Iowa
Best cosmetology programs in Iowa 2026
Des Moines skyline. Photo by BarbaraLN, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Ranked on the share of students who finish what they started, within half again the program's normal length, as reported per institution to the US Department of Education. In a clock-hour trade this is the outcome that matters most: the license needs the full hour count, so a student who leaves early has paid for hours that will never qualify them.
Ranking on accreditation is impossible in this field, because no cosmetology program is accredited by anyone. NACCAS accredits the school and not the course, so an accredited school can run exactly the same program as an unaccredited one. A student's hours stand or fall on the school's Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing) license instead, and that is the distinction this page is built on.
22
schools currently licensed
17
qualify to be ranked
3
excluded, under 40 enrolled students
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#1
La James International College-Davenport
Davenport, IA · Licensed school
91%
Share of students who finish
- $11,559 program cost
What the record shows
La James International College-Davenport is licensed by the state board and trains in Davenport. Of 127 enrolled in the fall count, 91 percent finish. Tuition is reported at $11,559 for the full program. Finishing well and charging under the median is the combination worth looking for, and this is one of the few schools on the page that does both, 17 points above the 74 percent median and 40 percent under the $19,180 median. It awarded 92 beauty credentials in the reporting year. That is roughly 10 percent of everything awarded by federally reporting beauty programs in the state, so it is one of the larger training operations here. The board files it under license 000122; that record, not this one, is what makes your hours count.
Where it leads
Around Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, the median cosmetologist earns $33,580, the bottom tenth $26,780 and the top tenth $59,460. Davenport-Moline-Rock Island employs the trade at about 1.2 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing), read 2026-08-31.
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#2
La James International College-Johnston
Johnston, IA · Licensed school
88%
Share of students who finish
- $23,441 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Johnston, La James International College-Johnston is on the state board register. It is the only licensed school the board lists in Johnston. 88 percent of the 141 students it enrolls finish. The published cost is $23,441 for the full program. The median graduate left with $6,857 in federal loans, across 24 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $73 a month. Paying 22 percent over the $19,180 median buys 14 points of completion over the 74 percent median, and whether that is worth it depends on how sure you are of finishing anywhere. 62 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Its board record is license 00105, and that entry is the one that counts your hours.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Des Moines-West Des Moines earn under $35,640, with the tenth percentile at $28,350 and the ninetieth at $56,250. A 2.0-to-one spread from bottom to top is ordinary for the trade, and here as everywhere the top belongs to a client book. Local concentration around Des Moines-West Des Moines sits near the national average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing), read 2026-08-31.
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#3
Aveda Institute-Des Moines
West Des Moines, IA · Licensed school
88%
Share of students who finish
- $21,100 program cost
What the record shows
Aveda Institute-Des Moines operates in West Des Moines under license from the state board. The board lists no other licensed school in West Des Moines. 88 percent of the 244 students it enrolls finish. The published cost is $21,100 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $11,937 in federal loans, measured over 157 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $127 a month. 14 points more of its students finish than the 74 percent median, priced within 11 percent of the $19,180 median, so you pay the going rate for better than average odds of getting through. 119 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. That is roughly 13 percent of everything awarded by federally reporting beauty programs in the state, so it is one of the larger training operations here. The board files it under license 120274; that record, not this one, is what makes your hours count.
Where it leads
Around Des Moines-West Des Moines, the median cosmetologist earns $35,640, the bottom tenth $28,350 and the top tenth $56,250. The ninetieth percentile at $56,250 is 1.6 times the median, so the upside is real but bounded, and the floor sits 20 percent under the median, so the first year is lean but not the cliff it is in some states.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing), read 2026-08-31.
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#4
Capri College-Davenport
Davenport, IA · Licensed school
82%
Share of students who finish
- $19,180 program cost
What the record shows
Capri College-Davenport operates in Davenport under license from the state board. Of 135 enrolled in the fall count, 82 percent finish. The published cost is $19,180 for the full program. 96 graduates borrowed, at a median of $7,796 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $83 a month. 8 points more of its students finish than the 74 percent median, priced exactly at the $19,180 median, so you pay the going rate for better than average odds of getting through. 84 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. That is roughly 9 percent of everything awarded by federally reporting beauty programs in the state, so it is one of the larger training operations here. The board files it under license 000119; that record, not this one, is what makes your hours count.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Davenport-Moline-Rock Island earn under $33,580, with the tenth percentile at $26,780 and the ninetieth at $59,460. The upside is capped near 1.8 times the median and the floor is 20 percent under it, a market where the first year is tight rather than dangerous and the ceiling is earned slowly. The work is somewhat more concentrated around Davenport-Moline-Rock Island than nationally, at roughly 1.2 times the usual rate.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing), read 2026-08-31.
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#5
Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines
Des Moines, IA · Licensed school
81%
Share of students who finish
- $9,172 program cost
What the record shows
Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines trains in Urbandale, licensed by the state board. It is the only licensed school the board lists in Urbandale. 81 percent of the 74 students it enrolls finish. The published cost is $9,172 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $6,333 in federal loans, measured over 92 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. More finish here than at the typical school on this page, 81 percent against 74, and the price is 52 percent under the $19,180 median: the two numbers point the same way. 62 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. License 00039 is the board's entry for it, and that is the record to confirm is still current before a deposit.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Des Moines-West Des Moines, the range runs $28,350 to $56,250 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $35,640. An ordinary shape: the top tenth at 1.6 times the median and a floor 20 percent below it, so a good first year and a good tenth year here are separated by a client book rather than by a cliff. The occupation is about as common around Des Moines-West Des Moines as it is nationally.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing), read 2026-08-31.
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#6
PCI Academy-Ames
Ames, IA · Licensed school
77%
Share of students who finish
- $14,988 program cost
What the record shows
PCI Academy-Ames operates in Ames under license from the state board. 77 percent of the 176 students it enrolls finish. The published cost is $14,988 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $6,333 in federal loans, measured over 245 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. $14,988 is 22 percent under the $19,180 median, and completion is within 3 points of the 74 percent median, which is the cheap-without-a-catch pairing. It awarded 95 beauty credentials in the reporting year. That is roughly 10 percent of everything awarded by federally reporting beauty programs in the state, so it is one of the larger training operations here. License 00109 is the board's entry for it, and that is the record to confirm is still current before a deposit.
Where it leads
Around Ames, the median cosmetologist earns $36,170, the bottom tenth $23,670 and the top tenth $58,410. The bottom of this market sits well below its middle, so the first year is likely to be lean and worth planning for.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing), read 2026-08-31.
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#7
SOHO Hair Academy
Council Bluffs, IA · Licensed school
76%
Share of students who finish
- $22,131 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Council Bluffs, SOHO Hair Academy is on the state board register. It is the only licensed school the board lists in Council Bluffs. 76 percent of students see the course through, out of 66 enrolled. Tuition is reported at $22,131 for the full program. It charges 15 percent over the $19,180 median and finishes about as many of its students as the typical school here, so the extra price is not buying a better completion rate. 18 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. That is a small cohort, which usually buys more chair time with an instructor and a shorter wait for the clinic floor. Its board record is license 115107, and that entry is the one that counts your hours.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Omaha, the range runs $28,080 to $75,130 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $36,390. The spread above the median is wide enough that averages mislead here. What separates the top is a client list built over years. Omaha employs the trade at about 1.2 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing), read 2026-08-31.
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#8
La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology
Mason City, IA
76%
Share of students who finish
- 44 graduates a year
- $20,650 program cost
What the record shows
La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology runs its cosmetology program in Mason City and reports to the US Department of Education. Of 56 enrolled in the fall count, 76 percent finish. The published cost is $20,650 for the full program. The median graduate left with $8,000 in federal loans, across 29 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $85 a month. It is close to the median school on this page on completion, price and borrowing, 76 percent against 74 and $20,650 against $19,180, 39 percent of the price borrowed against 42 for the page, which is neither a warning nor a recommendation: the choice comes down to the visit and the board file. 44 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Look this school up on the state board register by its legal name before you pay, because that entry and not this one is what makes your hours count.
Where it leads
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#9
Capri College-Dubuque
Dubuque, IA · Licensed school
74%
Share of students who finish
- $19,180 program cost
What the record shows
Capri College-Dubuque trains in Dubuque, licensed by the state board. It is the only licensed school the board lists in Dubuque. Of 165 enrolled in the fall count, 74 percent finish. Tuition is reported at $19,180 for the full program. 129 graduates borrowed, at a median of $7,826 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $83 a month. It is close to the median school on this page on completion, price and borrowing, 74 percent, exactly the median and $19,180, exactly the median, 41 percent of the price borrowed against 42 for the page, which is neither a warning nor a recommendation: the choice comes down to the visit and the board file. It awarded 92 beauty credentials in the reporting year. That is roughly 10 percent of everything awarded by federally reporting beauty programs in the state, so it is one of the larger training operations here. License 00069 is the board's entry for it, and that is the record to confirm is still current before a deposit.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Dubuque runs from $23,560 at the tenth percentile to $55,940 at the ninetieth, with a median of $35,360. Few people hold this occupation locally, so a graduate is competing in a small pool and is likely to be known in it quickly. The occupation is about as common around Dubuque as it is nationally.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing), read 2026-08-31.
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#10
Iowa School of Beauty-Sioux City
Sioux City, IA · Licensed school
72%
Share of students who finish
- $19,756 program cost
What the record shows
Iowa School of Beauty-Sioux City trains in Sioux City, licensed by the state board. It is the only licensed school the board lists in Sioux City. 72 percent of students see the course through, out of 67 enrolled. The published cost is $19,756 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $12,000 in federal loans, measured over 33 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $127 a month. Completion and price both sit close to the page median, 72 percent against 74 and $19,756 against $19,180, so the number that separates it is debt: 61 percent of the price arrives as federal loans, more than at the typical school here. 31 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Its board record is license 000123, and that entry is the one that counts your hours.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Sioux City, the range runs $23,330 to $48,450 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $30,330. Against the state as a whole, the metro sits roughly 15 percent under on median pay. An ordinary shape: the top tenth at 1.6 times the median and a floor 23 percent below it, so a good first year and a good tenth year here are separated by a client book rather than by a cliff. Sioux City employs the trade at only about 0.7 times the national rate, so graduates enter a thinner local market than average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing), read 2026-08-31.
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#11
PCI Academy-Iowa City
Iowa City, IA · Licensed school
71%
Share of students who finish
- $14,988 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Iowa City, PCI Academy-Iowa City is on the state board register. It is the only licensed school the board lists in Iowa City. 71 percent of the 113 students it enrolls finish. The published cost is $14,988 for the full program. 245 graduates borrowed, at a median of $6,333 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. It charges 22 percent less than the $19,180 median and finishes about as many of its students as the typical school here, so the saving is real rather than a discount for worse odds. 69 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. The board files it under license 095529; that record, not this one, is what makes your hours count.
Where it leads
undefined Iowa City is a small market, about 240 in the trade, but a dense one for its size at 1.3 times the national rate.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing), read 2026-08-31.
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#12
La James International College-Cedar Falls
Cedar Falls, IA · Licensed school
71%
Share of students who finish
- $11,655 program cost
What the record shows
La James International College-Cedar Falls is licensed by the state board and trains in Cedar Falls. Of 54 enrolled in the fall count, 71 percent finish. Tuition is reported at $11,655 for the full program. It charges 39 percent less than the $19,180 median and finishes about as many of its students as the typical school here, so the saving is real rather than a discount for worse odds. It awarded 29 beauty credentials in the reporting year. The board files it under license 00077; that record, not this one, is what makes your hours count.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Waterloo-Cedar Falls, the range runs $27,280 to $53,780 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $35,360. The local occupation is small in absolute terms, which tends to mean hiring runs through personal contacts. The occupation is about as common around Waterloo-Cedar Falls as it is nationally.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing), read 2026-08-31.
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#13
Capri College-Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids, IA · Licensed school
65%
Share of students who finish
- $19,180 program cost
What the record shows
Capri College-Cedar Rapids is licensed by the state board and trains in Cedar Rapids. Of 129 enrolled in the fall count, 65 percent finish. Tuition is reported at $19,180 for the full program. Graduates who borrowed took on $7,842 in federal loans at the median, 125 of them. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $83 a month. 9 points fewer of its students finish than the 74 percent median, priced exactly at the $19,180 median, so you would be paying the going rate for worse odds of getting through. Ask the school what happens to the ones who leave. It awarded 70 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Its board record is license 00110, and that entry is the one that counts your hours.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Cedar Rapids, the range runs $28,270 to $61,920 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $35,770. The local occupation is small in absolute terms, which tends to mean hiring runs through personal contacts. The occupation is about as common around Cedar Rapids as it is nationally.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing), read 2026-08-31.
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#14
The Salon Professional Academy-Cedar Falls
Cedar Falls, IA · Licensed school
52%
Share of students who finish
- $16,900 program cost
What the record shows
The Salon Professional Academy-Cedar Falls operates in Cedar Falls under license from the state board. 52 percent of students see the course through, out of 91 enrolled. It charges $16,900 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. Cheap, but 22 points fewer of its students finish than the 74 percent median, and in a clock-hour trade an unfinished course is the expensive outcome: you have paid for hours that never become a license. 23 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. From 91 enrolled that is slow throughput for a clock-hour course, and it belongs beside the completion figure above. License 086660 is the board's entry for it, and that is the record to confirm is still current before a deposit.
Where it leads
Around Waterloo-Cedar Falls, the median cosmetologist earns $35,360, the bottom tenth $27,280 and the top tenth $53,780.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing), read 2026-08-31.
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#15
Northeast Iowa Community College
Calmar, IA
51%
Share of students who finish
- Public institution
What the record shows
Based in Calmar, Northeast Iowa Community College is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 51 percent of students across the college finish, out of 1,697 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. That 51 percent is low for this page, but it is the college's rate and the cosmetology program is a small part of it; the cosmetology department's own completions are the check. It is a public college, so the cosmetology course is priced at in-district tuition rather than at an academy price. Look this school up on the state board register by its legal name before you pay, because that entry and not this one is what makes your hours count.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists in Iowa earn under $35,700, with the tenth percentile at $26,650 and the ninetieth at $56,250. Neither end of this market is extreme: the top tenth earns about 1.6 times the median and the floor sits 25 percent under it, which makes the first year a budget question rather than a survival one. Iowa employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 2,930 people.
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#16
Iowa Lakes Community College
Estherville, IA · Licensed school
50%
Share of students who finish
What the record shows
Iowa Lakes Community College is licensed by the state board and trains in Emmetsburg. The board lists no other licensed school in Emmetsburg. 50 percent of students across the college finish, out of 941 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 50 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. 3 credentials in a year means the cosmetology program barely ran; ask whether it is enrolling this term before anything else. The award here is an associate degree rather than the certificate most cosmetology programs issue, so the hours come with transferable college credit attached. It is a public college, so the cosmetology course is priced at in-district tuition rather than at an academy price. The board files it under license 104997; that record, not this one, is what makes your hours count.
Where it leads
In Iowa, the median cosmetologist earns $35,700, the bottom tenth $26,650 and the top tenth $56,250. Iowa employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 2,930 people.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing), read 2026-08-31.
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#17
Iowa Central Community College
Fort Dodge, IA
42%
Share of students who finish
- Associate degree
- Public institution
- 3 graduates a year
What the record shows
Based in Fort Dodge, Iowa Central Community College is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 42 percent of students across the college finish, out of 3,103 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 42 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. 3 credentials in a year means the cosmetology program barely ran; ask whether it is enrolling this term before anything else. Unusually, this program leads to an associate degree instead of a certificate, which matters if you later want to teach or move into salon management. It is a public college, so the cosmetology course is priced at in-district tuition rather than at an academy price. Licensing is the business of the state board rather than the federal file's, so its register is where to confirm this school by its legal name first.
Where it leads
In Iowa, the median cosmetologist earns $35,700, the bottom tenth $26,650 and the top tenth $56,250. The upside is capped near 1.6 times the median and the floor is 25 percent under it, a market where the first year is tight rather than dangerous and the ceiling is earned slowly. Local concentration in Iowa sits near the national average.
- La James International College-D... 91% 91%
- La James International College-J... 88% 88%
- Aveda Institute-Des Moines 88% 88%
- Capri College-Davenport 82% 82%
- Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines 81% 81%
- PCI Academy-Ames 77% 77%
- SOHO Hair Academy 76% 76%
- La James College of Hairstyling ... 76% 76%
- Capri College-Dubuque 74% 74%
- Iowa School of Beauty-Sioux City 72% 72%
Which other cosmetology schools in Iowa are state licensed?
These Iowa cosmetology schools hold a current license from Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing) but have no published earnings figure, because the ranking above reads federal data that covers only schools taking federal financial aid. Their hours count toward the Iowa exam exactly as the ranked schools' hours do. They are listed by city rather than ordered, since nothing published about them supports an ordering.
| School | City | Board record | Approved to teach |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTC Barber Academy | Ames | No. 114225 | |
| La' James International College | Cedar Rapids | No. 000136 | |
| Clippernomics Academy Of Hairstyling | Des Moines | No. 100873 | |
| The Nail Tech Institute of Iowa | Des Moines | No. 079182 | |
| La' James International College | Fort Dodge | No. 00107 | |
| American Hair Academy | Mount Pleasant | No. 078058 | |
| Faust Institute of Cosmetology | Spirit Lake | No. 000128 | |
| Capri College | Waterloo | No. 000139 |
How do you become a cosmetologist in Iowa in 2026?
To become a cosmetologist in Iowa you need 1,550 clock hours at a school licensed by Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing), then a passing score on the state exam. At the pace most clock-hour schools run, that is roughly 11.9 months full time. That is above what 37 other states require, putting Iowa among the longer programs in the country.
None of those hours count unless Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing) licensed the school at the time you sat them.
How much do cosmetologists make in Iowa in 2026?
Cosmetologists in Iowa earn a median of $35,700 , with the bottom tenth on $26,650 and the top tenth on $56,250 . The related licenses pay differently again, which matters because you pick the license before you start the hours.
- Cosmetologists $35,700 $35,700
- Salon managers $38,780 $38,780
- Estheticians $37,080 $37,080
- Nail technicians $45,420 $45,420
- Barbers $58,900 $58,900
What is different about cosmetology licensing in Iowa?
Iowa abolished the separate barber license: House File 652 merged the two boards on July 1, 2023 and Iowa Code chapter 157 is now a single "barbering and cosmetology" credential, so one 1,550-hour course of study qualifies a graduate for both trades. Iowa is also the only state here that expresses the requirement in credit hours as an equal alternative (1,550 clock hours OR 51 semester credit hours), and its school license doubles as postsecondary authorization: Iowa Code 157.8(2)(b) requires the license itself to state that the holder "is approved by the department as a provider of postsecondary education," while 481-941.8(6) separately requires proof of registration with the Iowa College Student Aid Commission. Read Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing)'s own rules .
Where do cosmetologists make the most money in Iowa?
Cosmetologists make the most money in Iowa around Omaha, where the median is $36,390, and the least around Sioux City at $30,330. At 20 percent, the spread across Iowa is narrow, and location will not decide your income the way it does in some states.
Against a statewide median of $35,700, roughly half these metros pay above and half below.
- Omaha $36,390 $36,390
- Ames $36,170 $36,170
- Iowa City $35,950 $35,950
- Cedar Rapids $35,770 $35,770
- Des Moines-West Des Moines $35,640 $35,640
- Dubuque $35,360 $35,360
- Waterloo-Cedar Falls $35,360 $35,360
- Davenport-Moline-Rock Island $33,580 $33,580
- Sioux City $30,330 $30,330
Where are the cosmetology schools in Iowa?
The licensed cosmetology schools in Iowa cluster hardest in Ames, which holds 2 of the 22 the board currently lists. That is only 9 percent of the state total, so schools are spread more evenly here than in states with a single dominant city.
Another 12 towns hold a single licensed school apiece, so in much of the state the practical choice is one school or a commute.
- Ames 2 2
- Cedar Falls 2 2
- Cedar Rapids 2 2
- Davenport 2 2
- Des Moines 2 2
- Council Bluffs 1 1
- Dubuque 1 1
- Emmetsburg 1 1
- Fort Dodge 1 1
- Iowa City 1 1
Is it better to be a cosmetologist, esthetician or nail tech in Iowa?
In Iowa, barbers are the best paid of the beauty licenses at a $58,900 median. That is above the $35,700 cosmetologist median, so the longer general license is not automatically the better-paid route here.
Picking between them is a trade between scope and speed: the broader license opens more chairs, the narrower one opens sooner.
| Occupation | Median pay | Employed in state |
|---|---|---|
| Barbers | $58,900 | 130 |
| Nail technicians | $45,420 | 190 |
| Salon managers | $38,780 | 770 |
| Estheticians | $37,080 | 710 |
Can you use a cosmetology license from another state in Iowa?
Using a cosmetology license from another state in Iowa means satisfying Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing), which decides case by case, and the number it weighs is hours. Against the other Midwest states, Iowa is its 1,550 hour requirement is about the regional norm, and pay tracks the regional average closely.
That matters if you might move, because a license does not travel automatically: the receiving state decides what your hours are worth, and a shorter program can be the harder one to carry across a line.
| State | Hours required | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa (this state) | 1,550 | $35,700 |
| South Dakota | 1,500 | $49,800 |
| Minnesota | 1,550 | $39,170 |
| Ohio | 1,500 | $36,260 |
| Wisconsin | 1,550 | $36,230 |
| North Dakota | 1,500 | $34,850 |
| Michigan | 1,500 | $34,820 |
| Nebraska | 1,800 | $34,320 |
| Illinois | 1,500 | $34,040 |
| Indiana | 1,500 | $32,830 |
| Missouri | 1,500 | $30,750 |
| Kansas | 1,500 | $29,710 |
What does this Iowa cosmetology program ranking not tell you?
This Iowa cosmetology program ranking does not tell you everything you need. This is a completion rate, not a teaching inspection, and a school can lift it by enrolling only students likely to finish just as easily as by teaching well. It is reported for the institution rather than for the cosmetology course alone, which is exact at the beauty schools that teach nothing else and broader at a community college, where cosmetology is one program among many; each card says which kind it is describing. Schools enrolling fewer than 40 students are left out, because a completion rate over a handful of people moves too far on one person's decision to be worth ordering on. It covers only schools that take federal financial aid, a large share of the field but not all of it, so a school missing here takes no federal aid rather than performing badly. Finishing also says nothing about whether a school's hours will count toward your license, which is what the board record on this page is for.
Check a school against the NACCAS accredited school search if federal financial aid matters to you, and against Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing) for the license itself.
Common questions about cosmetology programs in Iowa
What makes the best cosmetology programs in Iowa rank highly here?
How many cosmetology programs in Iowa hold a current license?
Should you choose a NACCAS-accredited school in Iowa?
How much does cosmetology school cost in Iowa?
Are the best cosmetology programs in Iowa accredited?
Where does this Iowa cosmetology program data come from?
This Iowa cosmetology program data comes from Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing), read on 2026-08-31, from the board's own license records rather than from any school directory. The cost and debt figures come from the US Department of Education's College Scorecard , which publishes them per institution for cosmetology programs at every school taking federal financial aid. Iowa abolished the separate barber license: House File 652 merged the two boards on July 1, 2023 and Iowa Code chapter 157 is now a single "barbering and cosmetology" credential, so one 1,550-hour course of study qualifies a graduate for both trades. Iowa is also the only state here that expresses the requirement in credit hours as an equal alternative (1,550 clock hours OR 51 semester credit hours), and its school license doubles as postsecondary authorization: Iowa Code 157.8(2)(b) requires the license itself to state that the holder "is approved by the department as a provider of postsecondary education," while 481-941.8(6) separately requires proof of registration with the Iowa College Student Aid Commission.
Iowa Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing)Read 2026-08-31.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 , metro and state pay, employment and concentration behind every wage figure on this page
- US Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study CIP 12.04 , full program cost, median federal debt and the monthly cost of that debt, per institution
On this page
- Other licensed schools
- How to become one
- What it pays
- What is different in Iowa
- Where do cosmetologists make the most money
- Where are the cosmetology schools
- Is it better to be a cosmetologist, esthetician or nail tech
- Can you use a cosmetology license from another state
- What this does not tell you
- Common questions
- Sources