetology major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Cosmetology program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Cosmetology department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Cosmetology program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Cosmetology credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2024-25. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- West Georgia Technical College, GA · 284 credentials
- Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, GA · 276 credentials
- Central Georgia Technical College, GA · 246 credentials
- Coastal Pines Technical College, GA · 230 credentials
- Los Angeles Trade Technical College, CA · 217 credentials
- San Jacinto Community College, TX · 211 credentials
- Georgia Northwestern Technical College, GA · 209 credentials
- Southern Regional Technical College, GA · 181 credentials
- Riverside City College, CA · 179 credentials
- Cerritos College, CA · 178 credentials
- Santa Monica College, CA · 178 credentials
- Southern Crescent Technical College, GA · 165 credentials
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2024-25. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Cosmetology credentials were awarded
13 states have a distinct enough set of Cosmetology colleges to be worth its own page.
Every Cosmetology program with its own CampusPin page
20 programs in 10 states, A to Z by state and then by college. Each page gives what the program's graduates earned four years after finishing, what they borrowed in federal loans, the monthly payment, and how the program compares with others in its state and the nation. The figure beside each college is the median for its largest credential with at least 30 graduates (U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23). The list is alphabetical; it is not a ranking.
Cosmetology programs in California, 1 program
- MTI College Certificate, $28,154
Cosmetology programs in Colorado, 2 programs
- IBMC College Certificate, $31,427
- Intellitec College-Grand Junction Certificate, $23,444
Cosmetology programs in Florida, 4 programs
- Daytona State College Certificate, $30,232
- Jones Technical Institute Certificate, $27,451
- Palm Beach State College Certificate, $31,237
- Pensacola State College Certificate, $29,523
Cosmetology programs in Georgia, 2 programs
- Atlanta Technical College Certificate, $23,113
- West Georgia Technical College Certificate, $20,155
Cosmetology programs in Mississippi, 1 program
- Northwest Mississippi Community College Certificate, $22,529
Cosmetology programs in Oklahoma, 2 programs
- Central Oklahoma College Certificate, $30,315
- Community Care College Certificate, $21,937
Cosmetology programs in Pennsylvania, 3 programs
- Douglas Education Center Certificate, $31,412
- Great Lakes Institute of Technology Certificate, $21,745
- Penn Commercial Business/Technical School Certificate, $32,158
Cosmetology programs in Tennessee, 1 program
- Chattanooga State Community College Certificate, $25,704
Cosmetology programs in Texas, 3 programs
- Houston Community College Certificate, $22,667
- San Jacinto Community College Certificate, $22,973
- Southern Careers Institute-Austin Certificate, $22,052
Cosmetology programs in Wisconsin, 1 program
- Milwaukee Area Technical College Certificate, $23,372
Related majors
Massage Therapy
Massage Therapy trains you in hands-on techniques to manipulate muscles and soft tissue, for people who want a practical, touch-based path in wellness and clinical care.
Culinary Arts
Culinary Arts trains you to cook professionally and run a working kitchen, blending hands-on technique with menu planning, food safety, and cost control.
Fashion Design
Fashion Design teaches the craft of conceiving and constructing apparel and accessories, suited to students who pair visual creativity with hands-on technical and production skills.
Fashion Merchandising
Fashion Merchandising is the business-of-fashion major focused on buying, promoting, and selling apparel and brands, for students drawn to retail and product strategy rather than design.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Cosmetology degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Personal Care & Service careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Cosmetology degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Cosmetology path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.