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Best Cosmetology Schools in Iowa

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2023 Best Cosmetology Schools in Iowa

16 Colleges
$19,770 Avg Salary
$12,139 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Cosmetology School for You

With 6 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, cosmetology is the #217 most popular major in Iowa.

Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Cosmetology Schools in Iowa to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 16 schools in Iowa to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Cosmetology Schools in Iowa

The following schools top our list of the Best Cosmetology Colleges.

Top 10 Best Cosmetology Schools

#1

Aveda Institute - Des Moines

West Des Moines, IA

Our 2023 rankings named Aveda Institute - Des Moines the best school in Iowa for cosmetology students. Aveda Institute - Des Moines is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of West Des Moines.

On average, cosmetology graduates from Aveda Institute - Des Moines take out $12,083 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $100.

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#2

E Q School of Hair Design

Council Bluffs, IA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend E Q School of Hair Design. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Cosmetology Schools in Iowa list. EQ School is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Council Bluffs.

Cosmetology majors at EQ School take out an average of $10,442 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Cosmetology at E Q School of Hair Design Report

#3

PCI Academy-Ames

Ames, IA

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means PCI Academy-Ames is a great place for cosmetology students. Located in the city of Ames, PCI Academy-Ames is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Cosmetology majors at PCI Academy-Ames take out an average of $12,000 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $87.

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#4

Capri College, Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids, IA

Out of the 16 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Capri College, Cedar Rapids landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Cedar Rapids, Capri College, Cedar Rapids is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, cosmetology graduates from Capri College, Cedar Rapids take out $11,834 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $69, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend La James International College-Davenport. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Cosmetology Schools in Iowa list. La James International College-Davenport is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Davenport.

On average, cosmetology graduates from La James International College-Davenport take out $14,250 in student loans while working on their degree.

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With a ranking of #6, La James International College-Cedar Falls did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. La James International College-Cedar Falls is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the small city of Cedar Falls.

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#7

Capri College, Dubuque

Dubuque, IA

Capri College, Dubuque ranked #7 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Schools in Iowa list. Located in the small city of Dubuque, Capri College, Dubuque is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Cosmetology majors at Capri College, Dubuque take out an average of $10,940 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $67, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#8

Capri College, Davenport

Davenport, IA

Capri College, Davenport landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best cosmetology programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Davenport, Capri College, Davenport is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

On average, cosmetology graduates from Capri College, Davenport take out $10,495 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $67, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Cosmetology at Capri College, Davenport Report

Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Schools in Iowa ranking. ISB is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Des Moines.

On average, cosmetology graduates from ISB take out $8,186 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Cosmetology at Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines Report

Iowa School of Beauty-Ottumwa ranked #10 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Schools in Iowa list. Located in the town of Ottumwa, ISB is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that cosmetology majors at ISB take out is $12,000.

Full Cosmetology at Iowa School of Beauty-Ottumwa Report

Best Cosmetology Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Cosmetology Colleges in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 23
Kansas 51

One of 4 majors within the area of study, cosmetology has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Culinary Arts 19,806
Funeral & Mortuary Science 2,354
Casino Operations and Services 192
Other Personal & Culinary Services 81

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 16 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Tiffany Bumgardner.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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