Private for-profit · Community college
Paul Mitchell the School-Columbia
West Columbia, South Carolina · Large suburb
- 0%
- Transfer rate
- $18,210
- Avg net price
- 69%
- Grad / completion
- $26,696
- Median earnings
Paul Mitchell the School-Columbia is a private for-profit certificate-granting institution in West Columbia, South Carolina (large suburb setting), enrolling 256 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About West Columbia, South Carolina
West Columbia, formerly Brookland, is a city and commuter town in the suburban eastern sections of Lexington County, South Carolina, United States. West Columbia was incorporated in 1894 as "Brookland", but the U.S. Postal Service called the town "New Brookland" since there was another town called Brookland. In 1936, the name was changed to "West Columbia" to emphasize its proximity to Columbia, the capital. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Certificate
- Nearest big city
- 2 miles to Columbia, SC
- To the ocean
- 101 miles
- Nearest airport
- 5 miles to Columbia Metropolitan (CAE)
How Paul Mitchell the School-Columbia compares
Higher than 60% · #14 of 45 in South Carolina
Higher than 95%
Higher than 22% · #26 of 40 in South Carolina
Cheaper than 39% · #34 cheapest of 47 in South Carolina
Lower than 32%
Lower than 49%
Larger than 50%
Percentiles compare Paul Mitchell the School-Columbia 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 gender
- Women24094%
- Men166%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White41%
- Black49%
- Hispanic7.0%
- Other or multiracial3.1%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 256
- Student–faculty ratio
- 16 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 58%
- First-generation students
- 44%
- Students over 25
- 39%
- Median family income
- $23,586
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
- $18,210
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
- 69%
- First-year retention
- 100%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $21,933
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $26,696
- Median debt at graduation
- $11,740
- Students with federal loans
- 52%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 38%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- $25
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.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $26,696
- Typical debt at graduation
- $11,740
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 44%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 30%
Typical debt would take roughly 4.4 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.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $3,768 (14%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 96°F
- Winter low
- 37°F
- Annual rain
- 48.1″
- Annual snow
- 0.2″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Columbia Univ OF SC, SC US station (2.6 mi from campus).
What Paul Mitchell the School-Columbia 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 Paul Mitchell the School-Columbia
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Paul Mitchell the School-Columbia side by side →
Paul Mitchell the School-Charleston
North Charleston, South Carolina · Midsize city · 9 mi to Charleston
- Students
- 264
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $27k
Paul Mitchell the School-Greenville
Greenville, South Carolina · Midsize suburb · 6 mi to Greenville
- Students
- 196
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $27k
Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-Florence
Florence, South Carolina · Fringe rural · 65 mi to Myrtle Beach
- Students
- 172
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $26k
Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-Goose Creek
Goose Creek, South Carolina · Large suburb · 20 mi to Charleston
- Students
- 152
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $25k
Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology and Nails-Columbia
West Columbia, South Carolina · Large suburb · 6 mi to Columbia
- Students
- 127
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 8%
- Earnings
- $25k
Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-North Augusta
North Augusta, South Carolina · Large suburb · 3 mi to Augusta
- Students
- 118
- Tuition
- —
- Transfer
- 0%
- Earnings
- $26k
Colleges near Paul Mitchell the School-Columbia
Fortis College-Columbia
Columbia, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 582 students
University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC · Public · Bachelor's · 29,820 students
Barber Tech Academy-Columbia
Columbia, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 51 students
Allen University
Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 576 students
Benedict College
Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,536 students
Midlands Technical College
West Columbia, SC · Public · Associate · 7,564 students
Columbia College
Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,343 students
Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology and Nails-Columbia
West Columbia, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 127 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.