PJ's College of Cosmetology-Richmond Cosmetology (Certificate): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt
- Certificate in Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
- Private for-profit college
- Richmond, IN
- About 38 graduates a year
College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025
The short answer
PJ's College of Cosmetology-Richmond cosmetology graduates earn about what cosmetology graduates earn nationally, $15,581 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $13,458 in federal loans, more than at 84% of cosmetology programs in the country. Several Indiana programs report higher pay.
How it compares
Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Indiana and national columns are the medians across all cosmetology certificate programs that report the figure.
Debt and first-year pay at every Indiana cosmetology program
Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Indiana medians.
Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.
Paying back the loans
On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $143 a month, or 11.0% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.
Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth
68% of graduates (17 of 25) were working in Indiana one year after graduating. Prices in the parts of Indiana outside metro areas are about 11% below the national average, so a $15,581 salary here buys what about $17,574 buys in a typical US city.
The median Indiana cosmetologist earns $32,830, compared with a national median of $35,790. After adjusting for Indiana prices, that pay is worth about $35,177, which puts Indiana slightly behind.
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
$32,830Median pay in Indiana. 5,920 people work in this job in Indiana. 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.
Manicurists and Pedicurists
$36,140Median pay in Indiana. 510 people work in this job in Indiana. 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.
First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers
$48,590Median pay in Indiana. 1,950 people work in this job in Indiana. 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.
Skincare Specialists
$44,450Median pay in Indiana. 1,120 people work in this job in Indiana. 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.
About PJ's College of Cosmetology-Richmond
Cosmetology is the only certificate program at PJ's College of Cosmetology-Richmond that reports first-year earnings.
Other cosmetology certificate programs near Richmond
Common questions
The median graduate earns $15,581 one year after graduating. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in Indiana earn a median of $32,830 across all experience levels.
The median federal loan balance is $13,458, which ranks 15th lowest of 19 cosmetology certificate programs in Indiana. That works out to about $143 a month over 10 years.
It depends on your other options. Debt equals 86% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 55%. Compare the cost with other Indiana programs before deciding.
Most do. 68% (17 of 25) were working in Indiana one year after graduating.
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 Indiana 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
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
- Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024