Where students 25 and over are the majority
Cosmetology Schools for Adults and Career Changers (2026)
Published
Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology
You want to know whether you will be the oldest person in the room. The Department of Education asks every school what share of its undergraduates are 25 or over, and 302 beauty schools report that at least half of theirs are. This list ranks those 302 on that share. It is a count of who enrolled, not a promise about class times.
Across the 302, the median school finishes 74 percent of the students who start, and tuition for the whole program runs from $600 to $45,900, with a median of $15,075. A $600 program and a $45,900 program can both end at the same state exam, so read the tuition and the completion figure next to the age share rather than after it.
Figures in this section: College Scorecard, June 2026.
The 302 Cosmetology Schools for Adults and Career Changers, Ranked
Ordered on the share of undergraduates aged 25 or over, as each school reports it to the Department of Education. Only schools where that share is at least half, and with at least 20 students, are listed. Ties are broken on the share of students who finish.
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#1
J F Ingram State Technical College
Deatsville, AL
94%
Students aged 25 or over
- Public institution
- 94 graduates a year
What the record shows
J F Ingram State Technical College runs its cosmetology program in Deatsville and reports to the US Department of Education. 21 percent of students across the college finish, out of 960 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. That 21 percent is low for this page, but it is the college's rate and the cosmetology program is a small part of it; the cosmetology department's own completions are the check. It awarded 94 beauty credentials in the reporting year. That is roughly 9 percent of everything awarded by federally reporting beauty programs in the state, so it is one of the larger training operations here. It is a public college, so the cosmetology course is priced at in-district tuition rather than at an academy price. Its hours count only under a current entry with the Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering, so search that register by the school's legal name before any deposit.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Montgomery, the range runs $21,660 to $59,270 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $30,530. Few people hold this occupation locally, so a graduate is competing in a small pool and is likely to be known in it quickly. On concentration, Montgomery is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.
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#2
La Belle Beauty School
Hialeah, FL
94%
Students aged 25 or over
- 301 graduates a year
- $16,645 program cost
What the record shows
La Belle Beauty School teaches cosmetology in Hialeah, with its results published federally. Of 63 enrolled in the fall count, 89 percent finish. Tuition is reported at $16,645 for the full program. Graduates who borrowed took on $8,149 in federal loans at the median, 137 of them. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $86 a month. $16,645 is 31 percent over the $12,700 median, for a completion rate within 1 points of the 88 percent median, which is a premium with nothing on this record to justify it. 301 credentials in the year from a fall count of 63: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. The license from the Commission for Independent Education is still the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach earn under $29,790, with the tenth percentile at $28,160 and the ninetieth at $54,850. Local pay is compressed near the bottom, so the first years look much like the middle and progression comes from clientele rather than from a job title. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 4,910 people.
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#3
La Belle Beauty Academy
Miami, FL
93%
Students aged 25 or over
- 241 graduates a year
- $16,495 program cost
What the record shows
La Belle Beauty Academy runs its cosmetology program in Miami and reports to the US Department of Education. 98 percent of the 106 students it enrolls finish. The published cost is $16,495 for the full program. 162 graduates borrowed, at a median of $8,149 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $86 a month. Paying 30 percent over the $12,700 median buys 10 points of completion over the 88 percent median, and whether that is worth it depends on how sure you are of finishing anywhere. It awarded 241 credentials over the year against a fall headcount of 106, which is what a clock-hour course that turns over more than one cohort a year looks like. Check its license with the Commission for Independent Education before enrolling, because that record and not the federal listing is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, the range runs $28,160 to $54,850 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $29,790. The first rung and the middle of this market are close enough that the early years are less about pay than about who comes back. On concentration, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.
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#4
Praxis Institute
Miami, FL
93%
Students aged 25 or over
- 110 graduates a year
- $10,500 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Miami, Praxis Institute is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 78 percent of students across the school finish, out of 422 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. That 78 percent is low for this page, but it is the school's rate and the cosmetology program is a small part of it; the cosmetology department's own completions are the check. The published tuition is $10,500. That price is 17 percent under the $12,700 median. The school conferred 110 credentials in the year reported. Check its license with the Commission for Independent Education before enrolling, because that record and not the federal listing is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Around Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, the median cosmetologist earns $29,790, the bottom tenth $28,160 and the top tenth $54,850. There is little distance between entry pay and the median locally, so the early climb is flatter than in most trades. Local concentration around Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach sits near the national average.
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#5
Prestige Health & Beauty Sciences Academy
Hallandale Beach, FL
93%
Students aged 25 or over
- 96 graduates a year
- $6,400 program cost
What the record shows
Prestige Health & Beauty Sciences Academy runs its cosmetology program in Hallandale Beach and reports to the US Department of Education. Of 119 enrolled in the fall count, 89 percent finish. Tuition is reported at $6,400 for the full program. It charges 50 percent less than the $12,700 median and finishes about as many of its students as the typical school here, so the saving is real rather than a discount for worse odds. The school conferred 96 credentials in the year reported. Verify the school's standing with the Commission for Independent Education before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
Around Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, the median cosmetologist earns $29,790, the bottom tenth $28,160 and the top tenth $54,850. The first rung and the middle of this market are close enough that the early years are less about pay than about who comes back. Local concentration around Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach sits near the national average.
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#6
Jazz Barber and Hairstyling Academy
Petersburg, VA · Licensed school
92%
Students aged 25 or over
- Cosmetology
- Renews 2027-05
- $15,950 program cost
What the record shows
Jazz Barber and Hairstyling Academy is licensed by the Board for Barbers and Cosmetology and trains in Petersburg. This is a specialist: a barber license, not cosmetology. The work is men's cutting, shaving and beard work, the course is a similar hour count to cosmetology, and it does not license color, chemical services or the full cosmetology scope, so compare it with the other specialists here rather than with the full-service schools. Of the 46 students in its fall count, 67 percent complete the course they started. The published cost is $15,950 for the full program. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 67 percent, 21 points under the 88 percent median, is the first thing to ask about. $15,950 is 26 percent over the $12,700 median for a similar hour count, which needs a reason. It awarded 9 beauty credentials in the reporting year. From 46 enrolled that is slow throughput for a clock-hour course, and it belongs beside the completion figure above. The board files it under license 1205000998; that record, not this one, is what makes your hours count.
Where it leads
For barbers in Virginia, the range runs $37,270 to $75,860 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $46,730. Neither end of this market is extreme: the top tenth earns about 1.6 times the median and the floor sits 20 percent under it, which makes the first year a budget question rather than a survival one. Virginia employs the trade at only about 0.4 times the national rate, so graduates enter a thinner local market than average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board for Barbers and Cosmetology, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), read 2026-08-31.
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#7
KCK Beauty & Barber Academy
Jacksonville, FL
91%
Students aged 25 or over
- 83% finish
- 32 graduates a year
- $12,700 program cost
What the record shows
KCK Beauty & Barber Academy runs its cosmetology program in Jacksonville and reports to the US Department of Education. 83 percent of its students finish, out of 36 enrolled in the fall count. Tuition is reported at $12,700 for the full program. The price is close to the $12,700 median and the completion is not: 83 percent against 88. In a clock-hour course that is the wrong half of the trade, and the reason to ask hard questions before a deposit. The school conferred 32 credentials in the year reported. Ask the Commission for Independent Education directly whether the license is in good standing, because a lapse while you are enrolled costs you the hours rather than the school.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Jacksonville, the range runs $27,500 to $54,940 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $28,900. A narrow bottom-to-middle gap means the pay you start on is close to the pay most people stay on, unless they build a following. Concentration around Jacksonville runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.3 times, or 1,930 people in the occupation.
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#8
Texas Beauty College
Haltom city, TX · Cosmetology Private School
90%
Students aged 25 or over
- Cosmetology
- Renews 2026-12
- $8,217 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Haltom City, Texas Beauty College is on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation register. The board licenses it to train toward cosmetology. The board lists no other licensed school in Haltom City. 88 percent of its students finish, out of 38 enrolled in the fall count. Tuition is reported at $8,217 for the full program. It charges 35 percent less than the $12,700 median and finishes about as many of its students as the typical school here, so the saving is real rather than a discount for worse odds. It awarded 77 credentials over the year against a fall headcount of 38, which is what a clock-hour course that turns over more than one cohort a year looks like. The board files it under license 702753; that record, not this one, is what makes your hours count.
Where it leads
Around Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, the median cosmetologist earns $33,960, the bottom tenth $26,560 and the top tenth $60,150. The metro median is about 11 percent above the Texas figure. A 2.3-to-one spread from bottom to top is ordinary for the trade, and here as everywhere the top belongs to a client book. Local concentration around Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington sits near the national average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, read 2026-08-28.
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#9
Branford Academy of Hair & Cosmetology-Bridgeport
Bridgeport, CT
89%
Students aged 25 or over
- 100% finish
- 20 graduates a year
- $7,390 program cost
What the record shows
Branford Academy of Hair & Cosmetology-Bridgeport runs its cosmetology program in Bridgeport and reports to the US Department of Education. The school graduates 100 percent, on a fall headcount of 32. Tuition is reported at $7,390 for the full program. The median graduate left with $9,500 in federal loans, across 39 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $101 a month. That median loan is larger than the $7,390 price, so the typical borrower here finances more than tuition. 12 points more of its students finish than the 88 percent median, and it charges 42 percent less than the $12,700 median to do it, which is the right direction on both counts. It awarded 20 beauty credentials in the reporting year. That is a small cohort, which usually buys more chair time with an instructor and a shorter wait for the clinic floor. The state board holds the record that counts your hours; find this school on it by its legal name and check it is current before a deposit.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury earn under $46,470, with the tenth percentile at $34,010 and the ninetieth at $73,820. A 2.2-to-one spread from bottom to top is ordinary for the trade, and here as everywhere the top belongs to a client book. The trade is unusually concentrated around Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, about 1.9 times the national rate, so there are more chairs to compete for and more to be hired into.
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#10
Puerto Rico Advance Institute
Bayamon, PR
88%
Students aged 25 or over
- Private nonprofit
- 13 graduates a year
What the record shows
Based in Bayamon, Puerto Rico Advance Institute is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 13 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. The school is a private nonprofit, a category covering only a handful of cosmetology providers nationally. Confirm the school's current license with the state board first: federal reporting is about financial aid, and it is the state license that qualifies your hours.
Where it leads
Around San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, the median cosmetologist earns $22,480, the bottom tenth $21,840 and the top tenth $35,270. The bottom and the middle sit close together here, which means early pay is predictable and the upside has to be built rather than waited for. This is a comparatively thin market: San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas runs at roughly 0.5 times the national concentration, about 630 people in the occupation.
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#11
Florida Professional Institute
Miami, FL
88%
Students aged 25 or over
- 12 graduates a year
- $10,650 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Miami, Florida Professional Institute is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. Across all 117 students at the school, 100 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. That completion rate is 12 points above the 88 percent median, but it is every program on campus, so treat it as a fact about the school and not about the cosmetology floor. Tuition is reported at $10,650. That price is 16 percent under the $12,700 median. 12 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. The license from the Commission for Independent Education is still the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach runs from $28,160 at the tenth percentile to $54,850 at the ninetieth, with a median of $29,790. Starting pay and typical pay are close together in this market, which cuts both ways: less of a lean first year, and less immediate reward for getting quicker. The occupation is about as common around Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach as it is nationally.
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#12
Celebrity Barber School
Monroe, LA
88%
Students aged 25 or over
- 100% finish
- 7 graduates a year
- $18,700 program cost
What the record shows
Celebrity Barber School teaches barbering in Monroe, with its results published federally. It trains toward a barber license only, which is a similar hour count to cosmetology, leads to men's cutting, shaving and beard work, and does not license color, chemical services or the full cosmetology scope. That makes it a different decision from the full cosmetology schools on this page rather than a smaller version of one. The school graduates 100 percent, on a fall headcount of 20. The published cost is $18,700 for the full program. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 100 percent, 12 points over the 88 percent median, is a good sign. $18,700 is 47 percent over the $12,700 median for a similar hour count, which needs a reason. It awarded 7 beauty credentials in the reporting year. That is a small cohort, which usually buys more chair time with an instructor and a shorter wait for the clinic floor. Its hours count only under a current entry with the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology, so search that register by the school's legal name before any deposit.
Where it leads
Pay for barbers in Louisiana runs from $22,340 at the tenth percentile to $56,110 at the ninetieth, with a median of $44,430. Early pay across the state runs well under the median, so budget for a slow first year rather than the headline figure. This is a comparatively thin market: Louisiana runs at roughly 0.2 times the national concentration, about 40 people in the occupation.
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#13
Thanh Le College School of Cosmetology
Garden Grove, CA · Board-approved school
87%
Students aged 25 or over
- Nail technology
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- 18 exam candidates
- $10,100 program cost
What the record shows
Thanh Le College School of Cosmetology operates in Garden Grove under license from the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. Of 18 first-time candidates sitting the state written exam, 9 passed, giving 50 percent. Most of its candidates, 14 of 18, tested in nail technology, so that is what it mainly trains people to do. That is 19 points below the 69 percent statewide first-time rate, which is the comparison that holds whatever list you are reading. It is a small program, so the rate rests on a modest number of candidates. Garden Grove has 8 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. 94 percent of students see the course through, out of 43 enrolled. Tuition is reported at $10,100 for the full program. 6 points more of its students finish than the 88 percent median, and it charges 20 percent less than the $12,700 median to do it, which is the right direction on both counts. It awarded 41 beauty credentials in the reporting year. From 43 enrolled, that is one of the higher-throughput floors on this page. Verify the school's standing with the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim earn under $43,500, with the tenth percentile at $36,490 and the ninetieth at $73,260. Against the state as a whole, the metro runs roughly 13 percent higher on median pay. Neither end of this market is extreme: the top tenth earns about 1.7 times the median and the floor sits 16 percent under it, which makes the first year a budget question rather than a survival one. Nail technology pays a $36,570 median around Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, 16 percent under cosmetology. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 10,910 people.
Exam results by license
nail technology 7 of 14 50% cosmetology 1 of 2 50% esthetics 1 of 2 50% Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, read 2026-08-28.
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#14
National American University-Rapid City
Rapid City, SD
85%
Students aged 25 or over
- Associate degree
- 1 graduates a year
What the record shows
National American University-Rapid City runs its cosmetology program in Rapid City and reports to the US Department of Education. A program that awarded 1 credential all year may not run every term, which is the first thing to confirm. Unusually, this program leads to an associate degree instead of a certificate, which matters if you later want to teach or move into salon management. The South Dakota Cosmetology Commission holds the record that counts your hours; find this school on it by its legal name and check it is current before a deposit.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Rapid City earn under $48,440, with the tenth percentile at $24,010 and the ninetieth at $61,900. Few people hold this occupation locally, so a graduate is competing in a small pool and is likely to be known in it quickly. Rapid City employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 170 people.
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#15
Columbia College
Vienna, VA · Licensed school
85%
Students aged 25 or over
- Cosmetology
- Renews 2026-12
- $9,900 program cost
What the record shows
Columbia College operates in Vienna under license from the Board for Barbers and Cosmetology. The board licenses it to train toward cosmetology. Vienna has 6 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. Of 151 enrolled in the fall count, 80 percent finish. The published cost is $9,900 for the full program. $9,900 is 22 percent under the $12,700 median, and 8 points fewer finish than the 88 percent median. The saving only counts if you are one of the ones who gets through. License 1205001416 is the board's entry for it, and that is the record to confirm is still current before a deposit.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, the range runs $26,900 to $78,900 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $37,020. Top earners locally clear twice the median, so the ceiling is real, though it belongs to stylists with an established book rather than to new graduates. The occupation is about as common around Washington-Arlington-Alexandria as it is nationally.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board for Barbers and Cosmetology, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), read 2026-08-31.
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#16
Hilltop Beauty School
Daly City, CA · Board-approved school
84%
Students aged 25 or over
- Nail technology
- Cosmetology
- 40 exam candidates
- $14,245 program cost
What the record shows
Hilltop Beauty School trains in Daly City, licensed by the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. Of 40 first-time candidates sitting the state written exam, 16 passed, giving 40 percent. The median across the schools ranked here is 54 percent. Most of its candidates, 21 of 40, tested in nail technology, so that is what it mainly trains people to do. Its nail technology candidates passed at 38 percent, 8 of 21, which is where most of the school's result comes from. That is 29 points below the 69 percent statewide first-time rate, which is the comparison that holds whatever list you are reading. Its 40 candidates over two quarters make it a mid-sized program by state standards. It is the only licensed school the board lists in Daly City. 73 percent of students see the course through, out of 77 enrolled. Tuition is reported at $14,245 for the full program. That is the pairing to be wary of: 15 points fewer of its students finish than the 88 percent median, at a price 12 percent over the $12,700 median. Ask the school directly why students leave before you commit. It awarded 64 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Confirm the school's current license with the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology first: that entry is what qualifies your hours, whatever the federal figures say.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont earn under $42,400, with the tenth percentile at $35,540 and the ninetieth at $54,940. Against the state as a whole, the metro runs roughly 10 percent higher on median pay. The ninetieth percentile at $54,940 is 1.3 times the median, so the upside is real but bounded, and the floor sits 16 percent under the median, so the first year is lean but not the cliff it is in some states. Esthetics and nail technology do not pay alike around San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont: esthetics carries a $52,350 median, roughly 26 percent above nail technology. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 3,370 people.
Exam results by license
nail technology 8 of 21 38% cosmetology 8 of 19 42% Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, read 2026-08-28.
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#17
Professional Institute of Beauty
El Monte, CA · Board-approved school
83%
Students aged 25 or over
- Cosmetology
- 19 exam candidates
- $15,075 program cost
What the record shows
Based in El Monte, Professional Institute of Beauty is on the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology register. Of 19 first-time candidates sitting the state written exam, 11 passed, giving 58 percent. All of its candidates tested in cosmetology. That is 11 points below the 69 percent statewide first-time rate, which is the comparison that holds whatever list you are reading. It is a small program, so the rate rests on a modest number of candidates. It is the only licensed school the board lists in El Monte. Of the 93 students in its fall count, 76 percent complete the course they started. The published cost is $15,075 for the full program. The median graduate left with $3,380 in federal loans, across 51 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $36 a month. That is a small share of the $15,075 price, so most of it is being met some other way. 12 points fewer finish than the 88 percent median and it costs 19 percent over the $12,700 median, so before enrolling ask what happens to the students who do not get through. 74 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Ask the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology directly whether the license is in good standing, because a lapse while you are enrolled costs you the hours rather than the school.
Where it leads
Around Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, the median cosmetologist earns $43,500, the bottom tenth $36,490 and the top tenth $73,260. The metro median is about 13 percent above the California figure. The ninetieth percentile at $73,260 is 1.7 times the median, so the upside is real but bounded, and the floor sits 16 percent under the median, so the first year is lean but not the cliff it is in some states. Nail technology pays a $36,570 median around Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, 16 percent under cosmetology. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 10,910 people.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, read 2026-08-28.
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#18
Northern Virginia School of Therapeutic Massage
Falls Church, VA
83%
Students aged 25 or over
What the record shows
Based in Falls Church, Northern Virginia School of Therapeutic Massage is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. The Board for Barbers and Cosmetology holds the record that counts your hours; find this school on it by its legal name and check it is current before a deposit.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Washington-Arlington-Alexandria runs from $26,900 at the tenth percentile to $78,900 at the ninetieth, with a median of $37,020. The spread above the median is wide enough that averages mislead here. What separates the top is a client list built over years. The occupation is about as common around Washington-Arlington-Alexandria as it is nationally.
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#19
Futura Career Institute
Hialeah, FL
82%
Students aged 25 or over
- 126 graduates a year
- $11,700 program cost
What the record shows
Futura Career Institute teaches cosmetology in Hialeah, with its results published federally. Of 404 enrolled in the fall count, 89 percent finish. Tuition is reported at $11,700 for the full program. On completion and price it is close to the median school on this page, 89 percent against 88 and $11,700 against $12,700, which is neither a warning nor a recommendation: the choice comes down to the visit and the board file. It awarded 126 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Check its license with the Commission for Independent Education before enrolling, because that record and not the federal listing is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach earn under $29,790, with the tenth percentile at $28,160 and the ninetieth at $54,850. There is little distance between entry pay and the median locally, so the early climb is flatter than in most trades. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 4,910 people.
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#20
Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga
Chattanooga, TN
82%
Students aged 25 or over
- $33,620 program cost
What the record shows
Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga teaches cosmetology in Chattanooga, with its results published federally. The published tuition is $33,620. That price is roughly 2.6 times the $12,700 median, and nothing on this record explains the premium. Borrowing here runs to a median of $7,917 in federal loans, measured over 384 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $84 a month. Licensing is the business of the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners rather than the federal file's, so its register is where to confirm this school by its legal name first.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Chattanooga earn under $30,380, with the tenth percentile at $23,370 and the ninetieth at $57,630. The ninetieth percentile at $57,630 is 1.9 times the median, so the upside is real but bounded, and the floor sits 23 percent under the median, so the first year is lean but not the cliff it is in some states. Chattanooga employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 410 people.
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#21
New Concept Massage and Beauty School
Miami, FL
82%
Students aged 25 or over
- 57 graduates a year
- $14,780 program cost
What the record shows
New Concept Massage and Beauty School runs its cosmetology program in Miami and reports to the US Department of Education. 85 percent of the 123 students it enrolls finish. The published cost is $14,780 for the full program. $14,780 is 16 percent over the $12,700 median, for a completion rate within 3 points of the 88 percent median, which is a premium with nothing on this record to justify it. 57 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. The license from the Commission for Independent Education is still the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, the range runs $28,160 to $54,850 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $29,790. The first rung and the middle of this market are close enough that the early years are less about pay than about who comes back. The occupation is about as common around Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach as it is nationally.
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#22
Cannella School of Hair Design-Villa Park
Villa Park, IL · LICENSED COSMETOLOGY SCHOOL
81%
Students aged 25 or over
- Cosmetology
- Licensed since 2020
- Renews 2026-09
- No recorded discipline
- $18,020 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Villa Park, Cannella School of Hair Design-Villa Park is on the state board register. Its license dates back to 2020 and has not lapsed since. The board licenses it to train toward cosmetology. The board lists no other licensed school in Villa Park. The board files it under Dupage County, if you are checking the register yourself. 71 percent of its students finish, out of 51 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $18,020 for the full program. 17 points fewer finish than the 88 percent median and it costs 42 percent over the $12,700 median, so before enrolling ask what happens to the students who do not get through. 20 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. License 013000845 is the board's entry for it, and that is the record to confirm is still current before a deposit.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Chicago-Naperville-Elgin earn under $34,260, with the tenth percentile at $31,200 and the ninetieth at $58,960. Local pay is compressed near the bottom, so the first years look much like the middle and progression comes from clientele rather than from a job title. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin employs the trade at about 1.4 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, read 2026-08-28.
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#23
Asian-American International Beauty College
Westminster, CA · Board-approved school
81%
Students aged 25 or over
- Nail technology
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- 193 exam candidates
- $1,400 program cost
What the record shows
Asian-American International Beauty College is licensed by the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology and trains in Westminster. The board recorded 193 first-time candidates from this school, 139 of whom passed, at 72 percent. That runs above the 54 percent median across the schools ranked here. Most of its candidates, 108 of 193, tested in nail technology, so that is what it mainly trains people to do. Performance varies by license, from 81 percent in cosmetology down to 33 percent in esthetics. Statewide, first-time candidates pass at 69 percent, so this runs 3 points above. It is one of the larger testing centers in the state by candidate volume. 90 percent of students see the course through, out of 442 enrolled. The published cost is $1,400 for the full program. On completion it is an ordinary school for this page, 90 percent against the 88 percent median, so it comes down to the price and the visit. 568 credentials in the year from a fall count of 442: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. Confirm the school's current license with the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology first: that entry is what qualifies your hours, whatever the federal figures say.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim runs from $36,490 at the tenth percentile to $73,260 at the ninetieth, with a median of $43,500. The metro median is about 13 percent above the California figure. The ninetieth percentile at $73,260 is 1.7 times the median, so the upside is real but bounded, and the floor sits 16 percent under the median, so the first year is lean but not the cliff it is in some states. Nail technology pays a $36,570 median around Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, 16 percent under cosmetology. On concentration, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.
Exam results by license
nail technology 79 of 108 73% cosmetology 54 of 67 81% esthetics 6 of 18 33% Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, read 2026-08-28.
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#24
M-DCPS The English Center
Miami, FL
81%
Students aged 25 or over
- Public institution
- 140 graduates a year
- $600 program cost
What the record shows
M-DCPS The English Center runs its cosmetology program in Miami and reports to the US Department of Education. Across all 203 students at the school, 92 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. Read that 92 percent as the school's rate, not the cosmetology floor's, so it neither ranks this program up nor down. The published tuition is $600. It awarded 140 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Check its license with the Commission for Independent Education before enrolling, because that record and not the federal listing is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach runs from $28,160 at the tenth percentile to $54,850 at the ninetieth, with a median of $29,790. Starting pay and typical pay are close together in this market, which cuts both ways: less of a lean first year, and less immediate reward for getting quicker. On concentration, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.
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#25
Nouvelle Institute
Miami, FL
80%
Students aged 25 or over
- 87% finish
- 253 graduates a year
- $14,886 program cost
What the record shows
Nouvelle Institute trains in Miami, and because it takes federal financial aid its outcomes are published per program. 87 percent of students see the course through, out of 75 enrolled. The published cost is $14,886 for the full program. A median completion at a price 17 percent over the $12,700 median: ask what the extra 17 percent pays for, because it is not finishing. 253 credentials in the year from a fall count of 75: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. Check its license with the Commission for Independent Education before enrolling, because that record and not the federal listing is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Around Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, the median cosmetologist earns $29,790, the bottom tenth $28,160 and the top tenth $54,850. There is little distance between entry pay and the median locally, so the early climb is flatter than in most trades. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 4,910 people.
Positions 26 to 302 are listed by state below, and every school is on its own state page with the full record.
Cosmetology Schools for Adults and Career Changers by State
How many schools in each state meet the definition, with the three that lead the list there, from the College Scorecard and IPEDS. Each state page carries the board's own roster and hour requirement.
| State | Schools |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 4 |
| Arizona | 5 |
| Arkansas | 4 |
| California | 33 |
| Colorado | 3 |
| Connecticut | 2 |
| Delaware | 3 |
| District of Columbia | 2 |
| Florida | 39 |
| Georgia | 8 |
| Hawaii | 1 |
| Illinois | 15 |
| Indiana | 4 |
| Kansas | 1 |
| Kentucky | 1 |
| Louisiana | 10 |
| Maryland | 8 |
| Massachusetts | 8 |
| Michigan | 9 |
| Mississippi | 3 |
| Missouri | 2 |
| Nevada | 2 |
| New Hampshire | 1 |
| New Jersey | 6 |
| New Mexico | 1 |
| New York | 16 |
| North Carolina | 6 |
| Ohio | 14 |
| Oklahoma | 8 |
| Oregon | 2 |
| Pennsylvania | 12 |
| Puerto Rico | 8 |
| South Carolina | 4 |
| South Dakota | 1 |
| Tennessee | 3 |
| Texas | 34 |
| Utah | 3 |
| Virginia | 10 |
| Washington | 5 |
| Wisconsin | 1 |
Why the Age Mix at a Beauty School Matters
A cohort counts for more in a beauty school than in a lecture hall. You are on a clinic floor with the same people for hundreds of hours, booking each other's models and covering each other's slots. At a school where 94 percent of students are 25 or over, being 34 with a job and two kids is ordinary rather than the story everyone asks about.
That is the whole of what the number tells you. It counts who enrolled. A school with an older roster can still run one daytime course, and a school that missed the half-way cut can run an evening track. Use the share to build a shortlist, then ask each school on it about the calendar.
The top of the list shows why the two figures have to be read together. J F Ingram State Technical College in Deatsville, Alabama has the highest adult share here, 94 percent of 960 undergraduates, and the college finishes 21 percent of the students who start. The age mix and the outcome are separate measurements of separate things.
Figures in this section: IPEDS 2023 and College Scorecard, June 2026.
What the Federal Data Cannot Tell You About Schedules
No federal file records class times. There is no field for evening sections, weekend sections or part-time study in IPEDS, the Department of Education's enrollment survey, and none in College Scorecard. Any site offering you a ranked list of night-class beauty schools built that list from the schools' own marketing copy.
The hour requirement is the fixed part. Your state board sets the clock hours for the license, and going part time does not lower that number, it spreads the same hours over a longer calendar. That is usually the trade a working adult wants, and it is the thing to get in writing: hours per week, days of the week, and the finish date the plan produces.
One lever genuinely cuts classroom time, and it is the share of theory hours your state lets you take online. That is a state rule rather than a school policy, and it varies a lot. Our guide to which states allow online cosmetology hours quotes each rule. No state licenses a cosmetologist trained entirely at home.
Figures in this section: IPEDS 2023 and College Scorecard, June 2026.
Paying for It as an Adult
Pell Grants have no age limit. At a school approved for federal Title IV aid, a 38-year-old and an 18-year-old with the same income qualify for the same award, and federal student loans work the same way. At Praxis Institute in Miami, 73 percent of the 422 undergraduates receive a Pell Grant.
If you finished a degree years ago, part of your Pell went with it. Lifetime eligibility is capped, so check what is left before you build a budget around a full award. Ask whether the school takes federal aid at all before you get as far as comparing prices.
Then compare the total cost of attendance rather than the tuition line. Kit, books and fees sit outside tuition, and the figure that matters is what you pay across the whole program.
Median tuition across these 302 schools is $15,075. The cheapest is $600 at M-DCPS The English Center in Miami, a public school that finishes 92 percent of its students, and the highest here is $45,900. If price is the deciding factor, start with the most affordable schools or a community college program.
Figures in this section: IPEDS 2023 and College Scorecard, June 2026.
Where the Adult-Majority Schools Are
Three states hold a third of the list. Florida has 39 of the 302 schools, Texas has 34 and California has 33. New York has 16, Illinois 15, Ohio 14 and Pennsylvania 12. Forty states and jurisdictions have at least one, Puerto Rico among them with eight.
If your state is thin here, that is no verdict on its schools. Most beauty schools are clock-hour institutions that never file this federal survey, so they cannot appear on a list built from it, and plenty of them enroll mostly adults. The state rankings cover all 51 jurisdictions and include the schools that only appear on the board's own roster.
The rule for what qualifies for this list, and how the share is measured, is set out in the methodology.
Figures in this section: IPEDS 2023 and College Scorecard, June 2026.
What This List Does Not Tell You
An older student body says who enrols, not how the school schedules its hours. Whether a program runs an evening or part-time track is not in any federal file and has to be asked of the school. At a community college the figure is the whole college’s, and a college full of working adults may still run cosmetology as a daytime course. Every figure is quoted as published in the College Scorecard.
Nothing here checks a school's state board license, which is what makes your hours count toward the exam. Before you pay a deposit, find the school on its state page and confirm the license is current in the board's own lookup. How the rankings are built explains every figure used on this site.
Common Questions About Cosmetology Schools for Adults and Career Changers
Answers draw on the College Scorecard and IPEDS figures behind the list above, and on the state board rules linked from each state page.
Is 30 too old to start cosmetology school?
Can you do cosmetology school part time?
How long does cosmetology school take part time?
Can adults get financial aid for cosmetology school?
Which beauty schools have mostly adult students?
Does an older student body mean the school is better?
Sources
- US Department of Education, College Scorecard, field-of-study and institution files, June 2026 release. Completion, cost, debt, enrollment, ownership and credential for 1,574 institutions with a cosmetology program (CIP 12.04).
- National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS Institutional Characteristics and Directory files, 2023. Veteran services, religious affiliation, HBCU status and metro area, as reported by each institution.
- State board license files, read from each board directly and matched to the federal record by name and city. Each card cites its board and the date the file was read.