Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services programs in Colorado
32 schools in Colorado teach this, at certificate or associate level. 15 of them report what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $22,699 at Aveda Institute-Denver.
What this work pays in Colorado
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists in Colorado earn a median of $37,690 a year across 6,820 jobs. That is what the occupation pays everyone in it — not what graduates of any one program below earned.
| Also leads to | Median | Jobs in Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Manicurists and Pedicurists | $37,110 | 3,970 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers | $54,530 | 3,160 |
| Skincare Specialists | $54,500 | 1,510 |
| Barbers | $61,500 | 480 |
| Personal Service Managers, All Other | $83,080 | 30 |
Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
Schools
| School | Credential | Median debt | Graduate earnings, 2 yrs | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aveda Institute-Denver Denver | Undergraduate certificate | $9,833 | $22,699 (331 grads) | 295 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Denver Lakewood | Undergraduate certificate | $9,833 | $22,681 (95 grads) | 194 |
| TIGI Hairdressing Academy Legacy Colorado Springs | Undergraduate certificate | $12,500 | $20,225 (177 grads) | 118 |
| Avalon Institute-Aurora Aurora | Undergraduate certificate | $6,185 | $19,592 (77 grads) | 177 |
| IBMC College Fort Collins | Undergraduate certificate | $6,399 | $19,196 (144 grads) | 245 |
| Pueblo Community College Pueblo | Associate's degree | — | $18,771 (14 grads) | 2 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs | Undergraduate certificate | $9,834 | $17,076 (143 grads) | 157 |
| Pickens Technical College Aurora | Undergraduate certificate | — | $16,730 (48 grads) | 74 |
| International Salon and Spa Academy Colorado Springs | Undergraduate certificate | $6,333 | $16,683 (177 grads) | 144 |
| Empire Beauty School-Aurora Aurora | Undergraduate certificate | $10,667 | $16,649 (1,200 grads) | 17 |
| Empire Beauty School-Littleton Littleton | Undergraduate certificate | $10,667 | $16,649 (1,200 grads) | 25 |
| Empire Beauty School-Thornton Thornton | Undergraduate certificate | $12,000 | $16,510 (1,061 grads) | 36 |
| Trinidad State College Trinidad | Undergraduate certificate | — | $15,922 (19 grads) | 42 |
| Cheeks Beauty Academy Loveland | Undergraduate certificate | $6,799 | $15,552 (86 grads) | 32 |
| Intellitec College-Grand Junction Grand Junction | Undergraduate certificate | $10,925 | $13,290 (94 grads) | 102 |
| Emily Griffith Technical College Denver | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 187 |
| Northeastern Junior College Sterling | Undergraduate certificate | $6,500 | not published | 26 |
| Stacey James Institute Parker | Undergraduate certificate | $6,333 | not published | 109 |
| Technical College of the Rockies Delta | Undergraduate certificate | $5,500 | not published | 98 |
| The Salon Professional Academy-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs | Undergraduate certificate | $6,333 | not published | 67 |
| Arapahoe Community College Littleton | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 30 |
| Arapahoe Community College Littleton | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| Colorado Northwestern Community College Rangely | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 3 |
| Colorado Northwestern Community College Rangely | Associate's degree | — | not published | 1 |
| Lamar Community College Lamar | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 11 |
| Lamar Community College Lamar | Associate's degree | — | not published | 6 |
| Otero College La Junta | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 5 |
| Pickens Technical College Aurora | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| Pueblo Community College Pueblo | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 66 |
| Red Rocks Community College Lakewood | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 59 |
| Red Rocks Community College Lakewood | Associate's degree | — | not published | 2 |
| Tuana European Beauty Academy Fort Collins | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
A dash under earnings or debt means the U.S. Department of Education has not published a figure for that program — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates, which covers about four of every five programs. It never means zero, and it says nothing about whether the program is any good. Where a figure is shown, the number of graduates behind it is shown with it.
Email me when these figures change
The U.S. Department of Education publishes new cost, debt and earnings figures once a year, and every number on this page changes at once. One email when that happens for Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services — nothing else, and nothing in between.
Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.