Private (for-profit)

Bellus Academy - El Cajon

El Cajon, California·Private for-profit, 2-year·Far West·bellusacademy.edu
Acceptance
Open admission
—
6-yr Graduation
72%
—
Total enrollment
157
peer median 157
Avg net price
$30,049
—
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AboutOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsCampus safetyFaculty

About

Bellus Academy-El Cajon is a cosmetology school located in El Cajon, California, that offers various programs including Cosmetology, Esthetics, Massage Therapy, and Makeup Artistry. It is part of a network of multiple campuses and has been recognized for educational excellence in the beauty and wellness industry.

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
72%
Full-time retention
100%

Pell equity

21.1pp gap
Pell recipients
83%15 of 18
Non-Pell (all)
62%13 of 21
Subsidized loan, no Pell
100%3 of 3
No Federal Aid
56%10 of 18

Pell recipients here graduate at a 21.1-point higher rate than non-Pell students, unusual and worth a closer look.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 1 Title IV programs, 0 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 1 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
1
Passing
0
0.0% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

1programs
  • Passing0 · 0.0%
  • No Data1 · 100.0%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
0
No data
1

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

1
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
Undergraduate Certificate · Personal And Culinary Services
34%
$8,919 debt · $26,593 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences, Inc.

Accredited since 1974Next review Jan 2029

Action history · 8

  1. Dec 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
    National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences, Inc.
  2. May 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
    National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences, Inc.
  3. Aug 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences, Inc.
  4. Sep 2022Grant Substantive Change: Program
    National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences, Inc.
  5. Jun 2022Grant Substantive Change: Program
    National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences, Inc.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$30,049
$30–48k—
$48–75k—
$75–110k—
$110k+—

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$30,049
vs peer median $30,049
Federal loans
52.5%

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 152 students received $799K in Pell grants, alongside $1.2M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
152
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$799K
$799,208 total
Direct Loans
$1.2M
302 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
’20
0k
’21
0k
’22
0k
’23
0k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$410K
128 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$546K
141 loan awards
Parent PLUS$251K
33 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 121 borrowers who entered repayment, 1 (0.8%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.8%
-1.5pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
121
Defaulted
1
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
0.9%
2017
1.5%
2018
3.5%
2019
0.8%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Bellus Academy-El Cajon

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs5
UndergraduateOffered

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
157
12-mo unduplicated
276
Undergraduate
276
Graduate
0

Gender split

Men
3%8
Women
97%268

Race / ethnicity composition

White
42.7%
Hispanic
33.1%
Two or more
10.8%
Black
10.2%
Asian
2.5%
Unknown
0.6%

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
9.76
2 offenses · 205 students

3-year trend

4.422 yrs ago26.741 yr ago9.76Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
8
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
5
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Fondling
1
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

2total
  • Public property2

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
0
Stalking
0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs50
Liquor00

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
11.0:1

Frequently asked questions about Bellus Academy-El Cajon

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Bellus Academy-El Cajon.

What is the acceptance rate at Bellus Academy-El Cajon?

Bellus Academy-El Cajon does not have a reported acceptance rate. This institution has an open admission policy: it admits all applicants who meet basic requirements, so it does not report a selective admit rate.

What is the graduation rate at Bellus Academy-El Cajon?

Bellus Academy-El Cajon reports a 6-year graduation rate of 72% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Bellus Academy-El Cajon?

Bellus Academy-El Cajon reports a total enrollment of 157 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Bellus Academy-El Cajon?

The average net price at Bellus Academy-El Cajon is $30,049 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

Where is Bellus Academy-El Cajon located?

Bellus Academy-El Cajon is located in El Cajon, California 92021.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant & loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant and Direct Loan recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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