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Cosmetology Schools in Iowa
20 schools in Iowa offer cosmetology-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 9 registered apprenticeship programs in Iowa train cosmetology apprentices — see apprenticeships. Federal program data groups cosmetology with barbering — schools below may offer any of these.
Occupation pay is what working cosmetology professionals in Iowa earn (all experience levels) — school "earnings" figures above are medians for each school's recent federally-aided students across all its programs, which read lower.
Official license records related to cosmetology in Iowa
From the U.S. Department of Labor's License Finder — these may include contractor, specialty, or related licenses beyond entry-level requirements:
- Cosmetologist License — Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing~Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts & Sciences
Wage and license data provided by CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) and Minnesota DEED.
Schools, ranked by earnings per tuition dollar
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology | Mason City | private for-profit | $4,522 | 74.1% | $27,484 |
| Iowa Central Community College | Fort Dodge | public | $9,328 | 35.8% | $42,046 |
| Faust Institute of Cosmetology-Spirit Lake | Spirit Lake | private for-profit | $5,508 | not reported | $23,784 |
| Northeast Iowa Community College | Calmar | public | $11,272 | 41.7% | $41,306 |
| Iowa Lakes Community College | Estherville | public | $13,933 | 48.4% | $43,108 |
| American Hair Academy | Mt. Pleasant | private for-profit | $11,556 | 65.2% | $28,724 |
| Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines | Des Moines | private for-profit | $12,673 | 80.5% | $25,803 |
| Aveda Institute-Des Moines | West Des Moines | private for-profit | $18,552 | 92.9% | $36,132 |
| Capri College-Dubuque | Dubuque | private for-profit | $15,660 | 75% | $28,266 |
| La James International College-Ft Dodge | Fort Dodge | private for-profit | $14,824 | not reported | $26,679 |
| The Salon Professional Academy-Cedar Falls | Cedar Falls | private for-profit | $11,742 | 51.8% | $20,955 |
| Capri College-Cedar Rapids | Cedar Rapids | private for-profit | $16,541 | 71.8% | $29,307 |
| La James International College-Johnston | Johnston | private for-profit | $15,759 | 79.5% | $27,401 |
| Capri College-Davenport | Davenport | private for-profit | $16,635 | 68.6% | $26,932 |
| Iowa School of Beauty-Sioux City | Sioux City | private for-profit | $16,878 | 59.3% | $26,654 |
| PCI Academy-Ames | Ames | private for-profit | $20,533 | 68.5% | $31,330 |
| PCI Academy-Iowa City | Iowa City | private for-profit | $20,938 | 67.7% | $31,330 |
| La James International College-Cedar Falls | Cedar Falls | private for-profit | $18,569 | 59.5% | $25,575 |
| SOHO Hair Academy | Council Bluffs | private for-profit | $13,198 | 71.1% | $17,349 |
| La James International College-Davenport | Davenport | private for-profit | $17,813 | 82.7% | $23,303 |
Ranking = median earnings 10 years after entry per $1,000 of average yearly net price (methodology). Figures are institution-wide federal medians for each school as a whole — not cosmetology graduates specifically. Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.
Aid deadlines for cosmetology programs in Iowa
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