Cosmetology Schools in Sacramento, CA, Ranked (2026)

The 9 Cosmetology Schools in and Near Sacramento, Ranked on Completion

9 cosmetology programs report to the US Department of Education from inside Sacramento or within 30 miles of downtown. Every one of them had at least 40 students and a published completion figure, and they are ordered on the share of students who finish within half again the program's normal length.

Where a school's board record was matched, the card carries it. A school that appears here without one is not unlicensed; it means the board's file and the federal file did not agree on its name, and the California page links the board's own lookup.

1. #1

   My Le's Beauty College

   Sacramento, CA · Board-approved school

   97%

   Share of students who finish

   • Nail technology
   • Cosmetology
   • Esthetics
   • Barbering
   • 82 exam candidates
   • $2,600 program cost

   What the record shows

   Based in Sacramento, My Le's Beauty College is on the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology register. 58 of its 82 first-time candidates passed the state written exam, a rate of 71 percent. The median across the schools ranked here is 80 percent. Most of its candidates, 46 of 82, tested in nail technology, so that is what it mainly trains people to do. The result is uneven by license: 85 percent in esthetics against 50 percent in cosmetology. The statewide first-time rate is 69 percent, so it is about average on this measure. It is one of the larger testing centers in the state by candidate volume. Sacramento has 6 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. 97 percent of students see the course through, out of 150 enrolled. It charges $2,600 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. That puts it in the rare corner of this table: 20 points more of its students finish than the 77 percent median, and it charges 83 percent less than the $15,153 median to do it. 287 credentials in the year from a fall count of 150: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. 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

   Around Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, the median cosmetologist earns $36,780, the bottom tenth $34,610 and the top tenth $60,440. 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 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom sits near the national average.

   Exam results by license

   nail technology	35 of 46	76%
   cosmetology	10 of 20	50%
   esthetics	11 of 13	85%
   barbering	2 of 3	67%

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, read 2026-08-28.

2. #2

   Hoss Lee Academy

   Roseville, CA · Board-approved school

   92%

   Share of students who finish

   • Esthetics
   • Cosmetology
   • 68 exam candidates
   • $13,500 program cost

   What the record shows

   Hoss Lee Academy trains in Roseville, licensed by the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. The board recorded 68 first-time candidates from this school, 63 of whom passed, at 93 percent. That runs above the 80 percent median across the schools ranked here. Esthetics is its largest cohort at 38 of 68 candidates, which makes it the school's center of gravity. The 95 percent there, 36 of 38, sets much of the overall figure. Statewide, first-time candidates pass at 69 percent, so this runs 24 points above. It is one of the larger testing centers in the state by candidate volume. The board lists no other licensed school in Roseville. 92 percent of students see the course through, out of 112 enrolled. Tuition is reported at $13,500 for the full program. The median graduate left with $6,333 in federal loans, across 91 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. 15 points more of its students finish than the 77 percent median, priced within 11 percent of the $15,153 median, so you pay the going rate for better than average odds of getting through. It awarded 130 credentials over the year against a fall headcount of 112, which is what a clock-hour course that turns over more than one cohort a year looks like. 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

   For cosmetologists around Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, the range runs $34,610 to $60,440 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $36,780. There is little distance between entry pay and the median locally, so the early climb is flatter than in most trades. The occupation is about as common around Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom as it is nationally.

   Exam results by license

   esthetics	36 of 38	95%
   cosmetology	27 of 30	90%

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, read 2026-08-28.

3. #3

   Federico Beauty Institute

   Sacramento, CA · Board-approved school

   88%

   Share of students who finish

   • Esthetics
   • Cosmetology
   • Nail technology
   • Barbering
   • 96 exam candidates
   • $15,250 program cost

   What the record shows

   Federico Beauty Institute is licensed by the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology and trains in Sacramento. Of 96 first-time candidates sitting the state written exam, 76 passed, giving 79 percent. Performance varies by license, from 91 percent in nail technology down to 69 percent in barbering. Its candidates tested across 4 licenses, most in esthetics. Statewide, first-time candidates pass at 69 percent, so this runs 10 points above. Few schools in the state put through more candidates. With 6 licensed schools in Sacramento, this one is competing for students rather than the only option. 88 percent of its students finish, out of 220 enrolled in the fall count. Tuition is reported at $15,250 for the full program. Graduates who borrowed took on $6,333 in federal loans at the median, 372 of them. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. 11 points more of its students finish than the 77 percent median, priced within 1 percent of the $15,153 median, so you pay the going rate for better than average odds of getting through. It awarded 312 credentials over the year against a fall headcount of 220, which is what a clock-hour course that turns over more than one cohort a year looks like. 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

   For cosmetologists around Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, the range runs $34,610 to $60,440 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $36,780. Entry and median pay nearly meet locally. The money comes later and it comes from repeat clients. On concentration, Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.

   Exam results by license

   esthetics	23 of 30	77%
   cosmetology	21 of 27	78%
   nail technology	21 of 23	91%
   barbering	11 of 16	69%

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, read 2026-08-28.

4. #4

   Paul Mitchell the School-Sacramento

   Sacramento, CA · Board-approved school

   79%

   Share of students who finish

   • Cosmetology
   • Esthetics
   • Barbering
   • 105 exam candidates
   • $9,360 program cost

   What the record shows

   Paul Mitchell the School-Sacramento trains in Sacramento, licensed by the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. 64 of its 105 first-time candidates passed the state written exam, a rate of 61 percent. The median across the schools ranked here is 80 percent. Cosmetology is its largest cohort at 48 of 105 candidates, which makes it the school's center of gravity. Its cosmetology candidates passed at 52 percent, 25 of 48, which is where most of the school's result comes from. Statewide, first-time candidates pass at 69 percent, so this runs 8 points below. It is one of the larger testing centers in the state by candidate volume. With 6 licensed schools in Sacramento, this one is competing for students rather than the only option. 79 percent of its students finish, out of 309 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $9,360 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $6,333 in federal loans, measured over 451 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. It charges 38 percent less than the $15,153 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. 389 credentials in the year from a fall count of 309: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. 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

   For cosmetologists around Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, the range runs $34,610 to $60,440 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $36,780. 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 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom as it is nationally.

   Exam results by license

   cosmetology	25 of 48	52%
   esthetics	27 of 39	69%
   barbering	12 of 18	67%

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, read 2026-08-28.

5. #5

   MTI College

   Sacramento, CA

   77%

   Share of students who finish

   • 158 graduates a year
   • $19,200 program cost

   What the record shows

   MTI College runs its cosmetology program in Sacramento and reports to the US Department of Education. 77 percent of students across the college finish, out of 2,000 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Read that 77 percent as the college's rate, not the cosmetology floor's, so it neither ranks this program up nor down. The published tuition is $19,200. That price is 27 percent over the $15,153 median, and nothing on this record explains the premium. 155 graduates borrowed, at a median of $9,833 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $104 a month. It awarded 158 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Licensing is the business of the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology rather than the federal file's, so its register is where to confirm this school by its legal name first.

   Where it leads

   Pay for cosmetologists around Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom runs from $34,610 at the tenth percentile to $60,440 at the ninetieth, with a median of $36,780. 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. The occupation is about as common around Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom as it is nationally.

   Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

6. #6

   Citrus Heights Beauty College

   Citrus Heights, CA · Board-approved school

   77%

   Share of students who finish

   • Cosmetology
   • Nail technology
   • Esthetics
   • 53 exam candidates
   • $15,245 program cost

   What the record shows

   Citrus Heights Beauty College operates in Citrus Heights under license from the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. The board recorded 53 first-time candidates from this school, 43 of whom passed, at 81 percent. Cosmetology is its largest cohort at 26 of 53 candidates, which makes it the school's center of gravity. The result is uneven by license: 94 percent in nail technology against 73 percent in cosmetology. That is 12 points above the 69 percent statewide first-time rate, which is the comparison that holds whatever list you are reading. Two quarters produced 53 candidates here, a mid-sized cohort for the state. It is the only licensed school the board lists in Citrus Heights. Of the 114 students in its fall count, 77 percent complete the course they started. Tuition is reported at $15,245 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $7,000 in federal loans, measured over 85 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $74 a month. It is close to the median school on this page on completion, price and borrowing, 77 percent, exactly the median and $15,245 against $15,153, 46 percent of the price borrowed against 46 for the page, which is neither a warning nor a recommendation: the choice comes down to the visit and the board file. It awarded 162 credentials over the year against a fall headcount of 114, which is what a clock-hour course that turns over more than one cohort a year looks like. The license from the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology is 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 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom runs from $34,610 at the tenth percentile to $60,440 at the ninetieth, with a median of $36,780. 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 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom as it is nationally.

   Exam results by license

   cosmetology	19 of 26	73%
   nail technology	15 of 16	94%
   esthetics	9 of 11	82%

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, read 2026-08-28.

7. #7

   MIXED Institute of Cosmetology & Barber

   Sacramento, CA · Board-approved school

   73%

   Share of students who finish

   • Barbering
   • Esthetics
   • Cosmetology
   • Nail technology
   • 50 exam candidates
   • $15,060 program cost

   What the record shows

   MIXED Institute of Cosmetology & Barber operates in Sacramento under license from the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. Of 50 first-time candidates sitting the state written exam, 40 passed, giving 80 percent. The bulk of its testing is barbering, 25 of 50 candidates, though it is licensed more widely than that. Its barbering candidates passed at 80 percent, 20 of 25, which is where most of the school's result comes from. That is 11 points above the 69 percent statewide first-time rate, which is the comparison that holds whatever list you are reading. Its 50 candidates over two quarters make it a mid-sized program by state standards. Sacramento has 6 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. The school graduates 73 percent, on a fall headcount of 138. It charges $15,060 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. On completion and price it is close to the median school on this page, 73 percent against 77 and $15,060 against $15,153, which is neither a warning nor a recommendation: the choice comes down to the visit and the board file. 92 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. The license from the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology is 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 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom earn under $36,780, with the tenth percentile at $34,610 and the ninetieth at $60,440. 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. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 1,800 people.

   Exam results by license

   barbering	20 of 25	80%
   esthetics	11 of 14	79%
   cosmetology	7 of 9	78%
   nail technology	2 of 2	100%

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, read 2026-08-28.

8. #8

   Milan Institute of Cosmetology-Vacaville

   Vacaville, CA · Board-approved school

   57%

   Share of students who finish

   • Cosmetology
   • Esthetics
   • Nail technology
   • Barbering
   • 77 exam candidates
   • $15,625 program cost

   What the record shows

   Milan Institute of Cosmetology-Vacaville operates in Vacaville under license from the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. The board recorded 77 first-time candidates from this school, 51 of whom passed, at 66 percent. The median across the schools ranked here is 80 percent. The bulk of its testing is cosmetology, 34 of 77 candidates, though it is licensed more widely than that. Performance varies by license, from 90 percent in nail technology down to 56 percent in esthetics. That is 3 points below the 69 percent statewide first-time rate, which is the comparison that holds whatever list you are reading. Few schools in the state put through more candidates. Of the 260 students in its fall count, 57 percent complete the course they started. It charges $15,625 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. The federal file reports borrowing for Milan Institute of Cosmetology campuses together rather than for this one: a median of $6,333 in federal loans across 613 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. 20 points fewer of its students finish than the 77 percent median, priced within 4 percent of the $15,153 median, so you would be paying the going rate for worse odds of getting through. Ask the school what happens to the ones who leave. 120 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Check its license with the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology before enrolling, because that record and not this card is what makes your clock hours count.

   Where it leads

   Pay for cosmetologists around Vallejo runs from $36,150 at the tenth percentile to $63,490 at the ninetieth, with a median of $38,640. There is little distance between entry pay and the median locally, so the early climb is flatter than in most trades. This is a comparatively thin market: Vallejo runs at roughly 0.6 times the national concentration, about 170 people in the occupation.

   Exam results by license

   cosmetology	23 of 34	68%
   esthetics	14 of 25	56%
   nail technology	9 of 10	90%
   barbering	5 of 8	63%

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, read 2026-08-28.

9. #9

   Sacramento City College

   Sacramento, CA · Board-approved school

   33%

   Share of students who finish

   • Cosmetology
   • Nail technology
   • 27 exam candidates

   What the record shows

   Based in Sacramento, Sacramento City College is on the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology register. The board recorded 27 first-time candidates from this school, 25 of whom passed, at 93 percent. That runs above the 80 percent median across the schools ranked here. Most of its candidates, 26 of 27, tested in cosmetology, so that is what it mainly trains people to do. That is 24 points above the 69 percent statewide first-time rate, which is the comparison that holds whatever list you are reading. Two quarters produced 27 candidates here, a mid-sized cohort for the state. With 6 licensed schools in Sacramento, this one is competing for students rather than the only option. 33 percent of students across the college finish, out of 17,657 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 33 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. Its 18 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a college of 17,657. It is a public college, so the cosmetology course is priced at in-district tuition rather than at an academy price. 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

   Around Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, the median cosmetologist earns $36,780, the bottom tenth $34,610 and the top tenth $60,440. 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. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 1,800 people.

   Exam results by license

   cosmetology	24 of 26	92%
   nail technology	1 of 1	100%

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, read 2026-08-28.

Other Licensed Cosmetology Schools in Sacramento

California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology lists 6 currently licensed schools in Sacramento. These 1 appear above, either because the school takes no federal aid and so reports no completion figure, or because its cohort was too small to rank. Being on this list means the board licenses the school, which is the thing that makes your hours count.

What Board Approval Means for a Sacramento Beauty School

California sets 1,000 clock hours for a cosmetologist license under SB 803, and only a school on the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology's approved list can bank them for you. Private schools carry a second approval from the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, and the two are not interchangeable.

The approved list will not verify a school for you. It gives names and cities, with no license numbers, no status column and no expiry date, so a single school has to go through the board's own lookup. We wrote about how often school licenses lapse and what happens to hours already earned.

One thing the California board publishes has no equivalent in most states: written exam pass and fail rates per school, broken out by discipline. It is the strongest objective comparison anyone makes available in this field. Ask a Sacramento admissions office for its number before you commit, and notice how the answer comes back.

Figures in this section: California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology; BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What the Sacramento Ranked List Shows

My Le's Beauty College is first at 97% completion on 150 students, and it charges $2,600 for the whole program. The counterweight sits on the same card: its graduates report $11,108 five years out on a cohort of 54, the lowest earnings figure here. Price and finish rate are not the whole story.

Hoss Lee Academy in Roseville is second at 92% on 112 students at $13,500, fifteen miles out. Federico Beauty Institute is third at 88% on 220 students at $15,250, with graduates at $23,528 five years out. Paul Mitchell the School-Sacramento is fourth at 79% on 309 students, at $9,360.

The middle of the list is tight. MTI College is fifth at 77% across 2,000 students, so that figure covers more than beauty, and Citrus Heights Beauty College is sixth at 77% on 114 students at $15,245. Mixed Institute of Cosmetology & Barber is seventh at 73% on 138 students at $15,060.

Distance decides the bottom. Milan Institute of Cosmetology-Vacaville is eighth at 57% and sits 29 miles out, which is months of daily driving for a 1,000-hour program. Sacramento City College is ninth at 33%, a whole-college figure across 17,657 students and the only community college here. Our methodology covers what the ranking reads.

Figures in this section: California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology; BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.

What Hair, Skin and Nail Work Pays Around Sacramento

Nail work is the story in this metro. Manicurists number 3,130, nearly three times the national concentration and the strongest showing of any beauty trade in the Sacramento numbers, at a $35,340 median. The ceiling sits close behind it, $44,760 at the 90th percentile, so the pay is steady and flat. Manicurist pay has the detail.

Hair employs fewer people here and pays below the state. The metro counts 1,800 hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists at a $36,780 median, about $1,880 under California's $38,660, and the top of the range is $60,440 against $68,640 statewide.

Skin work has the highest ceiling of the three trades here. Skincare specialists earn a $38,180 median on 550 employed and reach $69,160 at the 90th percentile. All of these are employee wages, and BLS counts no booth renters and no commission-only stylists, so read them as the salaried slice. Esthetician work is the page for that trade.

Figures in this section: California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology; BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.

What Cosmetology Careers Pay in Sacramento

Median annual pay in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area, from the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. A cosmetologist here earns a median of $36,780 against $38,660 across California, with 1,800 employed in the metro. Booth renters and salon owners are self-employed and outside the survey, so these figures describe stylists on a payroll.

Each occupation has its own salary page with the range and every state, and a career page on the work and the license it needs.

Cosmetology Schools in Nearby Cities

• Cosmetology schools in Los Angeles, CA
• Cosmetology schools in San Diego, CA
• Cosmetology schools in San Jose, CA
• Cosmetology schools in San Francisco, CA
• Cosmetology schools in Fresno, CA
• Cosmetology schools in Long Beach, CA
• Cosmetology schools in Oakland, CA
• All of California
• All 50 cities

Common Questions About Cosmetology School in Sacramento

Answers draw on California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, the College Scorecard and the May 2025 BLS wage release.