Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor — headline outcomes are in the stats below. Median in-state published tuition is about $3,448.
Key Statistics
Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor: what the data shows
Common questions about cosmetology, barber/styling, and nail instructor degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a cosmetology, barber/styling, and nail instructor degree?
A Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor program is classified under NCES CIP 12.0413 in the Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services field family (12.04).
A program that prepares cosmetologists, barbers, stylists, nail technicians, and other grooming specialists to teach their specializations in licensed and accredited schools of cosmetology and barbering, and to prepare for licensure as instructors. Includes instruction in cosmetology arts and sciences teaching principles; student learning styles; professional curricula development; instructional planning; instructional methods and aids; student counseling and career assistance; test development; and classroom/clinic management
Types of cosmetology, barber/styling, and nail instructor degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 12.04 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist (CIP 12.0409)
- Barbering/Barber (CIP 12.0402)
- Cosmetology & Personal Grooming Services (CIP 12.0401)
- Design (CIP 12.0404)
- Facial Treatment Specialist/Facialist (CIP 12.0408)
- Hair Styling/Stylist and Hair Design (CIP 12.0407)
- Make-Up Artist/Specialist (CIP 12.0406)
- Master Aesthetician/Esthetician (CIP 12.0414)
- Nail Technician/Specialist and Manicurist (CIP 12.0410)
- Permanent Cosmetics/Makeup and Tattooing (CIP 12.0411)
- Salon/Beauty Salon Management/Manager (CIP 12.0412)
How long does it take to get a cosmetology, barber/styling, and nail instructor degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 12.0413 in our file:
- 5 Associate (100.0% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
Is a cosmetology, barber/styling, and nail instructor degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $3,448 and median net price is $14,266.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$3,448 Median In-State Public
$13,713 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor majors are, on average, $3,448 for in-state public colleges, and $13,713 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lone Star College System | TX | 45,188 |
| 2 | Lone Star College System | TX | 45,188 |
| 3 | Houston Community College | TX | 40,503 |
| 4 | Houston Community College | TX | 40,503 |
| 5 | NUC University | PR | 28,918 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barstow Community College | CA | $1,104 |
| 2 | Barstow Community College | CA | $1,104 |
| 3 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
| 4 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
| 5 | Compton College | CA | $1,142 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $480 |
| 2 | College of San Mateo | CA | $536 |
| 3 | College of San Mateo | CA | $536 |
| 4 | Wiregrass Georgia Technical College | GA | $614 |
| 5 | Southern Regional Technical College | GA | $813 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 12.04 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist CIP 12.0409
- Barbering/Barber CIP 12.0402
- Cosmetology & Personal Grooming Services CIP 12.0401
- Design CIP 12.0404
- Facial Treatment Specialist/Facialist CIP 12.0408
- Hair Styling/Stylist and Hair Design CIP 12.0407
- Make-Up Artist/Specialist CIP 12.0406
- Master Aesthetician/Esthetician CIP 12.0414
- Nail Technician/Specialist and Manicurist CIP 12.0410
- Permanent Cosmetics/Makeup and Tattooing CIP 12.0411
- Salon/Beauty Salon Management/Manager CIP 12.0412
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 12.0413 in the survey year used in our extract (5 total across levels below).
- 5 Associate (100.0% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$N/A Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor majors is $N/A.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor majors.
Occupations by Share
N/A 2023 Workforce
The number of Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor.
Age distribution for Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
1,436 Total Degrees Awarded
158 Male (11.00%)
1,278 Female (89.00%)
Gender distribution of Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
473 White (32.94%)
447 Black or African American (31.13%)
377 Hispanic or Latino (26.25%)
42 Two or More Races (2.92%)
38 Asian (2.65%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor majors.
About
A program that prepares cosmetologists, barbers, stylists, nail technicians, and other grooming specialists to teach their specializations in licensed and accredited schools of cosmetology and barbering, and to prepare for licensure as instructors. Includes instruction in cosmetology arts and sciences teaching principles; student learning styles; professional curricula development; instructional planning; instructional methods and aids; student counseling and career assistance; test development; and classroom/clinic management
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor.
CIP Code
12.0413 - Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor
What the data shows
Women earned 89.0% of 1,436 Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $3,448 in-state at public colleges and $13,713 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.