Aveda Institute-Denver is exactly that kind of school: small, specialized, with short programs, and practically invisible in the rankings most families know. That does not make it bad or good. It makes it different from the college landscape most of us parents have in mind after growing up thinking of “college” as four years, dormitories, and graduation in a cap and gown. The rules are different here, which is why they are worth understanding before anyone signs anything.
I cannot tell you whether this school is right for your child. That depends on what your child wants to study, what your family can afford, and a conversation only your family can have. What I can do is show you, with complete clarity, what the federal government reports about it, so you can enter that conversation knowing what you are talking about.
Who Aveda Institute-Denver is and where it stands
Let’s start with the basics. Aveda Institute-Denver is in the city of Denver, Colorado, within Denver County, in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial metropolitan area. The code the government uses to classify cities places it in a principal city with a population of at least 250,000. That does not tell you how close it is to downtown or what life is like there; if your child plans to live at home, the only honest way to know is to drive the route yourself on a weekday at the time your child would have class. A map always lies a little about real traffic.
It is a private, for-profit school, and its programs last less than two years. Through a system called IPEDS—where all colleges and universities in the United States report their data each year—the federal government classifies it as a non-degree-granting institution, meaning it does not award bachelor’s degrees. What it offers are certificates or diplomas requiring at least one year but less than two. This is an institutional fact, not a description of your child’s exact program: before signing anything, ask in writing for the exact name of the credential your child will receive upon completion, and ask whether those credits could later be used at a four-year college or university.
There is also an academic-prestige classification called Carnegie, which groups colleges and universities by type. Aveda Institute-Denver simply does not appear in that classified universe. That does not mean it is worse than the institutions that do appear; it means Carnegie did not assign it a classification, period. No classification can replace a phone call to admissions to ask what accreditation the school has and exactly what credential it awards.
And one more simple but important point: Aveda Institute-Denver is not designated as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. In this directory’s institutional universe, totaling 3,012, some 138 have at least one of those three designations. Aveda’s lack of those designations says nothing about whom it serves, how many Latino students are there, or how your child would feel on that campus. You learn that by asking directly and speaking with someone who already studies there.
A small school, and what that does and does not mean
Aveda Institute-Denver’s enrollment was 316 in the most recent official count. It is a small school: compared with the private short-program schools included in this same census, a universe totaling 362, it falls on the larger side of that specific group—between one and three out of every ten of those schools have higher enrollment—but compared with any traditional college or university, it is still small. The full enrollment of 316 is undergraduate; there is no graduate enrollment, because the count describes enrollment during that fall, not everything the school might offer.
Here is a figure you will not see at most schools: the share of undergraduates who are women is 94 out of every 100. That is nearly the entire student body. And the share between the ages of 25 and 64 is 33 out of every 100, so this is not just a place for teenagers fresh out of high school; there is a meaningful share of adult students.
Regarding Hispanic or Latino composition, the figure is clear: the share of undergraduates who reported being Hispanic or Latino is 28 out of every 100. That is one in four, or more. Compared with the private short-program schools in this census, a universe totaling 362, it ranks above the midpoint of the group without reaching the highest quartile. Put plainly: being Latino would not make someone the exception on this campus.
But I have to tell you something else just as clearly, even though it is not the comfortable part: counting how many Latino students attend is not the same as knowing whether support is available for them. This figure does not say whether there is a Spanish-speaking counselor, whether tutoring is available, or whether those students actually complete their programs. It is the percentage for the entire school, not for the specific program that interests your child. The figure opens a question; it does not close it.
Regarding class size, IPEDS reports a ratio of 16 students per full-time-equivalent faculty member. It is a middle-range figure: compared with similar schools, it is neither among the lowest nor among the highest. Keep in mind that this does not tell you the actual size of a classroom; it is an institutional ratio, not a count of desks.
How academics work at this school
Aveda Institute-Denver does not have an “August for everyone” calendar. It reported a continuous calendar to the government: students enter when the program begins, not on a fixed date shared by an entire entering class. That changes how you should think about cost: here, the price is calculated for the entire program, not per academic year as it is at most traditional colleges and universities. Ask in writing for the total cost of your child’s program and the exact date your child’s cohort begins. Comparing one school’s “cost per program” with another school’s “cost per year” without making that conversion is comparing apples and oranges.
Regarding prior credit, the school did not indicate that it awards credit for life experience or AP examinations, and it reported that it does not enroll high school students in college-credit courses. The IPEDS question also did not measure whether it has dual-credit agreements with other institutions, so that must be confirmed directly with the school.
And here is a fact that matters greatly if your child’s plan later includes earning a four-year bachelor’s degree: in the federal report of credentials awarded, Aveda Institute-Denver shows no bachelor’s degrees awarded that year. This is not unusual for its category—within the census comparison universe of private short-program schools, totaling 364, that same situation applied to 364 of them; none awarded bachelor’s degrees—but it means that if the ultimate goal is a four-year degree, any credit-transfer plan needs to be put in writing and confirmed directly with the institution before enrollment.
How admission works: open admission, and what that really covers
Aveda Institute-Denver reports an open-admission policy for all or most of its first-time students. The application fee is $50.
Open admission is not the same as “guaranteed entry into any program.” The classification describes the institution’s general policy, not the outcome of each application or any requirements a specific program may have. For this same reason, several data points that normally help families compare colleges—how many applicants were admitted, what percentage of admitted applicants later enrolled, and how the school uses the SAT or ACT—appear here as “not applicable.” It is not that the school withheld them: under open admission, the government simply does not request them. Do not confuse that with a lack of transparency, and do not assume that a particular program within the school has no requirements or enrollment limit of its own. Ask admissions directly.
Regarding transfers: in the most recent count, the school reported no student who entered for the first time after studying at another institution. The number is zero, but a zero here describes a single fall, not a policy. It does not say whether the school accepts transfers or what credits it would recognize. If your child’s plan involves entering as a transfer student, that conversation must take place directly with the school, and it is also wise to ask exactly which credits it would recognize.
The price: what is published, and what each family actually pays
At Aveda Institute-Denver, among 40 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $19,881. Among 7 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $22,209; among 17 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $23,693. For dependent students, the bracket combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income bracket, based on 40 students, and the average for the highest-income bracket, based on 17 students, is $3,812. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $19,512.
$19,881 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in the largest program, whose reported duration was 12 months. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you decide whether requesting the financial aid letter is worthwhile.
None of these figures is a price quote for your child. The income brackets in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students with aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The figure that matters is the financial aid letter sent to you. In the meantime, use the net price calculator on the school’s website.
Grants and loans: who receives aid and who ends up owing money
At Aveda Institute-Denver, the share of degree- or certificate-seeking students who received a grant or other aid that does not have to be repaid was 32 out of every 100. That means the other 68 received none of that aid. Compared with the private short-program schools in this census, a universe totaling 364, Aveda falls within the quartile where grants and scholarships reach fewer students. Among those who did receive this aid, the annual average was $4,104.
To say it directly, without softening it: at this school, most students do not receive a grant or scholarship. That does not mean your child will be turned down—this figure describes what has already happened, not your particular case—but it does mean that here, you need to pursue aid actively rather than wait for it to arrive on its own.
And now the figure I most want you to examine carefully: the share of Aveda Institute-Denver undergraduates who received a federal student loan was 45 out of every 100. That is more than four out of every ten. Among those who borrowed, the average amount each person took out that academic year was $6,056. Compared with similar schools, Aveda falls on the lower side—seven out of every ten of those schools had a higher share of students with loans—but that does not change what it means for an individual family: financing the program with debt is very common here.
A loan is not a grant. It must be repaid, with interest. That average of $6,056 covers only one academic year and only federal loans taken out in the student’s name; it does not include loans parents might take out, bank debt, or credit cards, and it is not the total debt someone has upon graduation. If you want a realistic estimate, multiply that figure by the number of years your child would be enrolled and ask directly what the total would be. The school does offer a tuition installment payment plan, if that helps organize the family budget while awaiting aid.
Campus life, course delivery, and support: what is and is not available
Aveda Institute-Denver does not offer its own housing, either on or off campus, and it also does not report meal plans. This does not mean the official financial aid budget ignores those expenses: IPEDS does calculate estimated off-campus housing and food costs when determining the total cost of attendance. Ask for that specific budget directly.
It does not offer ROTC in any branch, but this is not unique to this school: within this guide’s universe of schools with programs lasting less than two years, totaling 383, none indicated that it offered ROTC. If that path interests your child, it will need to be pursued at another type of institution.
The intercollegiate athletics section is marked not applicable, with no data to interpret. The school also does not offer distance education: no students take classes online. If your child works or cares for someone at home, the schedule would have to fit entirely around in-person attendance. The library component also appears as not applicable in the federal report, although the school does report providing access to digital or electronic resources.
Regarding support, the institution reports providing combined academic and career counseling, placement services for those who complete their programs, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program related to military education benefits, and a published web address for services for people with disabilities. The existence of these services in the report does not guarantee their quality or effectiveness; confirm how accessible they are in practice by asking directly.
What happens to students who enroll: retention and graduation
Here we reach one of the most useful figures in this entire article. In the most recently reported cohort, the number of first-time, full-time students entering was 93; of that cohort, 81 met the official retention criterion: the share still enrolled or already having completed the program was 87 out of every 100. Compared with the private short-program schools in this census, a universe totaling 334, Aveda ranks slightly above the midpoint of the group.
The remaining count, 12, fell outside that measure, and the data do not reveal what happened to those students afterward. Because the programs last less than two years, IPEDS combines those who are still studying and those who have already completed their programs into a single figure; it does not separate those two stories.
And here is the most consequential figure in this entire report: a share of 83 out of every 100 in the cohort that entered in 2020—first-time, full-time, degree- or certificate-seeking students—completed their programs at this institution within 150% of normal time. It is a high, clear figure. But I need you to view it precisely, without borrowed enthusiasm: it is a historical cohort, not a promise for your child. It follows only those who entered for the first time and attended full time; it does not represent transfer students or those who begin part time. If your child would enter in another category, ask for the rate specific to that group.
The component measuring outcomes over eight years, called Outcome Measures, is marked not applicable for this institution in the most recent cycle. That is an official reporting status, not an omission by the school or a clue about how its students fared afterward.
What this article cannot tell you
None of the information above tells you how much someone earns after graduating from Aveda Institute-Denver, how much total debt that person leaves with, or how easy it is to find work with that credential. That information exists outside these official data, and any family that needs it should look for it in specific external sources rather than infer it from what appears here.
Putting the pieces together
You now know one important piece: who Aveda Institute-Denver is according to its own reports to the federal government. You know that it is small and predominantly female, with a meaningful share of Latino students and adult students. You know that its admission is open, but that this does not cover every program. You know that the price is calculated per program, not per year, and that nearly half of its students end up taking out a federal loan. And you know that, among those who enter for the first time and attend full time, a high share complete their programs on time.
What I cannot know is what your child wants to study, how much your family can afford, or how far from home your child is willing to live. Those three things, together with what you have just read here, are what make a real plan. This article gives you the school’s map. The rest of the journey—the conversation with your child, the financial aid letter, and the call to admissions to confirm what this report cannot confirm—is yours to navigate as a family.
Note on sources: The information in this article comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS system (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System), using data from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent Aveda Institute-Denver or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data to help families understand it.