Private for-profit · Community college
La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology
Mason City, Iowa · Remote town
- 0%
- Transfer rate
- $4,522
- Avg net price
- 76%
- Grad / completion
- $27,484
- Median earnings
La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology is a private for-profit certificate-granting institution in Mason City, Iowa (remote town setting), enrolling 56 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Mason City, Iowa
Mason City is a city in and the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. Surrounded by the expansive and flat tallgrass prairies of north-central Iowa, the land upon which Mason City now sits was previously a dense grove of trees situated between Lime Creek (now the Winnebago River) and Willow Creek. Mason City is widely known for its collection of Prairie School architecture. The Rock Crest-Rock Glen Historic District is the largest concentration of any city in Iowa. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Remote town
- Highest degree offered
- Certificate
- Nearest big city
- 110 miles to Des Moines, IA
- To Great Lakes shore
- 252 miles
- Nearest airport
- 7 miles to Mason City (MCW)
How La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology compares
Higher than 72% · #14 of 39 in Iowa
Higher than 83%
Higher than 25% · #27 of 38 in Iowa
Cheaper than 93% · #1 cheapest of 39 in Iowa
Lower than 84%
Lower than 92%
Larger than 15%
Percentiles compare La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology 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 Iowa.
Student body
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White75%
- Black11%
- Hispanic14%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 56
- Student–faculty ratio
- 7 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 55%
- First-generation students
- —
- Students over 25
- 41%
- Median family income
- $21,532
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
- $4,522
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 76%
- First-year retention
- 91%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $20,024
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $27,484
- Median debt at graduation
- $6,930
- Students with federal loans
- 81%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 39%
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 36
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 64%
- Housing charge (year)
- $3,692
- Application fee
- $50
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 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.
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?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 29% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $941. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 93 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $27,484
- Typical debt at graduation
- $6,930
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 25%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 24%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.5 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
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
- 82°F
- Winter low
- 7°F
- Annual rain
- 36.3″
- Annual snow
- 44.4″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Mason City, IA US station (0.7 mi from campus).
What La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology graduates study — and earn
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 La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology side by side →
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Colleges near La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology
North Iowa Area Community College
Mason City, IA · Public · Certificate · 1,320 students
Waldorf University
Forest City, IA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,827 students
Riverland Community College
Austin, MN · Public · Certificate · 2,003 students
Ellsworth Community College
Iowa Falls, IA · Public · Associate · 499 students
Wartburg College
Waverly, IA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,452 students
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA · Public · Bachelor's · 7,529 students
La James International College-Cedar Falls
Cedar Falls, IA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 54 students
The Salon Professional Academy-Cedar Falls
Cedar Falls, IA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 91 students
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.