While federal student loans for cosmetology school can help you afford your beauty school program, the cost of this education can be more expensive than you might think.
On average, cosmetology school students take out nearly $7,500 in federal student loans to cover their education costs, according to the nonprofit Institute for Justice. Though this is lower than the National Center for Education Statistics national average of $16,800 in student loan debt for all certificate degree students, cosmetology costs can potentially put a heavy burden on future estheticians.
How much does beauty school cost?
Depending on which cosmetology school you attend, the cost of tuition, fees, and supplies can range from about $5,000 to over $25,000. The average cost for attendance, not including additional costs like room and board or transportation, is nearly $16,000, based on our analysis of NCES data.
Supplies can be a fairly significant cost for aspiring beauticians, as you’ll need to purchase the tools of your trade in addition to any books for coursework.
Our analysis:
You can expect to pay between $1,000 and $3,000, depending on your specific program. However, some programs have lower costs.
Private student loans for cosmetology school
In general, private lenders don’t offer student loans created specifically for cosmetology school. But, cosmetology students have several private student loan options that they can access, even though the student loans aren’t specifically created for that purpose.
In particular, you can use Sallie Mae’s Student Loan for Career Training for any number of trade certificate programs, including cosmetology. College Ave also offers student loans geared toward trade schools, which you can potentially use at cosmetology or esthetician schools. Such loans are only available at participating schools with some additional eligibility requirements, including:
- Both loans have a $1,000 borrowing minimum.
- You can only take a College Ave loan if you’re attending a degree-granting school. In terms of cosmetology, that means you’ll be attending beauty school to receive an associate’s degree, rather than simply a certificate.
- The Sallie Mae student loan is available to cosmetology students at a non-degree-granting school. If you’re pursuing a certificate rather than a degree, this loan might work for you.
Credible partners with multiple lenders who offer private student loans that you can use to pay for cosmetology school.
