Cosmetology & Personal Grooming Services Degrees (2026 stats)

Cosmetology & Personal Grooming Services: what the data shows

Common questions about cosmetology & personal grooming services degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.

What is a cosmetology & personal grooming services degree?

A Cosmetology & Personal Grooming Services program is classified under NCES CIP 12.0401 in the Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services field family (12.04).

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.

IPEDS counted 55,875 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.

Types of cosmetology & personal grooming services 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, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor (CIP 12.0413)
• 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 & personal grooming services degree?

Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 12.0401 in our file:

• 1,008 Associate (1.9% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
• 48,135 Bachelor's (92.7% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
• 1,008 Master's (1.9% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
• 1,778 Doctorate (3.4% of IPEDS total)—varies by program

Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.

What do you learn in cosmetology & personal grooming services?

O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Writing, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.

What degree do you need?

For Personal Financial Advisors (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%). Bachelor's awards account for a majority of IPEDS completions for CIP 12.0401, but occupation data show multiple pathways.

O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.

What jobs can you get with a cosmetology & personal grooming services degree?

Our degree→occupation mapping links Cosmetology & Personal Grooming Services to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.

See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.

Is a cosmetology & personal grooming services 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.