Private for-profit · Community college

Charleston Cosmetology Institute

Charleston, South Carolina · Midsize city

0%
Transfer rate: $15,548
Avg net price: 55%
Grad / completion: $25,812
Median earnings

Charleston Cosmetology Institute is a private for-profit certificate-granting institution in Charleston, South Carolina (midsize city setting), enrolling 100 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.

Private for-profitSmall · 100 undergradsMidsize cityNear the coast

About Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 1670, Governor William Sayle arranged for several shiploads of settlers from Bermuda and Barbados. These settlers established what was then called Charles Town at Albemarle Point, on the west bank of the Ashley River, a few miles northwest of the present-day city center. Charleston's culture blends traditional Southern U.S., English, French, and West African elements. The downtown peninsula has several arts, music, local cuisine, and fashion venues. (Wikipedia)

Setting: Midsize city
Highest degree offered: Certificate
Nearest big city: 14 miles to Charleston, SC
To the ocean: 11 miles
Nearest airport: 5 miles to Charleston (CHS) · major hub

How Charleston Cosmetology Institute compares

Graduation rate55%

Higher than 42% · #19 of 45 in South Carolina

First-year retention67%

Higher than 37%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$25,812

Higher than 20% · #29 of 40 in South Carolina

Average net price$15,548

Cheaper than 49% · #29 cheapest of 47 in South Carolina

Median debt at graduation$5,655

Lower than 96%

Student–faculty ratio10 : 1

Lower than 82%

Undergraduate enrollment100

Larger than 28%

Percentiles compare Charleston Cosmetology Institute with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in South Carolina.

Student body

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

White32%
Black54%
Hispanic10%
Asian3.0%
Other or multiracial1.0%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment: 100
Student–faculty ratio: 10 : 1
Pell Grant recipients: 48%
First-generation students: 58%
Students over 25: 49%
Median family income: $17,640

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Cost

In-state tuition: —
Room & board: —
Total cost of attendance: —
Average net price: $15,548

Outcomes

Graduated: 55%
First-year retention: 67%
Transferred to another college: 0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry: $24,879
Median earnings, 10 years after entry: $25,812
Median debt at graduation: $5,655
Students with federal loans: 44%
Paying down their loans (1 year in): 23%

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing: No
Application fee: $100

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k

$11,681

$30–48k

$15,647

$48–75k

$15,940

$75–110k

$17,045

$110k+

—

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Charleston Cosmetology Institute funds essentially no grants of its own — almost all aid here comes from federal (Pell), state, or outside sources rather than the school's own discount. Its sticker price is what it is.

Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid, 2022–23 full-time first-year undergraduates.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years): $25,812
Typical debt at graduation: $5,655
Debt vs. one year's pay: 22%
Out-earn a HS grad: 23%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.2 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

Campus climate

Summer high: 91°F
Winter low: 39°F
Annual rain: 52.5″
Annual snow: 0.3″

Average temperature

HighLow

Average precipitation (inches)

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Charleston Intl AP, SC US station (4.4 mi from campus).

What Charleston Cosmetology Institute graduates study — and earn

Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services

83 grads$18k 1 yr$20k 5 yr$12k debt

83$18,084$19,805$12,052

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Charleston Cosmetology Institute

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Charleston Cosmetology Institute side by side →

Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-Spartanburg

For-profit

Spartanburg, South Carolina · Small city · 24 mi to Greenville

Students: 113
Tuition: —
Transfer: 0%
Earnings: $25k

Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology and Nails-Columbia

For-profit

West Columbia, South Carolina · Large suburb · 6 mi to Columbia

Students: 127
Tuition: —
Transfer: 8%
Earnings: $25k

Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-North Augusta

For-profit

North Augusta, South Carolina · Large suburb · 3 mi to Augusta

Students: 118
Tuition: —
Transfer: 0%
Earnings: $26k

Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-Goose Creek

For-profit

Goose Creek, South Carolina · Large suburb · 20 mi to Charleston

Students: 152
Tuition: —
Transfer: 0%
Earnings: $25k

Paul Mitchell the School-Greenville

For-profit

Greenville, South Carolina · Midsize suburb · 6 mi to Greenville

Students: 196
Tuition: —
Transfer: 0%
Earnings: $27k

Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-Florence

For-profit

Florence, South Carolina · Fringe rural · 65 mi to Myrtle Beach

Students: 172
Tuition: —
Transfer: 0%
Earnings: $26k

Colleges near Charleston Cosmetology Institute

Trident Technical College

Charleston, SC · Public · Associate · 10,512 students

5 mi

Southeastern College-Charleston

North Charleston, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 225 students

5 mi

Charleston Southern University

Charleston, SC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,893 students

5 mi

Paul Mitchell the School-Charleston

North Charleston, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 264 students

6 mi

Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-Goose Creek

Goose Creek, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 152 students

9 mi

Vski Cosmetology School

Charleston, SC · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 31 students

9 mi

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, SC · Public · Bachelor's · 2,705 students

12 mi

American College of the Building Arts

Charleston, SC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 155 students

12 mi

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.