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Cosmetology schools in Minnesota
Minnesota has 18 accredited campuses awarding cosmetology credentials. If you finish and work as a cosmetologist in Minnesota, expect to start around $23,590–$34,620 and reach a median of $39,170 with experience; the top quarter earn $59,300 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, Minnesota). Graduates of these Minnesota programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $23,604 in their first year, against $17,178 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists earn in Minnesota
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 5,320 employed in Minnesota. National median: $35,790.
Campuses in Minnesota, ranked by what their graduates earned
Cities: AustinBloomingtonFergus FallsGranite FallsHastingsMankatoMaplewoodMinneapolisPlymouthRochesterSaint CloudSaint PaulSpring Lake ParkWhite Bear LakeWillmarWinonaWoodburyWorthington
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Paul College | Saint Paul | Public | 65 | $27,193 | $7,597 | 40% | not reported |
| Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Minneapolis | Minneapolis | for-profit | 162 | $25,857 | $6,333 | 68% | $22,574 |
| Hastings Beauty School | Hastings | for-profit | 9 | $25,350 | not reported | 69% | $19,433 |
| PCI Academy-Plymouth | Plymouth | for-profit | 35 | $24,853 | $6,333 | 72% | $22,935 |
| Nova Academy of Cosmetology Woodbury | Woodbury | for-profit | 99 | $23,604 | $8,467 | not reported | not reported |
| Nova Academy of Cosmetology | Rochester | for-profit | 97 | $23,604 | $8,467 | 77% | $25,227 |
| Model College of Hair Design | Saint Cloud | for-profit | 44 | $22,462 | $8,454 | 61% | $20,841 |
| Ridgewater College | Willmar | Public | 26 | $20,010 | $9,500 | 50% | not reported |
| Empire Beauty School-Spring Lake Park | Spring Lake Park | for-profit | 42 | $18,295 | $13,000 | 52% | $22,841 |
| Empire Beauty School-Bloomington | Bloomington | for-profit | 38 | $17,698 | $12,500 | 78% | $22,456 |
| Century College | White Bear Lake | Public | 53 | not reported | not reported | 31% | not reported |
| The Salon Professional Academy Maplewood | Maplewood | for-profit | 29 | not reported | not reported | not reported | $24,780 |
| Minnesota State Community and Technical College | Fergus Falls | Public | 17 | not reported | $7,750 | 47% | not reported |
| Avalon School of Cosmetology | Worthington | for-profit | 15 | not reported | not reported | 83% | $13,577 |
| Minnesota West Community and Technical College | Granite Falls | Public | 15 | not reported | $8,730 | 52% | not reported |
| Riverland Community College | Austin | Public | 13 | not reported | not reported | 52% | not reported |
| Minnesota State College Southeast | Winona | Public | 10 | not reported | not reported | 48% | not reported |
| Nova Academy of Cosmetology Mankato | Mankato | — | — | not reported | not reported | not reported | not 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.