Barbering/Barber Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Barbering/Barber maps to BLS occupations averaging about $64,987, with roughly 1,596,050 workers nationwide in those roles. About 10,441 bachelor's completions in IPEDS 2023; median program completion runs near 56%.
Key Statistics
Barbering/Barber: what the data shows
Common questions about barbering/barber degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a barbering/barber degree?
A Barbering/Barber program is classified under NCES CIP 12.0402 in the Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services field family (12.04).
A program that prepares individuals to shave and trim facial/neck hair and beards, cut and dress hair, fit hairpieces, give facial and scalp massages, apply cosmetic treatments, and to prepare for licensure as professional barbers at various levels. Includes instruction in facial shaving; beard and mustache shaping and trimming; shampooing; hair cutting; hair styles and styling art; facial treatments and massage; chemical applications; hair and scalp anatomy and physiology; hairpiece and toupee fitting; equipment operation; health and safety; customer service; and shop business practices
IPEDS counted 12,398 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of barbering/barber 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)
- Cosmetology & Personal Grooming Services (CIP 12.0401)
- 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 barbering/barber degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 12.0402 in our file:
- 20 Associate (0.2% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 10,441 Bachelor's (95.1% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 20 Master's (0.2% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
- 500 Doctorate (4.6% 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 barbering/barber?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Writing, Critical Thinking, Service Orientation, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Teachers, Postsecondary (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 12.0402, 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 barbering/barber degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Barbering/Barber to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,500,000 | — |
| Secondary School Teachers | 1,072,540 | $64,580 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a barbering/barber degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $10,108 and median net price is $17,704.
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 Barbering/Barber and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$10,108 Median In-State Public
$55,339 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Barbering/Barber majors are, on average, $10,108 for in-state public colleges, and $55,339 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Barbering/Barber programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
12,398 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Barbering/Barber from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Barbering/Barber.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,398 |
| 2 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,099 |
| 3 | University of Central Florida | FL | 59,095 |
| 4 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 44,617 |
| 5 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | 42,100 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Barbering/Barber programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pasadena City College | CA | $1,180 |
| 2 | Lee College | TX | $2,166 |
| 3 | New Mexico State University-Dona Ana | NM | $2,322 |
| 4 | Pima Community College | AZ | $2,370 |
| 5 | Austin Community College District | TX | $2,550 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Barbering/Barber programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi Delta Community College | MS | $2,276 |
| 2 | Pima Community College | AZ | $3,123 |
| 3 | Pasadena City College | CA | $3,123 |
| 4 | Copiah-Lincoln Community College | MS | $3,472 |
| 5 | CUNY City College | NY | $3,486 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Barbering/Barber programs.
Graduation Rates
56.18% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
54.85% Average Graduation Rate
247 Institutions Reporting
37.54% - 69.55% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Barbering/Barber 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
- Cosmetology & Personal Grooming Services CIP 12.0401
- 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
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 12.0402 in the survey year used in our extract (10,981 total across levels below).
- 20 Associate (0.2% of IPEDS total)
- 10,441 Bachelor's (95.1% of IPEDS total)
- 20 Master's (0.2% of IPEDS total)
- 500 Doctorate (4.6% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $64,987. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Barbering/Barber graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers, Postsecondary | $36,511 | 1,500,000 |
| Secondary School Teachers | $104,813 | 1,072,540 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
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
$40,621 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Barbering/Barber majors is $40,621.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Barbering/Barber majors.
Occupations by Share
1,596,050 2023 Workforce
The number of Barbering/Barber graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Barbering/Barber by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Barbering/Barber in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Barbering/Barber.
Age distribution for Barbering/Barber degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
12,398 Total Degrees Awarded
9,282 Male (74.87%)
3,116 Female (25.13%)
Gender distribution of Barbering/Barber degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
5,600 Hispanic or Latino (45.17%)
3,924 Black or African American (31.65%)
1,910 White (15.41%)
364 Two or More Races (2.94%)
244 Asian (1.97%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Barbering/Barber degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Barbering/Barber are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Barbering/Barber.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Barbering/Barber field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Barbering/Barber majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Barbering/Barber 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 Barbering/Barber majors.
About
A program that prepares individuals to shave and trim facial/neck hair and beards, cut and dress hair, fit hairpieces, give facial and scalp massages, apply cosmetic treatments, and to prepare for licensure as professional barbers at various levels. Includes instruction in facial shaving; beard and mustache shaping and trimming; shampooing; hair cutting; hair styles and styling art; facial treatments and massage; chemical applications; hair and scalp anatomy and physiology; hairpiece and toupee fitting; equipment operation; health and safety; customer service; and shop business practices
In 2023, 12,398 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Barbering/Barber.
CIP Code
12.0402 - Barbering/Barber
What the data shows
Men earned 25.1% of 12,398 Barbering/Barber completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $64,987. The largest mapped role by headcount is Teachers, Postsecondary (1,500,000 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $10,108 in-state at public colleges and $55,339 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.