Washington, District of Columbia
Cosmetology Schools in Washington, DC, Ranked (2026)
Published
Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology
Beauty schools in Washington put you in three jurisdictions at once. The District licenses a cosmetologist at 1,250 hours, near the bottom of the national range. But only two of the eleven ranked schools within reach are actually in DC. The other nine are Maryland and Virginia addresses, and where you enroll decides which rulebook you finish under.
Inside the District, the Higher Education Licensure Commission licenses four schools. Two of them, Bennett Career Institute and The Salon Professional Academy-Washington DC, report federal completion figures. The other two are clock-hour schools outside that system, which is ordinary here. Four more schools in range had cohorts too small to rank.
Figures in this section: District of Columbia Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC), Office of the State Superintendent of Education; BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
The 11 Cosmetology Schools in and Near Washington, Ranked on Completion
15 cosmetology programs report to the US Department of Education from inside Washington or within 30 miles of downtown. 11 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. The other 4 had too few students to rank, so the list stops at 11.
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 District of Columbia page links the board's own lookup.
| # | School | Miles | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Esthetic Institute | 11 | 88% |
| 2 | The Temple Annapolis-A Paul Mitchell Partner School | 27 | 85% |
| 3 | Columbia College | 12 | 80% |
| 4 | Cortiva Institute | 29 | 70% |
| 5 | Hair Academy | 10 | 61% |
| 6 | Hair Academy II | 7 | 55% |
| 7 | Bennett Career Institute | 3 | 51% |
| 8 | Paul Mitchell the School-Jessup | 23 | 51% |
| 9 | The Salon Professional Academy-Washington DC | 2 | 51% |
| 10 | Montgomery Beauty School | 7 | 50% |
| 11 | Aspen Beauty Academy of Laurel | 18 | 47% |
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#1
The Esthetic Institute
Vienna, VA · Licensed school
88%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Nail technology
- Renews 2026-12
- $10,000 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Vienna, The Esthetic Institute is on the Board for Barbers and Cosmetology register. Its license covers cosmetology and nail technology. Vienna has 6 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. Of the 66 students in its fall count, 88 percent complete the course they started. The published cost is $10,000 for the full program. The median graduate left with $6,333 in federal loans, across 118 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. More finish here than at the typical school on this page, 88 percent against 55, and the price is 52 percent under the $20,765 median: the two numbers point the same way. 160 credentials in the year from a fall count of 66: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. License 1205000972 is the board's entry for it, and that is the record to confirm is still current before a deposit.
Where it leads
Around Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, the median cosmetologist earns $37,020, the bottom tenth $26,900 and the top tenth $78,900. This is a market with a long tail: the ninetieth percentile runs past double the median, and that gap is clientele rather than credentials. Nail technology and cosmetology do not pay alike around Washington-Arlington-Alexandria: nail technology carries a $42,040 median, roughly 14 percent above cosmetology. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 7,010 people.
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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#2
The Temple Annapolis-A Paul Mitchell Partner School
Annapolis, MD · Licensed school
85%
Share of students who finish
- Barbering
- Cosmetology
- $20,765 program cost
What the record shows
The Temple Annapolis-A Paul Mitchell Partner School is licensed by the Maryland Higher Education Commission and trains in Annapolis. Its license covers barbering and cosmetology. It is the only licensed school the board lists in Annapolis. 85 percent of students see the course through, out of 202 enrolled. It charges $20,765 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. 287 graduates borrowed, at a median of $9,833 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $104 a month. 30 points more of its students finish than the 55 percent median, priced exactly at the $20,765 median, so you pay the going rate for better than average odds of getting through. 99 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Verify the school's standing with the Maryland Higher Education Commission before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Baltimore-Columbia-Towson runs from $31,820 at the tenth percentile to $59,530 at the ninetieth, with a median of $36,370. Entry and median pay nearly meet locally. The money comes later and it comes from repeat clients. On concentration, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Maryland Higher Education Commission, read 2026-08-31.
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#3
Columbia College
Vienna, VA · Licensed school
80%
Share of students who finish
- 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. More finish here than at the typical school on this page, 80 percent against 55, and the price is 52 percent under the $20,765 median: the two numbers point the same way. 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
Half of cosmetologists around Washington-Arlington-Alexandria earn under $37,020, with the tenth percentile at $26,900 and the ninetieth at $78,900. The top of this market earns more than double the median, which is the part of the trade that rewards a following, and it takes years to build. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 7,010 people.
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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#4
Cortiva Institute
Linthicum, MD · Licensed school
70%
Share of students who finish
- Esthetics
- $11,004 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Linthicum, Cortiva Institute is on the Maryland Higher Education Commission register. On the beauty side it trains toward an esthetics license only, which is a fraction of the hours a cosmetology license takes, leads to skincare, facials and hair removal rather than hair, and does not license you to cut or color hair. That makes it a different decision from the full cosmetology schools on this page rather than a smaller version of one. The board lists no other licensed school in Linthicum. 70 percent of the 225 students it enrolls finish. The published cost is $11,004 for the full program. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 70 percent, 15 points over the 55 percent median, is a good sign. $11,004 is 47 percent under the $20,765 median, which for a shorter course is about what it should cost. 233 credentials in the year from a fall count of 225: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. The license from the Maryland Higher Education Commission is the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.
Where it leads
For skincare specialists around Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, the range runs $36,050 to $85,420 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $58,930. Against the state as a whole, the metro runs roughly 26 percent higher on median pay. The bottom of this market sits well below its middle, so the first year is likely to be lean and worth planning for. The occupation is about as common around Baltimore-Columbia-Towson as it is nationally.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Maryland Higher Education Commission, read 2026-08-31.
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#5
Hair Academy
New Carrollton, MD · Licensed school
61%
Share of students who finish
- Barbering
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- $25,500 program cost
What the record shows
Hair Academy is licensed by the Maryland Higher Education Commission and trains in New Carrollton. Its license covers barbering, cosmetology and esthetics. It is the only licensed school the board lists in New Carrollton. The school graduates 61 percent, on a fall headcount of 229. Tuition is reported at $25,500 for the full program. Paying 23 percent over the $20,765 median buys 6 points of completion over the 55 percent median, and whether that is worth it depends on how sure you are of finishing anywhere. 165 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. That is roughly 13 percent of everything awarded by federally reporting beauty programs in the state, so it is one of the larger training operations here. Confirm the school's current license with the Maryland Higher Education Commission first: that entry is what qualifies your hours, whatever the federal figures say.
Where it leads
Around Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, the median cosmetologist earns $37,020, the bottom tenth $26,900 and the top tenth $78,900. The top of this market earns more than double the median, which is the part of the trade that rewards a following, and it takes years to build. Around Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, esthetics pays a $46,620 median, about 26 percent above cosmetology. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 7,010 people.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Maryland Higher Education Commission, read 2026-08-31.
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#6
Hair Academy II
Hillcrest Heights, MD · Licensed school
55%
Share of students who finish
- Barbering
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- $25,500 program cost
What the record shows
Hair Academy II is licensed by the Maryland Higher Education Commission and trains in Hillcrest Heights. Its license covers barbering, cosmetology and esthetics. The board lists no other licensed school in Hillcrest Heights. The school graduates 55 percent, on a fall headcount of 218. Tuition is reported at $25,500 for the full program. It charges 23 percent over the $20,765 median and finishes about as many of its students as the typical school here, so the extra price is not buying a better completion rate. It awarded 110 beauty credentials in the reporting year. That is roughly 8 percent of everything awarded by federally reporting beauty programs in the state, so it is one of the larger training operations here. Ask the Maryland Higher Education Commission 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, the median cosmetologist earns $37,020, the bottom tenth $26,900 and the top tenth $78,900. The top of this market earns more than double the median, which is the part of the trade that rewards a following, and it takes years to build. Around Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, the gap between esthetics and cosmetology is real: a $46,620 median against one 21 percent lower. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 7,010 people.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Maryland Higher Education Commission, read 2026-08-31.
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#7
Bennett Career Institute
Washington, DC · Institution License
51%
Share of students who finish
- Barbering
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- Instructor training
- Nail technology
- Natural hair styling
- Renews 2027-02
- $19,050 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Washington, Bennett Career Institute is on the state board register. Its license covers barbering, cosmetology, esthetics, instructor training, nail technology and natural hair styling. 51 percent of students see the course through, out of 176 enrolled. It charges $19,050 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. 108 graduates borrowed, at a median of $6,333 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. Completion and price both sit close to the page median, 51 percent against 55 and $19,050 against $20,765, and that median is low: 49 in a hundred here do not finish, which at $19,050 makes the purchase closer to a coin flip than a sure thing. 84 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Confirm the school's current license with the state board first: that entry is what qualifies your hours, whatever the federal figures say.
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 metro median runs about 32 percent below the District of Columbia figure. The spread above the median is wide enough that averages mislead here. What separates the top is a client list built over years. Esthetics and cosmetology do not pay alike around Washington-Arlington-Alexandria: esthetics carries a $46,620 median, roughly 26 percent above cosmetology. On concentration, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; District of Columbia Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC), Office of the State Superintendent of Education, read 2026-08-31.
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#8
Paul Mitchell the School-Jessup
Jessup, MD · Licensed school
51%
Share of students who finish
- Barbering
- Cosmetology
- $18,800 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Jessup, Paul Mitchell the School-Jessup is on the Maryland Higher Education Commission register. Its license covers barbering and cosmetology. The board lists no other licensed school in Jessup. The school graduates 51 percent, on a fall headcount of 131. The published cost is $18,800 for the full program. Typical for this page on both counts, 51 percent against 55 and $18,800 against $20,765, and typical here means 49 in a hundred do not finish, which at $18,800 is the fact to weigh. It awarded 66 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Verify the school's standing with the Maryland Higher Education Commission before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
Around Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, the median cosmetologist earns $36,370, the bottom tenth $31,820 and the top tenth $59,530. 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. Local concentration around Baltimore-Columbia-Towson sits near the national average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Maryland Higher Education Commission, read 2026-08-31.
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#9
The Salon Professional Academy-Washington DC
Washington, DC · Institution License
51%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- Instructor training
- Nail technology
- Renews 2028-01
- $22,000 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Washington, The Salon Professional Academy-Washington DC is on the state board register. Its license covers cosmetology, esthetics, instructor training and nail technology. 51 percent of its students finish, out of 117 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $22,000 for the full program. The federal file reports borrowing for The Salon Professional campuses together rather than for this one: a median of $8,028 in federal loans across 124 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $85 a month. Typical for this page on both counts, 51 percent against 55 and $22,000 against $20,765, and typical here means 49 in a hundred do not finish, which at $22,000 is the fact to weigh. 93 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. The license from the state board is 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, the range runs $26,900 to $78,900 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $37,020. Against the state as a whole, the metro sits roughly 32 percent under on median pay. 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. Around Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, the gap between esthetics and cosmetology is real: a $46,620 median against one 21 percent lower. The occupation is about as common around Washington-Arlington-Alexandria as it is nationally.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; District of Columbia Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC), Office of the State Superintendent of Education, read 2026-08-31.
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#10
Montgomery Beauty School
Silver Spring, MD · Licensed school
50%
Share of students who finish
- Barbering
- Cosmetology
- $25,500 program cost
What the record shows
Montgomery Beauty School is licensed by the Maryland Higher Education Commission and trains in Silver Spring. Its license covers barbering and cosmetology. It is the only licensed school the board lists in Silver Spring. The school graduates 50 percent, on a fall headcount of 101. The published cost is $25,500 for the full program. 5 points fewer finish than the 55 percent median and it costs 23 percent over the $20,765 median, so before enrolling ask what happens to the students who do not get through. 50 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Verify the school's standing with the Maryland Higher Education Commission before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
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. This is a market with a long tail: the ninetieth percentile runs past double the median, and that gap is clientele rather than credentials. On concentration, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Maryland Higher Education Commission, read 2026-08-31.
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#11
Aspen Beauty Academy of Laurel
Laurel, MD · Licensed school
47%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $20,990 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Laurel, Aspen Beauty Academy of Laurel is on the Maryland Higher Education Commission register. Its license covers cosmetology. The school graduates 47 percent, on a fall headcount of 118. Tuition is reported at $20,990 for the full program. 8 points fewer of its students finish than the 55 percent median, priced within 2 percent of the $20,765 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. It awarded 33 beauty credentials in the reporting year. From 118 enrolled that is slow throughput for a clock-hour course, and it belongs beside the completion figure above. Confirm the school's current license with the Maryland Higher Education Commission first: that entry is what qualifies your hours, whatever the federal figures say.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists in Maryland, the range runs $31,830 to $72,940 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $36,420. A flat floor and a long tail: nobody starts far below the median here, and the people well above it got there on repeat clients, not seniority. On concentration, Maryland is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Maryland Higher Education Commission, read 2026-08-31.
Other Licensed Cosmetology Schools in Washington
District of Columbia Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC), Office of the State Superintendent of Education lists 4 currently licensed schools in Washington. These 2 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.
| School | License |
|---|---|
| Certification School Worldwide | Institution License |
| Dudley Beauty College | Institution License |
Which Board Licenses Your Washington Cosmetology School and Which Licenses You
DC splits the job in two, and its own rules say so. Your school holds a license from the Higher Education Licensure Commission, inside the Office of the State Superintendent of Education. You get your own license from the DC Board of Barber and Cosmetology at the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. The cosmetology board has no authority over the schools at all.
The District asks for 1,250 hours and writes the entire curriculum into regulation as a line-item table: 200 hours of chemical straightening, 100 of permanent wave, 75 of electrology, 20 hours of D.C. law, and so on down to a total of exactly 1,250. There's also a separate hairstylist license at 1,000 hours that most states have no equivalent for.
If you already hold a barber license, DC credits up to 1,000 hours toward cosmetology and asks for 250 more, which is generous by any standard. It's worth reading what a barber license covers before paying for a full 1,250-hour course. None of these hours can be earned online either. The District's distance rules apply to continuing education, not to pre-licensure training.
Figures in this section: District of Columbia Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC), Office of the State Superintendent of Education; BLS OEWS, May 2025.
What Happens When Your Washington Beauty School Is in Maryland
Nine of the eleven ranked schools sit outside the District, and several are closer than the two inside it. Hair Academy II is 7 miles out in Hillcrest Heights, Montgomery Beauty School 7 miles in Silver Spring, Hair Academy 10 miles in New Carrollton. All three are Maryland schools. Hours banked there are Maryland hours, taught to Maryland's requirement, and you sit for Maryland's license.
It's not a reason to avoid them. It's a reason to decide early which license you want first, because coming back across the line is an application to the DC Board of Barber and Cosmetology, not an automatic transfer. The two ranked schools inside DC are Bennett Career Institute, 3 miles out at $19,050, and The Salon Professional Academy-Washington DC, 2 miles out at $22,000. Both finish about 51%.
The strongest completion figures in range carry Virginia and Maryland addresses. The Esthetic Institute in Vienna, Virginia, 11 miles out, finished 88% of its 66 students at $10,000 for the program. The Temple Annapolis, a Paul Mitchell partner school 27 miles out in Maryland, finished 85% of 202 students at $20,765. Columbia College, also in Vienna, finished 80% at $9,900.
The District publishes a roster of licensed institutions and nothing that ranks them, so the order on this page is the federal completion figure and nothing else. How that list is built is written out, and the District of Columbia page carries the same schools with their board records attached.
Figures in this section: District of Columbia Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC), Office of the State Superintendent of Education; BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
What a Cosmetologist Earns in Washington and in the Wider Metro
The District's own wage series is small and high: 870 hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists at a median of $54,570, with a bottom tenth of $36,400 and a top tenth of $130,950. Pull back to the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro and there are 7,010 of them at a median of $37,020. Same trade, $17,550 apart at the middle, because the metro figure takes in the suburbs.
Skin work pays better on both cuts. Metro skincare specialists report a median of $46,620 with a top tenth of $107,050, and inside the District the median is $77,480. Manicurists and pedicurists in the metro sit at $42,040 across 3,400 workers, at a location quotient of 1.10, so nail work is a little more concentrated here than nationally.
One honest caveat before you plan around any of it. BLS builds these from employer payroll, so a stylist renting a chair is largely invisible in them, and the District series covers only 870 people, which is thin. The cosmetologist salary page gives the national percentiles, and esthetics is where the local spread is widest.
Figures in this section: BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
What Cosmetology Careers Pay in Washington
Median annual pay in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, from the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. A cosmetologist here earns a median of $37,020 against $54,570 across District of Columbia, with 7,010 employed in the metro. Booth renters and salon owners are self-employed and outside the survey, so these figures describe stylists on a payroll.
- Estheticians $46,620 $46,620
- Nail technicians $42,040 $42,040
- Cosmetologists $37,020 $37,020
| Occupation | Metro median | District of Columbia median |
|---|---|---|
| Estheticians | $46,620 | $77,480 |
| Nail technicians | $42,040 | |
| Cosmetologists | $37,020 | $54,570 |
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.
Common Questions About Cosmetology School in Washington
Answers draw on District of Columbia Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC), Office of the State Superintendent of Education, the College Scorecard and the May 2025 BLS wage release.
How many hours do you need for a cosmetology license in Washington, DC?
Can you go to beauty school in Maryland and get licensed in Washington, DC?
Which cosmetology schools are actually inside Washington, DC?
Does a barber license shorten cosmetology school in Washington, DC?
What do hairstylists earn in Washington, DC?
Can any Washington cosmetology hours be done online?
Sources
- District of Columbia Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC), Office of the State Superintendent of Education, school license records, read 2026-08-31. Hour requirement for a cosmetologist license: 1,250 clock hours, cited to the rule.
- US Department of Education, College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Completion, enrollment, cost and location for every cosmetology program (CIP 12.04) within 30 miles of downtown Washington. Each card links its institution's Scorecard page.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Metro-area wages and employment for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area.