ZMS The Academy Cosmetology (Certificate): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt
- Certificate in Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
- Private for-profit school
- Los Angeles, CA
- About 186 graduates a year
College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025
The short answer
ZMS The Academy cosmetology graduates earn less than graduates of most cosmetology programs nationally, $12,288 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $7,000 in federal loans, less than at 86% of cosmetology programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the California median of $15,039.
How it compares
Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The California and national columns are the medians across all cosmetology certificate programs that report the figure.
Debt and first-year pay at every California cosmetology program
Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the California 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 $74 a month, or 7.2% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.
Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth
93% of graduates (54 of 58) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the Los Angeles area are about 14% above the national average, so a $12,288 salary here buys what about $10,820 buys in a typical US city.
The median California cosmetologist earns $38,660, compared with a national median of $35,790. After adjusting for California prices, that pay is worth about $34,917, which puts California 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
$38,660Median pay in California. 27,080 people work in this job in California. 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
$36,630Median pay in California. 39,210 people work in this job in California. 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
$56,110Median pay in California. 9,390 people work in this job in California. 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
$38,770Median pay in California. 11,360 people work in this job in California. 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 ZMS The Academy
Cosmetology is the only certificate program at ZMS The Academy that reports first-year earnings.
Other cosmetology certificate programs near Los Angeles
Common questions
The median graduate earns $12,288 one year after graduating. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists in the Los Angeles metro area earn a median of $43,500 across all experience levels.
The median federal loan balance is $7,000, which ranks 17th lowest of 64 cosmetology certificate programs in California. That works out to about $74 a month over 10 years.
It depends on your other options. Debt equals 57% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 55%. Compare the cost with other California programs before deciding.
Most do. 93% (54 of 58) were working in California 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 California 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