by our College Data Analytics Team
[Cosmetology](/majors/personal-and-culinary-services/cosmetology/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The highest-paying schools turn a cosmetology degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the early-career earnings of their cosmetology graduates.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose cosmetology graduates go on to earn the most.
Hair Academy School Of Barbering And Beauty tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying cosmetology schools in Delaware. Set in the suburb of Newark, Hair Academy School Of Barbering And Beauty is a private for-profit institution. Early-career cosmetology graduates from Hair Academy School Of Barbering And Beauty make a median of around $25,168 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in cosmetology will find them at Paul Mitchell The School Delaware, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Newark, Paul Mitchell The School Delaware is a private for-profit institution. Students who complete the cosmetology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $28,315.
Strong graduate earnings at Academy Of Massage And Bodywork earned it the #3 place for cosmetology. Set in the suburb of Bear, Academy Of Massage And Bodywork is a private for-profit institution. After graduating, cosmetology degree recipients from Academy Of Massage And Bodywork typically earn about $22,534 annually.
A rank of #4 makes Dawn Career Institute Llc one of the highest-paying schools for cosmetology. Set in the suburb of Newark, Dawn Career Institute Llc is a private for-profit institution. Students who complete the cosmetology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $16,302.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their cosmetology graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 4 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.