You don’t need to go to college first; cosmetology is considered higher education in its own right (OK, the least respected part of higher education–a “trade” school).

You’ll have to hunt down the cosmetology schools for yourself in your area and ask them about tuition, fees, length of study, etc. I think most of the programs go for two years.

In some areas, cosmetology is taught at adult voc-tech centers or state job centers, and there are some places where community colleges or technical colleges offer them. Those might be your best choices–private cosmetology schools will be more expensive and it might be tougher to get student financial aid.

What can you become? A cosmetologist, of course. Your career probably consists of doing manicures and pedicures and nails, or of shampooing, styling, and perming a lot of hair. For most people, that entails working in someone else’s salon (in most cases, you “rent” the space and work as an independent contractor for the owner–you’re not an ’employee’ tho the owner can kick you out at any time, so you have to do all your taxpaying and retirement, etc.). Eventually you may save enough to open your own salon, and that’s when the income gets better.

Pros and cons? Depends on how much you like to diffle around with others’ hair and nails; it would give me the willies, but lots of people love it. It can be very tough to get your first position, there’s tons of competition out there, but if you get some dedicated customers you will do OK financially. The job requires a good deal of people skills; customers come not only for the cosmetics, but for the conversation and atmosphere that you offer (think about that “Legally Blond” movie and the relationship that Reese Witherspoon’s character had with her manicurist).