Cosmetology at SOHO Hair Academy

SOHO Hair Academy's cosmetology certificate produces earnings that lag behind most Iowa competitors—a significant concern when students are deciding where to train within the same state. At $16,234 in the first year, graduates earn about $4,000 less than the state median and rank in just the 25th percentile among Iowa cosmetology programs. The top programs in the state, like Aveda Institute-Des Moines, see graduates earning nearly $11,000 more right out of school.

The 48% earnings growth over four years is encouraging, bringing income to $24,037, but that still leaves graduates trailing the state median. With $10,294 in debt, the financial burden isn't extreme—it's roughly in line with typical cosmetology debt—but the return on that investment appears weaker than at neighboring schools. Given that 67% of students receive Pell grants, many are making this investment with limited financial cushion.

The small sample size means these numbers could shift with more data, but the pattern is consistent: multiple Iowa schools produce stronger early earnings for similar debt levels. For families comparing in-state options, programs like PCI Academy or Capri College show meaningfully better first-year outcomes without requiring more debt.