Aveda Institute-Boise Cosmetology (Certificate): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

  • Certificate in Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
  • Private for-profit school
  • Boise, ID
  • About 106 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Aveda Institute-Boise cosmetology graduates earn about what cosmetology graduates earn nationally, $17,824 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $11,906 in federal loans, close to the national median of $9,833. Several Idaho programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$17,82455th percentile of 961 programs nationally
Earnings after 5 years$25,09241% more than year one
Median federal debt$11,9069th lowest of 11 Idaho programs
Debt-to-earnings67%Idaho median 64%, national 55%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Idaho and national columns are the medians across all cosmetology certificate programs that report the figure.

Five years out, Aveda Institute-Boise graduates earn more than the national figure and about $3,391 more than the Idaho median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Idaho cosmetology program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Idaho medians.

Aveda Institute-BoiseOther Idaho programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 41% between the first and fifth year. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in Idaho earn a median of $35,480 across all experience levels, which shows how much room there is to grow after the first few years.

Aveda Institute-Boise grads, year 1$17,824
Aveda Institute-Boise grads, year 5$25,092
All Idaho cosmetology grads, year 5$21,701
All hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in Idaho$35,480
Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in Boise City metro$35,890

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate. BLS figures cover hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists at every experience level.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $126 a month, or 8.5% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

78% of graduates (50 of 64) were working in Idaho one year after graduating. Prices in the Boise City area are about 2% below the national average, so a $17,824 salary here buys what about $18,115 buys in a typical US city.

The median Idaho cosmetologist earns $35,480, compared with a national median of $35,790. After adjusting for Idaho prices, that pay is worth about $37,154, which puts Idaho slightly ahead.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to cosmetology, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists

$35,480

Median pay in Idaho. 2,250 people work in this job in Idaho. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 73,400 openings a year. Typical education to start: postsecondary nondegree award.

Bottom 10%: $22,810Top 10%: $48,000

Manicurists and Pedicurists

$34,910

Median pay in Idaho. 160 people work in this job in Idaho. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 21,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: postsecondary nondegree award.

Bottom 10%: $25,150Top 10%: $51,440

First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers

$46,860

Median pay in Idaho. 700 people work in this job in Idaho. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 12,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: high school diploma or equivalent, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $33,750Top 10%: $73,020

Skincare Specialists

$34,130

Median pay in Idaho. 720 people work in this job in Idaho. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 14,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: postsecondary nondegree award.

Bottom 10%: $21,630Top 10%: $55,560

About Aveda Institute-Boise

Cosmetology is the only certificate program at Aveda Institute-Boise that reports first-year earnings.

Other cosmetology certificate programs near Boise

Common questions

The median graduate earns $17,824 one year after graduating and $25,092 five years after. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in the Boise City metro area earn a median of $35,890 across all experience levels.

About this data

  • Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
  • Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
  • Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
  • Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Idaho comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
  • Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
  • School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the cosmetology program.

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
  2. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
  3. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
  4. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
  5. NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

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