Cosmetology school in Iowa
9 cosmetology programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free
9 schools offer these cosmetology programs, and Iowa has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.
Hairstylists and cosmetologists shampoo, cut, color and style hair. Every state requires a license: you finish a state-approved program, which usually leads to a certificate, and then pass a state licensing exam.1 In Iowa, every program asks for a diploma or other schooling first.
See the 9 programsHow much does cosmetology school cost in Iowa?
$19,165 to $19,849 is what most cosmetology programs in Iowa cost if you pay yourself
That is the middle half of the 9 programs with a price. All of them: $17,590 to $27,988
In the typical program
- Finished the program
- 70%
- Working 6 months later
- 80%
- Earned a year, estimated
- about $19,500
- Length
- 45 to 62 weeks
Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Iowa may also offer cosmetology school. How these figures are made
Cosmetology school in Davenport, Dubuque, Ames and other Iowa cities
Choosing an area filters the list below. 1 more program is in 1 other area, 1 in smaller cities and towns.
All 9 cosmetology programs in Iowa approved for WIOA funding
Filters
9 programs
Cosmetology
Capri College
Dubuque
High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$20,700Price if you pay yourself$18,580Program website, Cosmetology at Capri CollegeMore details about Cosmetology at Capri College
- Finished
- 70%
- Working at 6 months
- 80%
- Earned in a quarter
- $5,185
- Length
- 62 weeks, 34 hours a week
- Cost of supplies
- $2,165
- Students counted
- 1,028
- a year, estimated
- $20,700
- price
- $18,580
Cosmetology
PCI Academy
Ames
High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$21,000Price if you pay yourself$27,988Program website, Cosmetology at PCI AcademyMore details about Cosmetology at PCI Academy
- Finished
- 58%
- Working at 6 months
- 81%
- Earned in a quarter
- $5,245
- Length
- 78 weeks, 30 hours a week
- Cost of supplies
- None listed
- Students counted
- 505
- a year, estimated
- $21,000
- price
- $27,988
Cosmetology
Midwest Technical Institute
Moline, IL
High school diploma or equivalent
Classes are outside Iowa; Iowa approved the program for its funding.
Earned a year, estimated$10,800Price if you pay yourself$19,849Program website, Cosmetology at Midwest Technical InstituteMore details about Cosmetology at Midwest Technical Institute
- Finished
- 40%
- Working at 6 months
- 64%
- Earned in a quarter
- $2,697
- Length
- 52 weeks, 29 hours a week
- Cost of supplies
- $2,351
- Students counted
- 214
- a year, estimated
- $10,800
- price
- $19,849
Cosmetology
La' James International College
Johnston
High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$26,200Price if you pay yourself$19,165Program website, Cosmetology at La' James International CollegeMore details about Cosmetology at La' James International College
- Finished
- 73%
- Working at 6 months
- 85%
- Earned in a quarter
- $6,546
- Length
- 45 weeks, 35 hours a week
- Cost of supplies
- $1,691
- Students counted
- 103
- a year, estimated
- $26,200
- price
- $19,165
Cosmetology
La' James International College - Cedar Rapids / Davenport
Davenport
High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$19,500Price if you pay yourself$19,165Program website, Cosmetology at La' James International College - Cedar Rapids / DavenportMore details about Cosmetology at La' James International College - Cedar Rapids / Davenport
- Finished
- 55%
- Working at 6 months
- 77%
- Earned in a quarter
- $4,865
- Length
- 45 weeks, 35 hours a week
- Cost of supplies
- $1,691
- Students counted
- 99
- a year, estimated
- $19,500
- price
- $19,165
Cosmetology
LoriAnn LTD dba American Hair Academy
Mt. Pleasant
High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$15,900Price if you pay yourself$17,590Program website, Cosmetology at LoriAnn LTD dba American Hair AcademyMore details about Cosmetology at LoriAnn LTD dba American Hair Academy
- Finished
- 65%
- Working at 6 months
- 80%
- Earned in a quarter
- $3,971
- Length
- 57 weeks, 37 hours a week
- Cost of supplies
- $2,185
- Students counted
- 63
- a year, estimated
- $15,900
- price
- $17,590
Cosmetology
La'James College Of Hairstyling, Inc Of Mason City
Mason City
High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$16,100Price if you pay yourself$20,650Program website, Cosmetology at La'James College Of Hairstyling, Inc Of Mason CityMore details about Cosmetology at La'James College Of Hairstyling, Inc Of Mason City
- Finished
- 71%
- Working at 6 months
- 76%
- Earned in a quarter
- $4,014
- Length
- 64 weeks, 35 hours a week
- Cost of supplies
- $2,800
- Students counted
- 59
- a year, estimated
- $16,100
- price
- $20,650
Cosmetology
La' James International College
Cedar Falls
High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$19,200Price if you pay yourself$19,165Program website, Cosmetology at La' James International CollegeMore details about Cosmetology at La' James International College
- Finished
- 74%
- Working at 6 months
- 92%
- Earned in a quarter
- $4,810
- Length
- 45 weeks, 35 hours a week
- Cost of supplies
- $1,691
- Students counted
- 37
- a year, estimated
- $19,200
- price
- $19,165
Cosmetology
La' James International College
Fort Dodge
High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$20,200Price if you pay yourself$19,165Program website, Cosmetology at La' James International CollegeMore details about Cosmetology at La' James International College
- Finished
- 73%
- Working at 6 months
- 56%
- Earned in a quarter
- $5,051
- Length
- 45 weeks, 35 hours a week
- Cost of supplies
- $1,691
- Students counted
- 29
- a year, estimated
- $20,200
- price
- $19,165
No programs match these filters.
How to pay for cosmetology school in Iowa
WIOA funding can pay for cosmetology school in Iowa
Every program on this page is approved for WIOA funding: public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It can pay for training for eligible adults, people who lost their job and young people.2People on public assistance, with a low income or lacking basic skills come first, and veterans have priority.3Your state or local area may limit how much WIOA pays and for how long. If a program costs more, a Pell Grant, a scholarship or severance pay can cover the rest.4
Ask at an American Job Center
Eligibility rules apply, and services vary from state to state. Your local American Job Center can tell you whether you qualify. The Department of Labor's page links to the center finder, or call 1-877-US-2JOBS (1-877-872-5627).5
Financial aid and grants for cosmetology school
Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.67
GI Bill for cosmetology school
Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.8
The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.
Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply
Quick facts: Cosmetology school in Iowa
- lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
- 19th of 20
- other states where the typical program's graduates earned less
- 5 of 9
- cosmetology programs here, against the typical state's 4
- 9 vs 4
State comparisons use the same figures as the cosmetology school by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).
Where the Iowa cosmetology program numbers come from
Which Iowa cosmetology programs are on this list?
These are the cosmetology programs Iowa approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).9 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Iowa offers.
How Iowa cosmetology program prices are reported
The price is tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported it. "Trained with WIOA funding" on a program counts the people whose training there WIOA paid toward through a training account in program year 2024; the file never gives counts under 3, so a program without the line may still take WIOA students. It does not say how much of the price WIOA covered. Prices under $100 are treated as not reported, because the file holds many blanks entered as $0. Check the current price with the school.
What the graduate results of these programs measure
The figures at the top of this page are the middle program among those that report results: half did better, half did worse. Results describe students who left each program in recent years: the share who finished, the share working in the second quarter after leaving, and the middle earnings of those working in that quarter. States report earnings for that one quarter because they take them from the wage reports employers file every three months. The yearly figure here is that quarter times four, rounded to the nearest $100: an estimate, and an early one, since it is measured about half a year after training. The quarter as reported is under "More details" on each program. Results are withheld for small programs, and they describe past students, so they are no guarantee.
Why do some cosmetology programs say "Not reported"?
Where a school or the state left a field empty, or the Department of Labor withheld it, the page says "Not reported". Nothing here is estimated to fill a gap.
Why the kind of school is left off each program
The file also records whether a school is public, private or nonprofit, but those entries are wrong too often to print next to a school's name, so this page leaves them out.
Other training in Iowa
- CDL training33 programs
- CNA classes25 programs
- Medical assistant training15 programs
- Phlebotomy training11 programs
- Welding classes50 programs
- HVAC training13 programs
- Medical billing and coding training15 programs
- LPN programs14 programs
- EMT classes22 programs
- Electrician training5 programs
- Dental assistant programs11 programs
- Auto mechanic classes19 programs
- Pharmacy technician training10 programs
- Plumbing school3 programs
- CNC machinist training10 programs
- Carpentry classes12 programs
- Heavy equipment operator training2 programs
- Diesel mechanic training8 programs
- Cybersecurity training11 programs
- IT training20 programs
- Barber school3 programs
- Esthetician school7 programs
- Nail tech school6 programs
- Accounting and bookkeeping classes31 programs
- RN programs20 programs
- Project management certification6 programs
Sources for the facts about cosmetology school in Iowa
Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Barbers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists
- US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
- US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
- Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
- US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
- US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
- US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
- US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
- US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List