Cosmetology Schools in the United States

Cosmetology programs that prepare for the state board exam: hair, skin and nails.

The United States has 1,397 schools with cosmetology programs in this directory: 418 public and 979 private. Together they graduated 55,495 students from these programs in the latest federal count.

Published program tuition runs from $1,000 to $28,650, with a median of $16,625 across the 1,085 programs that report a program price.

Graduates earned a median of $23,015 one year after finishing, where the Department of Education reports earnings for the program.

The largest programs by graduates are at Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute-Covington, NUC University and IBMC College.

1,397
Schools with this program
55,495
Graduates last year
$16,625
Median program tuition
$23,015
Median earnings, 1 yr after

Cosmetology Schools by state

Largest cosmetology schools

NUC University

Bayamon, PR

Award
Certificate
Tuition (in-state, yearly)
$15,898
Graduates last year
619
Median earnings, 1 yr
$15,757
Type
Private for-profit

IBMC College

Fort Collins, CO

Award
Certificate
Graduates last year
414
Median earnings, 1 yr
$28,244
Type
Private for-profit

Douglas J Aveda Institute

East Lansing, MI

Award
Certificate
Program tuition
$23,000
Length
11 months
Graduates last year
353
Median earnings, 1 yr
$23,801
Type
Private for-profit

West Georgia Technical College

Waco, GA

Award
Certificate
Tuition (in-state, yearly)
$3,410
Graduates last year
290
Median earnings, 1 yr
$17,736
Type
Public

Aveda Institute-South Florida

Davie, FL

Award
Certificate
Program tuition
$19,400
Length
13 months
Graduates last year
279
Median earnings, 1 yr
$25,355
Type
Private for-profit

Aveda Institute-Tallahassee

Clearwater, FL

Award
Certificate
Program tuition
$18,900
Length
13 months
Graduates last year
259
Median earnings, 1 yr
$26,605
Type
Private for-profit

Empire Beauty School-Manhattan

New York, NY

Award
Certificate
Program tuition
$14,250
Length
7 months
Graduates last year
211
Median earnings, 1 yr
$23,892
Type
Private for-profit

COLLECTIV Academy-Worcester

Worcester, MA

Award
Certificate
Program tuition
$15,070
Length
8 months
Graduates last year
207
Median earnings, 1 yr
$26,686
Type
Private for-profit

Citrus College

Glendora, CA

Award
Certificate and Associate degree
Tuition (in-state, yearly)
$1,254
Graduates last year
206
Median earnings, 1 yr
$27,201
Type
Public

Golden West College

Huntington Beach, CA

Award
Certificate and Associate degree
Tuition (in-state, yearly)
$1,202
Graduates last year
190
Type
Public

San Jacinto Community College

Pasadena, TX

Award
Certificate and Associate degree
Tuition (in-state, yearly)
$2,490
Graduates last year
190
Median earnings, 1 yr
$20,349
Type
Public

Paul Mitchell the School-Temecula

Temecula, CA

Award
Certificate
Program tuition
$16,625
Length
8 months
Graduates last year
188
Median earnings, 1 yr
$22,465
Type
Private for-profit

Nouvelle Institute

Miami, FL

Award
Certificate
Program tuition
$14,386
Length
15 months
Graduates last year
184
Median earnings, 1 yr
$13,970
Type
Private for-profit

Paul Mitchell the School-Houston

Houston, TX

Award
Certificate
Program tuition
$18,600
Length
11 months
Graduates last year
183
Median earnings, 1 yr
$23,940
Type
Private for-profit

Santa Monica College

Santa Monica, CA

Award
Certificate and Associate degree
Tuition (in-state, yearly)
$1,158
Graduates last year
182
Type
Public

Aveda Fredric's Institute-Cincinnati

West Chester, OH

Award
Certificate
Program tuition
$21,575
Length
13 months
Graduates last year
167
Median earnings, 1 yr
$27,120
Type
Private for-profit

Other states

States with fewer than 3 listings in this category are shown here instead of on their own page.

District of Columbia

Bennett Career Institute

Washington, DC

Award
Certificate
Program tuition
$19,050
Length
13 months
Graduates last year
38
Median earnings, 1 yr
$23,543
Type
Private for-profit

Vermont

O'Briens Aveda Institute

Williston, VT

Award
Certificate
Program tuition
$16,000
Length
11 months
Graduates last year
38
Median earnings, 1 yr
$32,279
Type
Private for-profit

Common questions

How much does cosmetology training cost in the United States?

The median published tuition is $16,625 (range $1,000 to $28,650, 1,085 programs reporting). The lowest listed prices are at Mid-America Technology Center ($1,000), Charles H McCann Technical School ($1,735) and Baldwin Park Adult & Community Education ($1,845). Public community and technical colleges often charge less but report tuition per year rather than per program, so check each school's net price calculator.

How long does cosmetology school take?

Programs that report a length take a median of 12 months to finish (3 to 24 months). Certificates are shorter; associate degrees usually take about two years.

How much do cosmetology graduates earn?

Across 1,135 programs with reported outcomes, the median graduate earned $23,015 one year after finishing (U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard). Earnings vary by program and local labor market.

Are there public cosmetology programs in the United States?

Yes. 418 public schools offer it, including Central Alabama Community College, Coastal Alabama Community College, Gadsden State Community College, George C Wallace Community College-Dothan and George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville.

Data: U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2024-25 and College Scorecard (October 2026 release). How this directory is built.