Active Report Report ID: EDU-212276-2026

Empire Beauty School-Lancaster

Lancaster, PA 17603

Avg. net price$17,135After aid
Graduation rate85.29%150% time
Median salary$25,07310yr post-entry
ROI266%10yr vs net cost

About Empire Beauty School-Lancaster

Empire Beauty School-Lancaster is a private for-profit trade school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, enrolling about 85 students. Programs focus on certificates and workforce credentials that prepare students for skilled trades and technical careers. The published completion rate is about 85.29% at 150% of normal time. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $25,073 among students who received federal aid.

Key findings

  • Completion within 150% of normal time is 85.29%.
  • Median earnings 10 years after entry are $25,073.

Research findings

01

Finding

Modeled return on investment at Empire Beauty School-Lancaster is strong.

Estimated ROI reaches about 266% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.

— Evidence from EDsmart Data analysis

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
Empire Beauty School-Lancaster$17,1351
Private For-profit (national median)$16,637477
Pennsylvania (state median)$19,450$17,754181
Rural (locale median)$14,160$18,7001,649
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.

Cost

How expensive is Empire Beauty School-Lancaster really?

Source College Scorecard + EDsmart aggregatesMethod Sticker vs net; peer mediansUpdated 2026 extractCoverage Undergraduate (Title IV net price)Confidence Federal extract

Key findings

  • Average net price runs below the Pennsylvania median net price.

Evidence: average net price at Empire Beauty School-Lancaster versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.

Average net price

What undergraduates typically pay

Finding Average net price at Empire Beauty School-Lancaster is $17,135.

Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $17,135 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $618 below the Pennsylvania median net price. Versus rural campuses, net price runs $1,565 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.

School guide

Empire Beauty School-Lancaster: research record

Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Empire Beauty School-Lancaster—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

$17,135

Net price by family income

Income bracketAvg. annual net price
$0–$30,000$15,950
$30,001–$48,000$16,994
$48,001–$75,000$17,701
$75,001–$110,000$20,373
$110,001+$20,372

Student outcomes

First-year retention86.8%

Share of first-year students returning the following fall.

$19,285Median earnings (6 years after entry)

Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.

Is Empire Beauty School-Lancaster a good school?

Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.

Empire Beauty School-Lancaster 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.

Strong completionEarnings outcomes
Campus snapshot

More from the data

Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Empire Beauty School-Lancaster.

Campus

Location

Lancaster, PA

City / state

ZIP
17603
NCES locale
Rural fringe

Compared with Rural campuses nationally, net price is 8% below the median for Rural campuses ($18,700 median).

Control

Institution type

Private For-profit

Control

Region
Mid East

Size

Enrollment

85

Total enrollment

Undergraduate
132
Full-time share
72%

Student aid

Debt & aid

$13,000

Median federal loan debt

Pell grant share
57.97%
Cost detail

Total Cost, Aid & Default

Total Cost of Attendance

$68,540Estimated 4-year total cost
$17,135Average annual net price (after aid)

Costs include tuition and fees. Room & board, books, and other expenses are additional where not shown.

Tuition vs average net price after aid for Empire Beauty School-Lancaster.

Financial Aid by Income Level

57.97% Undergraduates receiving aid through grants
55.07% Undergraduates receiving aid through loans

Financial aid distribution by income level.

Student Loan Default Rate

0.00% 3-year cohort default rate (College Scorecard)

The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Empire Beauty School-Lancaster was 0.00%.

Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.

Multi-year tracker

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 Empire Beauty School-Lancaster in that year.

Reporting years in the table below: 20132023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).

Year In-state tuition & fees Out-of-state tuition & fees Average net price
2013$13,772
2014$13,820
2015$14,734
2016$15,076
2017$15,416
2018$16,182
2019$16,216
2020$16,591
2021$17,951
2022$17,234
2023$16,660

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.

Access

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.

Student body

Enrollment & Student Demographics

Empire Beauty School-Lancaster reported total enrollment of about 85 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 0% male and 100% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (36.5%), Hispanic or Latino (27.1%), and Two or More Races (14.1%). About 57.97% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 57.0% of students are first-generation college students.

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

71.8% Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Empire Beauty School-Lancaster in 2024 is 85 students.

Undergraduate enrollment is about 132 students.

Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.

Retention Rate over Time

86.8%
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

36.5%White or Caucasian
9Reported race/ethnicity groups

Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.

  • White or Caucasian36.5%
  • Hispanic or Latino27.1%
  • Two or More Races14.1%
  • Black or African American12.9%
  • Race/ethnicity unknown7.1%
  • Asian1.2%
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander1.2%
  • American Indian or Alaska Native0.0%
  • Non-Resident Alien0.0%

College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).

Outcomes

Do students complete their programs?

Time to Complete

0.00% 100% Completion Time

85.29% 150% Completion Time

In 2024, 0.00% of students graduating from Empire Beauty School-Lancaster completed their program within 100% "normal time".

Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.

Completions by Sex (Top Programs)

  • Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General: 0% male / 100% female
  • Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor: 0% male / 100% female

IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).

Completions by Race & Ethnicity

26White or Caucasian
7Reported groups

Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.

  • White or Caucasian26
  • Hispanic or Latino21
  • Black or African American6
  • Asian4
  • Two or More Races4
  • American Indian or Alaska Native0
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander0

Summed across program completion records in our extract.

Outcomes & academic profile

Empire Beauty School-Lancaster graduates earn a median of $25,073 ten years after entry

Source College ScorecardMethod Earnings + debt + net price modelsUpdated 2026 extractCoverage Institution-wideConfidence Federal extract

Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Empire Beauty School-Lancaster.

Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $25,073. Median federal loan debt: $13,000. Average net price used in cost models: $17,135.

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 Empire Beauty School-Lancaster graduates report median earnings of $25,073 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.

Return on Investment

266%Modeled return on investment
$13,000Median student debt
$25,073Median annual earnings (10 years)
51.85%Debt-to-earnings ratio
5.2 yearsEstimated payback period

Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Empire Beauty School-Lancaster.

Top Programs by Completions

Largest 2 programs by IPEDS completions (3 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).

IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Empire Beauty School-Lancaster.

Employment Outcomes

$25,073Median earnings (10 years after entry)
$19,285Median earnings (6 years after entry)
$23,223Median earnings (8 years after entry)
76.94%Working & not enrolled (8-year cohort share)

Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Empire Beauty School-Lancaster graduates.

Institutional resources

Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Empire Beauty School-Lancaster—instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.

Instructional Resources

  • Instructional expenditure per FTE: $5,292
    • Pennsylvania median 0.61× the median ($8,615)
    • Mid East median 0.58× the median ($9,164)
    • U.S. median 0.73× 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.

Empire Beauty School-Lancaster at a glance

Institution snapshot

Empire Beauty School-Lancaster

Lancaster, PA 17603 · Private For-profit · Mid East

Empire Beauty School-Lancaster is a private for-profit institution in Lancaster, PA.

Avg. net price$17,135
Enrollment85
Completion (150%)85.29%
Pell Grant share57.97%
First-generation57.0%
Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, GeneralCosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor
Largest enrollment groups
White or Caucasian36.5%
Hispanic or Latino27.1%
Two or More Races14.1%
Nearby

Schools near Empire Beauty School-Lancaster

Other campuses in Lancaster, PA when available, plus nearby institutions in Pennsylvania.

Peers

Similar schools

Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade C) within Pennsylvania, then by similar ownership and admissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Empire Beauty School-Lancaster located?

Empire Beauty School-Lancaster is located in Lancaster, PA.

How much does Empire Beauty School-Lancaster cost?

Reported tuition is N/A and average net price is $17,135 in the latest College Scorecard data.

What explains Empire Beauty School-Lancaster's return on investment in EDsmart Data?

EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($17,135), completion (85.3% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($25,073). 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 Empire Beauty School-Lancaster?

Empire Beauty School-Lancaster reports undergraduate enrollment of about 132 students, White (36.5%), Hispanic or Latino (27.1%) in federal College Scorecard data.

How many first-generation students attend Empire Beauty School-Lancaster?

About 57.0% of students at Empire Beauty School-Lancaster are first-generation college students.

What do graduates of Empire Beauty School-Lancaster earn?

Median earnings are $19,285 six years after entry and $25,073 ten years after entry.

What is the graduation rate at Empire Beauty School-Lancaster?

The 150%-time completion rate is 85.3% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.

How much debt do Empire Beauty School-Lancaster students have?

Median federal loan debt among completers is $13,000.

Is Empire Beauty School-Lancaster public or private?

Empire Beauty School-Lancaster is a private for-profit institution located in Lancaster, PA.

Is Empire Beauty School-Lancaster an HBCU?

No. Empire Beauty School-Lancaster is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.

Is Empire Beauty School-Lancaster a tribal college?

No. Empire Beauty School-Lancaster is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.

Is Empire Beauty School-Lancaster a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI)?

By the common federal eligibility proxy used here (≥25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard), yes—Empire Beauty School-Lancaster reports 27.1% Hispanic enrollment share.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

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.