Charleston Cosmetology Institute
Charleston, SC 29420
About Charleston Cosmetology Institute
Charleston Cosmetology Institute is a private for-profit trade school in Charleston, South Carolina, enrolling about 100 students. Programs focus on certificates and workforce credentials that prepare students for skilled trades and technical careers. The published completion rate is about 54.72% at 150% of normal time. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $25,812 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $25,812.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Charleston Cosmetology Institute is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 315% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston Cosmetology Institute | — | $15,548 | 1 |
| Private For-profit (national median) | $16,637 | — | 477 |
| South Carolina (state median) | $12,978 | $11,376 | 63 |
| Suburban (locale median) | $13,135 | $18,048 | 684 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is Charleston Cosmetology Institute really?
Evidence: average net price at Charleston Cosmetology Institute versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Charleston Cosmetology Institute is $15,548.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $15,548 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $4,172 above the South Carolina median net price. Versus suburban campuses, net price runs $2,500 below the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Charleston Cosmetology Institute: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Charleston Cosmetology Institute—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Avg. net price
$15,548
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $11,681 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $15,647 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $15,940 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $17,045 |
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Charleston Cosmetology Institute is known for
Top program completions
- Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General25
- Real Estate Development21
- Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist18
See earnings & programs for more.
Is Charleston Cosmetology Institute a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Charleston Cosmetology Institute is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Charleston Cosmetology Institute.
Campus
Location
Charleston, SC
City / state
- ZIP
- 29420
- NCES locale
- Suburb
Compared with Suburban campuses nationally, net price is 14% below the median for Suburban campuses ($18,048 median).
Control
Institution type
Private For-profit
Control
- Region
- Southeast
Size
Enrollment
100
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 125
- Full-time share
- 77%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$5,655
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 47.54%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Costs include tuition and fees. Room & board, books, and other expenses are additional where not shown.
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Charleston Cosmetology Institute.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Charleston Cosmetology Institute was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Charleston Cosmetology Institute in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | — | — | $12,337 |
| 2014 | — | — | $14,413 |
| 2015 | — | — | $17,344 |
| 2016 | — | — | $16,531 |
| 2017 | — | — | $16,438 |
| 2018 | — | — | $19,327 |
| 2019 | — | — | $19,241 |
| 2020 | — | — | $16,188 |
| 2021 | — | — | $12,479 |
| 2022 | — | — | $11,454 |
| 2023 | — | — | $15,686 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.
Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Charleston Cosmetology Institute reported total enrollment of about 100 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 3% male and 97% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes Black or African American (54.0%), White (32.0%), and Hispanic or Latino (10.0%). About 47.54% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 57.9% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
77.0% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Charleston Cosmetology Institute in 2024 is 100 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 125 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
66.7%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
33.96% 100% Completion Time
54.72% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 33.96% of students graduating from Charleston Cosmetology Institute completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General: 4% male / 96% female
- Real Estate Development: 5% male / 95% female
- Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist: 0% male / 100% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Charleston Cosmetology Institute graduates earn a median of $25,812 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Charleston Cosmetology Institute.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $25,812. Median federal loan debt: $5,655. Average net price used in cost models: $15,548.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Charleston Cosmetology Institute graduates report median earnings of $25,812 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Charleston Cosmetology Institute.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 3 programs by IPEDS completions (4 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Charleston Cosmetology Institute.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Charleston Cosmetology Institute graduates.
Institutional resources
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Charleston Cosmetology Institute—instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Instructional Resources
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $5,662
- South Carolina median 0.70× the median ($8,125)
- Southeast median 0.86× the median ($6,602)
- U.S. median 0.78× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Scorecard instructional metrics where reported.
Charleston Cosmetology Institute at a glance
Charleston Cosmetology Institute
Charleston Cosmetology Institute is a private for-profit institution in Charleston, SC.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, GeneralReal Estate DevelopmentAesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist
- Largest enrollment groups
- Black or African American54.0%White or Caucasian32.0%Hispanic or Latino10.0%
Schools near Charleston Cosmetology Institute
Other campuses in Charleston, SC when available, plus nearby institutions in South Carolina.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade D) within South Carolina, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Charleston Cosmetology Institute located?
Charleston Cosmetology Institute is located in Charleston, SC.
How much does Charleston Cosmetology Institute cost?
Reported tuition is N/A and average net price is $15,548 in the latest College Scorecard data.
What explains Charleston Cosmetology Institute's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($15,548), completion (54.7% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($25,812). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Charleston Cosmetology Institute?
Charleston Cosmetology Institute reports undergraduate enrollment of about 125 students, Black or African American (54.0%), White (32.0%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Charleston Cosmetology Institute?
About 57.9% of students at Charleston Cosmetology Institute are first-generation college students.
What do graduates of Charleston Cosmetology Institute earn?
Median earnings are $24,879 six years after entry and $25,812 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Charleston Cosmetology Institute?
The 150%-time completion rate is 54.7% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Charleston Cosmetology Institute students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $5,655.
Is Charleston Cosmetology Institute public or private?
Charleston Cosmetology Institute is a private for-profit institution located in Charleston, SC.
Is Charleston Cosmetology Institute an HBCU?
No. Charleston Cosmetology Institute is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Is Charleston Cosmetology Institute a tribal college?
No. Charleston Cosmetology Institute is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.
Is Charleston Cosmetology Institute a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI)?
Using a 25% Hispanic enrollment threshold on College Scorecard demographics, Charleston Cosmetology Institute does not meet that proxy (reported share 10.0%).
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
- Related geography & profiles
- South Carolina college profile
- South Carolina college costs
- South Carolina colleges by ROI
- South Carolina trade schools profile
- Charleston, South Carolina city profile
- Southeast regional profile
- Suburban college profile
- Campus-setting profiles
- All state profiles
- Regional profiles
- National benchmarks
- School directory
- All schools in South Carolina
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 Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.