Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services programs in Pennsylvania
67 schools in Pennsylvania teach this, at certificate or associate level. 36 of them report what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $21,312 at Penn Commercial Business/Technical School.
What this work pays in Pennsylvania
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists in Pennsylvania earn a median of $36,790 a year across 19,350 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 Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Manicurists and Pedicurists | $27,990 | 9,610 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers | $47,990 | 8,980 |
| Skincare Specialists | $43,620 | 2,560 |
| Shampooers | $26,130 | 1,000 |
| Barbers | $36,920 | 530 |
Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
Schools
| School | Credential | Median debt | Graduate earnings, 2 yrs | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn Commercial Business/Technical School Washington | Undergraduate certificate | $7,638 | $21,312 (32 grads) | 67 |
| Lancaster School of Cosmetology & Therapeutic Bodywork Lancaster | Undergraduate certificate | $3,167 | $20,276 (96 grads) | 141 |
| Douglas Education Center Monessen | Associate's degree | $12,000 | $19,508 (127 grads) | 63 |
| Clearfield County Career and Technology Center Clearfield | Undergraduate certificate | — | $19,455 (14 grads) | — |
| South Hills Beauty Academy Pittsburgh | Undergraduate certificate | $3,431 | $19,426 (147 grads) | 317 |
| Metro Beauty Academy Allentown | Undergraduate certificate | $9,583 | $18,771 (172 grads) | 209 |
| Great Lakes Institute of Technology Erie | Undergraduate certificate | $11,906 | $18,600 (91 grads) | 101 |
| Bella Capelli Academy Monroeville | Undergraduate certificate | $8,028 | $18,520 (239 grads) | 216 |
| Lansdale School of Cosmetology Inc Lansdale | Undergraduate certificate | — | $18,498 (24 grads) | 37 |
| Empire Beauty School-Pottsville Pottsville | Undergraduate certificate | $12,500 | $17,848 (900 grads) | 44 |
| Empire Beauty School-Cheltenham Wyncote | Undergraduate certificate | $12,090 | $17,416 (1,156 grads) | 70 |
| Empire Beauty School-Reading Reading | Undergraduate certificate | $12,090 | $17,416 (1,156 grads) | 43 |
| Empire Beauty School-Wyoming Valley Moosic | Undergraduate certificate | $12,090 | $17,416 (1,156 grads) | 58 |
| Empire Beauty School-York York | Undergraduate certificate | $12,090 | $17,416 (1,156 grads) | 48 |
| Laurel Technical Institute Hermitage | Undergraduate certificate | $7,971 | $17,242 (12 grads) | 21 |
| Empire Beauty School-Center City Philadelphia Philadelphia | Undergraduate certificate | $11,743 | $16,897 (1,143 grads) | 75 |
| Empire Beauty School-Harrisburg Harrisburg | Undergraduate certificate | $11,743 | $16,897 (1,143 grads) | 57 |
| Empire Beauty School-Lebanon Lebanon | Undergraduate certificate | $11,743 | $16,897 (1,143 grads) | 28 |
| Empire Beauty School-North Hills Pittsburgh | Undergraduate certificate | $11,743 | $16,897 (1,143 grads) | 25 |
| Empire Beauty School-Hanover Hanover | Undergraduate certificate | $13,583 | $16,527 (1,029 grads) | 30 |
| Empire Beauty School-NE Philadelphia Philadelphia | Undergraduate certificate | $13,583 | $16,527 (1,029 grads) | 56 |
| Empire Beauty School-Lehigh Valley Whitehall | Undergraduate certificate | $13,000 | $16,342 (1,052 grads) | 49 |
| Empire Beauty School-Lancaster Lancaster | Undergraduate certificate | $13,000 | $16,342 (1,052 grads) | 30 |
| Empire Beauty School-Monroeville Monroeville | Undergraduate certificate | $13,000 | $16,342 (1,052 grads) | 49 |
| Empire Beauty School-Shamokin Dam Shamokin Dam | Undergraduate certificate | $13,000 | $16,342 (1,052 grads) | 34 |
| Empire Beauty School-Springfield Springfield | Undergraduate certificate | $13,000 | $16,342 (1,052 grads) | 95 |
| Empire Beauty School-West Mifflin West Mifflin | Undergraduate certificate | $13,000 | $16,342 (1,052 grads) | 39 |
| The Beauty Institute-Ambler Ambler | Undergraduate certificate | $10,556 | $16,272 (126 grads) | 193 |
| Jean Madeline Aveda Institute Philadelphia | Undergraduate certificate | $9,588 | $16,061 (252 grads) | 253 |
| The Beauty Institute Whitehall | Undergraduate certificate | $10,726 | $15,861 (35 grads) | 89 |
| Douglas Education Center Monessen | Undergraduate certificate | $8,750 | $15,633 (66 grads) | 83 |
| The Salon Professional Academy-Altoona Altoona | Undergraduate certificate | $8,028 | $15,552 (45 grads) | 48 |
| Venus Beauty Academy Aston | Undergraduate certificate | $8,027 | $15,552 (39 grads) | 59 |
| Barber and Beauty Academy of Pennsylvania Harrisburg | Undergraduate certificate | $4,236 | $15,048 (26 grads) | 109 |
| The Beauty Institute Stroudsburg | Undergraduate certificate | $11,436 | $14,543 (41 grads) | 62 |
| Altoona Beauty School Inc Altoona | Undergraduate certificate | $4,750 | $13,702 (71 grads) | 102 |
| American Barber and Beauty Academy Reading | Undergraduate certificate | $11,346 | not published | 111 |
| Barber School of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh | Undergraduate certificate | $13,583 | not published | 69 |
| Beauty Culture School, LLC Feasterville | Undergraduate certificate | $8,189 | not published | 107 |
| Butler Beauty Academy Butler | Undergraduate certificate | $8,000 | not published | 21 |
| Butler Beauty Academy-Kittanning Beauty Academy Kittanning | Undergraduate certificate | $8,000 | not published | 15 |
| Butler Beauty Academy-New Castle Beauty Academy New Castle | Undergraduate certificate | $8,000 | not published | 20 |
| Champ's Barber School Lancaster | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 12 |
| Champ's Barber School-Lebanon Lebanon | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| Fountain of Youth Academy of Cosmetology Pittsburgh | Undergraduate certificate | $6,333 | not published | 65 |
| Laurel Technical Institute Uniontown | Undergraduate certificate | $12,000 | not published | 91 |
| Premier Barber Institute Norristown | Undergraduate certificate | $13,583 | not published | 28 |
| Barber School of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| Beauty Culture School, LLC Feasterville | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| Berks Career & Technology Center Leesport | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Butler Beauty Academy Butler | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| Butler County Community College Butler | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology Pleasant Gap | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 7 |
| Community College of Allegheny County Pittsburgh | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 7 |
| Cortiva Institute King of Prussia | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 22 |
| Cutting Edge Barber Academy Lancaster | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| Fayette County Career & Technical Institute Practical Nursing Program Uniontown | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 21 |
| Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center Johnstown | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 12 |
| Indiana County Technology Center Indiana | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 10 |
| Laurel Technical Institute Hermitage | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| Laurel Technical Institute Uniontown | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| Lehigh Valley Barber School Bethlehem | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 25 |
| Somerset County Technology Center Somerset | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 6 |
| Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center Springville | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 16 |
| The Salon Professional Academy Collegeville | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 107 |
| World A Cuts Barber Institute York | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| York County School of Technology-Adult & Continuing Education York | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 9 |
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.