Cosmetology at International Salon and Spa Academy

With 28 cosmetology programs across Colorado, this one lands in the bottom quartile for graduate earnings—a significant gap when you're choosing between schools that teach essentially the same skills. While International Salon's graduates earn near the national median at $16,847 in their first year, they're making roughly $7,000 less annually than graduates from top Colorado programs like Elevate Salon Institute or Aveda Institute-Denver. That's not a minor difference when you're building a client base and covering living expenses.

The debt load of $8,244 sits below both state and national medians, which helps—you're looking at manageable monthly payments even on cosmetology earnings. Earnings do grow 16% by year four, reaching $19,505, though this still trails the Colorado median. The program serves a predominantly lower-income student population (58% Pell recipients), which makes the modest debt especially important for families watching every dollar.

The bottom line: this program offers affordable entry into cosmetology, but Colorado has demonstrably stronger options at similar or only slightly higher cost. Given that your license will be the same regardless of where you train, it's worth comparing what other Colorado programs charge and what their graduates actually earn. The $7,000 annual earnings difference compared to top-tier state programs could easily offset a somewhat higher upfront investment.