Hawaii
Best cosmetology programs in Hawaii 2026
Honolulu skyline. Photo by ArdentArbitration, licensed under CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Ranked on the share of students who finish what they started, within half again the program's normal length, as reported per institution to the US Department of Education. In a clock-hour trade this is the outcome that matters most: the license needs the full hour count, so a student who leaves early has paid for hours that will never qualify them.
No cosmetology program anywhere is accredited, because nothing accredits the program itself. NACCAS, the name on most beauty school marketing, is an institutional accreditor whose practical effect is access to federal financial aid, and an accredited school says nothing about the course it runs. In Hawaii the binding credential is the school's license from Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
3
schools reporting federally
3
qualify to be ranked
0
excluded, under 40 enrolled students
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#1
Makana Esthetics Wellness Academy
Honolulu, HI
87%
Share of students who finish
- 87% finish
- 62 graduates a year
- $12,000 program cost
What the record shows
Makana Esthetics Wellness Academy trains in Honolulu, and because it takes federal financial aid its outcomes are published per program. This is a specialist: an esthetics license, not cosmetology. The work is skincare, facials and hair removal rather than hair, the course is a fraction of the hours a cosmetology license takes, and it does not license you to cut or color hair, so it is a different decision from the full-service schools on this page. 87 percent of its students finish, out of 50 enrolled in the fall count. Tuition is reported at $12,000 for the full program. With only 3 schools on this page there is no median worth quoting; 87 percent finishing and a $12,000 price are the two figures to carry to the other 2. It awarded 62 credentials over the year against a fall headcount of 50, which is what a clock-hour course that turns over more than one cohort a year looks like. The license from the state board is still the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.
Where it leads
undefined Cosmetologists are the nearest series BLS carries to skincare specialists here. The top of this market earns more than double the median, which is the part of cosmetologists that rewards a following, and it takes years to build.
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#2
Hawaii Institute of Hair Design
Honolulu, HI
82%
Share of students who finish
- 82% finish
- 43 graduates a year
- $15,957 program cost
What the record shows
Hawaii Institute of Hair Design runs its cosmetology program in Honolulu and reports to the US Department of Education. The school graduates 82 percent, on a fall headcount of 85. The published cost is $15,957 for the full program. The median graduate left with $5,750 in federal loans, across 51 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $61 a month. With only 3 schools on this page there is no median worth quoting; 82 percent finishing and a $15,957 price are the two figures to carry to the other 2. It awarded 43 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Verify the school's standing with the state board before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists in Hawaii earn under $35,040, with the tenth percentile at $29,120 and the ninetieth at $73,820. The spread above the median is wide enough that averages mislead here. What separates the top is a client list built over years. Hawaii employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 930 people.
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#3
Honolulu Community College
Honolulu, HI
25%
Share of students who finish
- Associate degree
- Public institution
- 13 graduates a year
What the record shows
Honolulu Community College runs its cosmetology program in Honolulu and reports to the US Department of Education. Across all 1,897 students at the college, 25 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. With only 3 schools on this page there is no median worth quoting; 25 percent finishing is the figure to carry to the other 2. Its 13 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a college of 1,897. The award here is an associate degree rather than the certificate most cosmetology programs issue, so the hours come with transferable college credit attached. It is a public college, so the cosmetology course is priced at in-district tuition rather than at an academy price. Ask the state board 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
In Hawaii, the median cosmetologist earns $35,040, the bottom tenth $29,120 and the top tenth $73,820.
- Makana Esthetics Wellness Academy 87% 87%
- Hawaii Institute of Hair Design 82% 82%
- Honolulu Community College 25% 25%
Where can you find the licensed cosmetology programs in Hawaii?
The licensed cosmetology programs in Hawaii are searched one at a time rather than published as a list, so this page links Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs's own records instead of reprinting a commercial directory. The schools above are drawn from the 3 Hawaii cosmetology programs that take federal financial aid and therefore report their results to the Department of Education. That is a large share of the field and not all of it, so a school missing here is one that takes no federal aid rather than one that is unlicensed. Look up the school you are considering in the board's records and confirm the license is current before you pay anything.
How do you become a cosmetologist in Hawaii in 2026?
To become a cosmetologist in Hawaii you need 1,800 clock hours at a school licensed by Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, then a passing score on the state exam. At the pace most clock-hour schools run, that is roughly 13.9 months full time. That is above what 46 other states require, putting Hawaii among the longer programs in the country.
The count is only good if the school was licensed by Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs throughout, so the license is worth confirming before you enroll.
How much do cosmetologists make in Hawaii in 2026?
Cosmetologists in Hawaii earn a median of $35,040 , with the bottom tenth on $29,120 and the top tenth on $73,820 . The related licenses pay differently again, which matters because you pick the license before you start the hours.
- Cosmetologists $35,040 $35,040
- Salon managers $54,950 $54,950
- Nail technicians $60,790 $60,790
What is different about cosmetology licensing in Hawaii?
At 1,800 school hours Hawaii has one of the heaviest cosmetology requirements in the country, and it preserves a full 3,600-hour shop apprenticeship as a statutory alternative to school - double the school hours, but no tuition. It also splits out a separate lower 'hairdresser' license at 1,250 school hours, a tier most states folded into cosmetology decades ago. Two administrative quirks stand out: the beauty school's annual license fee is pegged to student enrollment rather than being flat, and the binding curriculum is a board document referenced by rule rather than codified. Hawaii is also one of the states that charges for its licensee roster - the free search returns one record at a time, and the bulk file costs $5 plus five cents a record. Read Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs's own rules .
Is it better to be a cosmetologist, esthetician or nail tech in Hawaii?
In Hawaii, nail technicians are the best paid of the beauty licenses at a $60,790 median. That is above the $35,040 cosmetologist median, so the longer general license is not automatically the better-paid route here.
A narrower license limits what you can charge for, and that ceiling matters more over a career than the opening figure does.
| Occupation | Median pay | Employed in state |
|---|---|---|
| Nail technicians | $60,790 | 40 |
| Salon managers | $54,950 | 740 |
Can you use a cosmetology license from another state in Hawaii?
Using a cosmetology license from another state in Hawaii means satisfying Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, which decides case by case, and the number it weighs is hours. Against the other West states, Hawaii is it asks 309 more hours than the regional average of 1,491, and it pays about 11 percent below the regional average.
Reciprocity is decided case by case, and the state you trained in is only the starting point for that conversation.
| State | Hours required | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii (this state) | 1,800 | $35,040 |
| Washington | 1,600 | $59,510 |
| Oregon | $57,580 | |
| California | 1,000 | $38,660 |
| Montana | 1,500 | $38,000 |
| New Mexico | 1,600 | $37,750 |
| Colorado | 1,500 | $37,690 |
| Arizona | 1,500 | $36,810 |
| Idaho | 1,600 | $35,480 |
| Utah | 1,250 | $35,140 |
| Nevada | 1,600 | $33,840 |
| Alaska | 1,650 | $32,150 |
| Wyoming | 1,600 | $29,170 |
What does this Hawaii cosmetology program ranking not tell you?
This Hawaii cosmetology program ranking does not tell you everything you need. This is a completion rate, not a teaching inspection, and a school can lift it by enrolling only students likely to finish just as easily as by teaching well. It is reported for the institution rather than for the cosmetology course alone, which is exact at the beauty schools that teach nothing else and broader at a community college, where cosmetology is one program among many; each card says which kind it is describing. Schools enrolling fewer than 40 students are left out, because a completion rate over a handful of people moves too far on one person's decision to be worth ordering on. It covers only schools that take federal financial aid, a large share of the field but not all of it, so a school missing here takes no federal aid rather than performing badly. Finishing also says nothing about whether a school's hours will count toward your license, which is what the board record on this page is for.
Check a school against the NACCAS accredited school search if federal financial aid matters to you, and against Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs for the license itself.
Common questions about cosmetology programs in Hawaii
What makes the best cosmetology programs in Hawaii rank highly here?
How many cosmetology schools are there in Hawaii?
Should you choose a NACCAS-accredited school in Hawaii?
How much does cosmetology school cost in Hawaii?
Are the best cosmetology programs in Hawaii accredited?
Where does this Hawaii cosmetology program data come from?
This Hawaii cosmetology program data comes from Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, read on 2026-08-31, from the board's own license records rather than from any school directory. The cost and debt figures come from the US Department of Education's College Scorecard , which publishes them per institution for cosmetology programs at every school taking federal financial aid. At 1,800 school hours Hawaii has one of the heaviest cosmetology requirements in the country, and it preserves a full 3,600-hour shop apprenticeship as a statutory alternative to school - double the school hours, but no tuition. It also splits out a separate lower 'hairdresser' license at 1,250 school hours, a tier most states folded into cosmetology decades ago. Two administrative quirks stand out: the beauty school's annual license fee is pegged to student enrollment rather than being flat, and the binding curriculum is a board document referenced by rule rather than codified. Hawaii is also one of the states that charges for its licensee roster - the free search returns one record at a time, and the bulk file costs $5 plus five cents a record.
Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, Department of Commerce and Consumer AffairsRead 2026-08-31.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 , metro and state pay, employment and concentration behind every wage figure on this page
- US Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study CIP 12.04 , full program cost, median federal debt and the monthly cost of that debt, per institution