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Cosmetology schools in Colorado
Colorado has 51 accredited campuses awarding cosmetology credentials. If you finish and work as a cosmetologist in Colorado, expect to start around $31,520–$35,330 and reach a median of $37,690 with experience; the top quarter earn $59,710 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, Colorado). Graduates of these Colorado programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $20,058 in their first year, against $17,178 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists earn in Colorado
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 6,820 employed in Colorado. National median: $35,790.
Campuses in Colorado, ranked by what their graduates earned
Cities: ArvadaAuroraCentennialColorado SpringsDeltaDenverDurangoFort CollinsGlenwood SpringsGrand JunctionGreeleyHighlands RanchLa JuntaLakewoodLamarLittletonLovelandParkerPuebloRangelySterlingThorntonTrinidadWestminsterWindsor
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aveda Institute-Denver | Denver | for-profit career college | 128 | $24,581 | $9,833 | 84% | $23,384 |
| Avalon Institute-Aurora | Aurora | for-profit career college | 45 | $24,385 | $6,185 | 81% | $18,785 |
| Pickens Technical College | Aurora | Public technical college | 44 | $24,178 | not reported | 76% | not reported |
| United Beauty College | Denver | for-profit career college | 2 | $23,591 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Elevate Salon Institute-Westminster | Westminster | for-profit career college | 10 | $21,993 | $6,333 | not reported | not reported |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Denver | Lakewood | for-profit career school | 89 | $21,202 | $9,833 | 78% | $29,544 |
| Tigi Hairdressing Academy-Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs | for-profit career school | 55 | $21,023 | $12,500 | 60% | $29,045 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs | for-profit career school | 50 | $20,630 | $9,834 | 85% | $27,557 |
| The Salon Professional Academy-Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs | for-profit career school | 13 | $20,058 | $6,333 | 66% | $16,917 |
| IBMC College | Fort Collins | for-profit career college | 192 | $19,877 | $6,399 | 86% | $37,025 |
| International Salon and Spa Academy | Colorado Springs | for-profit career school | 37 | $19,561 | $6,333 | 73% | $28,172 |
| Emily Griffith Technical College | Denver | Public technical college | 107 | $19,081 | not reported | 97% | $13,995 |
| Cheeks Beauty Academy | Loveland | for-profit career school | 17 | $18,450 | $6,799 | 72% | $14,861 |
| Technical College of the Rockies | Delta | Public technical college | 38 | $18,272 | $5,500 | 96% | $9,051 |
| Empire Beauty School-Littleton | Littleton | for-profit career school | 33 | $17,754 | $10,667 | 65% | $21,743 |
| Empire Beauty School-Aurora | Aurora | for-profit career school | 20 | $17,754 | $10,667 | 41% | $22,990 |
| Empire Beauty School-Thornton | Thornton | for-profit career school | 35 | $15,988 | $12,000 | 58% | $21,857 |
| Intellitec College-Grand Junction | Grand Junction | for-profit career college | 130 | $13,645 | $10,925 | 63% | $25,537 |
| Trinidad State College | Trinidad | Public college | 68 | $12,709 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Arapahoe Community College | Littleton | Public college | 81 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Pueblo Community College | Pueblo | Public college | 56 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Red Rocks Community College | Lakewood | Public college | 53 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Stacey James Institute | Parker | for-profit career college | 43 | not reported | $6,333 | 81% | $19,155 |
| Lamar Community College | Lamar | Public community college | 28 | not reported | not reported | 55% | not reported |
| Otero College | La Junta | Public community college | 17 | not reported | not reported | 38% | not reported |
| Northeastern Junior College | Sterling | Public community college | 15 | not reported | $6,500 | 57% | not reported |
| Colorado Northwestern Community College | Rangely | Public community college | 10 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Tuana European Beauty Academy | Fort Collins | for-profit career school | 9 | not reported | not reported | 78% | $22,233 |
| Academy of Cosmetology Arts | Denver | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Accent Beauty Academy, LLC | Denver | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Center Beauty College | Pueblo | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Cosmo Beauty Academy | Aurora | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Cuttin Up Beauty Academy | Denver | career school | — | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Designing Beauty Academy | Windsor | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Elysian Academy of Cosmetology | Greeley | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| GL Beauty Academy | Arvada | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Glenwood Beauty College | Glenwood Springs | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Hair Fusion Training Institute | Durango | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Institute of Modern Beauty - Centennial | Centennial | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Institute of Modern Beauty - Fort Collins | Fort Collins | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Institute of Modern Beauty - Thornton | Thornton | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| JBe Beauty Training Studio LLC | Denver | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Lizzie's Beauty Shop | Durango | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| MANA Collaborative Beauty Studio + Training Center | Highlands Ranch | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Max International Beauty School | Aurora | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Pueblo School of Cosmetology | Pueblo | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| The Beauty Collective Academy | Lakewood | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| The Hair & Skin Refinery | Loveland | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| United College of Health and Beauty | Littleton | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Victoria James Signature Salon Schools | Loveland | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
| Westland Beauty Academy - Lakewood | Lakewood | State-licensed school | — | Licensed by the state board; not in federal aid, so no federal outcome data is reported. | |||
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.