Idaho
Best cosmetology programs in Idaho 2026
Boise skyline. Photo by Tamanoeconomico, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, 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.
There is no such thing as an accredited cosmetology program, in Idaho or anywhere else, because the field has no programmatic accreditor. NACCAS, the body most beauty schools advertise, accredits the institution rather than the course, so an accredited school and an unaccredited one can run the same program. What that accreditation buys a student is federal financial aid eligibility. The license from Idaho Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board (Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) is what decides whether your hours count toward the exam.
16
schools reporting federally
14
qualify to be ranked
2
excluded, under 40 enrolled students
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#1
Premiere Aesthetics Institute-Meridian
Meridian, ID
100%
Share of students who finish
- 100% finish
- 45 graduates a year
- $11,504 program cost
What the record shows
Premiere Aesthetics Institute-Meridian trains in Meridian, and because it takes federal financial aid its outcomes are published per program. The license here is an esthetics license, which means skincare, facials and hair removal rather than hair. It takes a fraction of the hours a cosmetology license takes and is a narrower ticket, and for someone who already knows they want that end of the trade, the narrowness is the point. The school graduates 100 percent, on a fall headcount of 64. It charges $11,504 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 100 percent, 15 points over the 85 percent median, is a good sign. $11,504 is 38 percent under the $18,660 median, which for a shorter course is about what it should cost. 45 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Check its license with the state board before enrolling, because that record and not the federal listing is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
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#2
Austin Kade Academy
Idaho Falls, ID
94%
Share of students who finish
- 94% finish
- 66 graduates a year
- $15,750 program cost
What the record shows
Austin Kade Academy trains in Idaho Falls, and because it takes federal financial aid its outcomes are published per program. The school graduates 94 percent, on a fall headcount of 82. Tuition is reported at $15,750 for the full program. 9 points more of its students finish than the 85 percent median, and it charges 16 percent less than the $18,660 median to do it, which is the right direction on both counts. It awarded 66 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Check its license with the state board before enrolling, because that record and not the federal listing is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Idaho Falls, the range runs $21,540 to $45,800 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $33,080. 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, Idaho Falls is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.
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#3
The Salon Professional Academy-Nampa
Nampa, ID
90%
Share of students who finish
- 90% finish
- 80 graduates a year
- $18,920 program cost
What the record shows
The Salon Professional Academy-Nampa runs its cosmetology program in Nampa and reports to the US Department of Education. 90 percent of students see the course through, out of 111 enrolled. The published cost is $18,920 for the full program. Graduates who borrowed took on $10,511 in federal loans at the median, 59 of them. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $111 a month. $18,920 is within 2 percent of the $18,660 median, and the completion is not ordinary: 90 percent against 85. That is the better half of the trade. It awarded 80 beauty credentials in the reporting year. 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 Boise City, the median cosmetologist earns $35,890, the bottom tenth $22,860 and the top tenth $47,190. The trade is unusually concentrated around Boise City, about 1.6 times the national rate, so there are more chairs to compete for and more to be hired into.
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#4
Aveda Institute-Boise
Boise, ID
89%
Share of students who finish
- 89% finish
- 106 graduates a year
- $21,172 program cost
What the record shows
Aveda Institute-Boise trains in Boise, and because it takes federal financial aid its outcomes are published per program. 89 percent of its students finish, out of 97 enrolled in the fall count. Tuition is reported at $21,172 for the full program. The median graduate left with $8,564 in federal loans, across 66 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $91 a month. A median completion at a price 13 percent over the $18,660 median: ask what the extra 13 percent pays for, because it is not finishing. 106 credentials in the year from a fall count of 97: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. 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
Pay for cosmetologists around Boise City runs from $22,860 at the tenth percentile to $47,190 at the ninetieth, with a median of $35,890. The bottom of this market sits well below its middle, so the first year is likely to be lean and worth planning for. This is a dense market by national standards, 1.6 times the usual concentration around Boise City.
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#5
Oliver Finley Academy of Cosmetology
Boise, ID
88%
Share of students who finish
- 88% finish
- 245 graduates a year
- $21,100 program cost
What the record shows
Oliver Finley Academy of Cosmetology trains in Boise, and because it takes federal financial aid its outcomes are published per program. 88 percent of its students finish, out of 254 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $21,100 for the full program. The median graduate left with $6,333 in federal loans, across 287 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. A median completion at a price 13 percent over the $18,660 median: ask what the extra 13 percent pays for, because it is not finishing. The school conferred 245 credentials in the year reported. That is roughly 18 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 state board first: federal reporting is about financial aid, and it is the state license that qualifies your hours.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Boise City runs from $22,860 at the tenth percentile to $47,190 at the ninetieth, with a median of $35,890. There is a real gap between entry pay and the median here, which is the part of the trade that surprises people who costed only the tuition. This is a dense market by national standards, 1.6 times the usual concentration around Boise City.
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#6
Evans Hairstyling College-Rexburg
Rexburg, ID
87%
Share of students who finish
- 87% finish
- 50 graduates a year
- $12,300 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Rexburg, Evans Hairstyling College-Rexburg is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. The school graduates 87 percent, on a fall headcount of 76. The published cost is $12,300 for the full program. Graduates who borrowed took on $10,203 in federal loans at the median, 20 of them. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $108 a month. That is most of the $12,300 price arriving as debt, so the published cost and what a student actually finances are close to the same number here. Completion at 87 percent against 85, and 34 percent less to get it: the price is the argument for this one. It awarded 50 beauty credentials in the reporting year. 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
undefined The bottom of this market sits well below its middle, so the first year is likely to be lean and worth planning for.
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#7
Nathan Layne Institute of Cosmetology
Chubbuck, ID
86%
Share of students who finish
- 86% finish
- 59 graduates a year
- $20,231 program cost
What the record shows
Nathan Layne Institute of Cosmetology teaches cosmetology in Chubbuck, with its results published federally. 86 percent of its students finish, out of 70 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $20,231 for the full program. Completion and price both sit near the page's middle, 86 percent against 85 and $20,231 against $18,660. Nothing federal separates it, so the clinic floor and the board file will. The school conferred 59 credentials in the year reported. 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
Half of cosmetologists in Idaho earn under $35,480, with the tenth percentile at $22,810 and the ninetieth at $48,000. There is a real gap between entry pay and the median here, which is the part of the trade that surprises people who costed only the tuition. The work is somewhat more concentrated in Idaho than nationally, at roughly 1.3 times the usual rate.
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#8
Paul Mitchell the School-Rexburg
Rexburg, ID
85%
Share of students who finish
- 85% finish
- 209 graduates a year
- $16,665 program cost
What the record shows
Paul Mitchell the School-Rexburg trains in Rexburg, and because it takes federal financial aid its outcomes are published per program. The school graduates 85 percent, on a fall headcount of 224. The published cost is $16,665 for the full program. The median graduate left with $10,555 in federal loans, across 168 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $112 a month. Completion and price both sit close to the page median, 85 percent, exactly the median and $16,665 against $18,660, so the number that separates it is debt: 63 percent of the price arrives as federal loans, more than at the typical school here. The school conferred 209 credentials in the year reported. That is roughly 15 percent of everything awarded by federally reporting beauty programs in the state, so it is one of the larger training operations here. 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
undefined Idaho employs the trade at about 1.3 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
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#9
Cosmetology School of Arts & Sciences
Burley, ID
75%
Share of students who finish
- 75% finish
- 41 graduates a year
- $18,400 program cost
What the record shows
Cosmetology School of Arts & Sciences trains in Burley, and because it takes federal financial aid its outcomes are published per program. 75 percent of students see the course through, out of 40 enrolled. The published cost is $18,400 for the full program. The price is close to the $18,660 median and the completion is not: 75 percent against 85. In a clock-hour course that is the wrong half of the trade, and the reason to ask hard questions before a deposit. 41 credentials in the year from a fall count of 40: 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 state board first: federal reporting is about financial aid, and it is the state license that qualifies your hours.
Where it leads
undefined The bottom of this market sits well below its middle, so the first year is likely to be lean and worth planning for. Idaho employs the trade at about 1.3 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
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#10
Paul Mitchell the School-Boise
Boise, ID
73%
Share of students who finish
- 73% finish
- 152 graduates a year
- $21,092 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Boise, Paul Mitchell the School-Boise is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 73 percent of its students finish, out of 183 enrolled in the fall count. It charges $21,092 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. Paul Mitchell campuses share a debt figure in the federal file, $9,500 in federal loans at the median over 377 borrowers, so read it as the chain's number rather than this floor's. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $101 a month. 12 points fewer finish than the 85 percent median and it costs 13 percent over the $18,660 median, so before enrolling ask what happens to the students who do not get through. 152 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. That is roughly 11 percent of everything awarded by federally reporting beauty programs in the state, so it is one of the larger training operations here. 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
Pay for cosmetologists around Boise City runs from $22,860 at the tenth percentile to $47,190 at the ninetieth, with a median of $35,890. Early pay locally runs well under the median, so budget for a slow first year rather than the headline figure. This is a dense market by national standards, 1.6 times the usual concentration around Boise City.
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#11
Aveda Institute-Twin Falls
Twin Falls, ID
73%
Share of students who finish
- 73% finish
- 87 graduates a year
- $20,231 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Twin Falls, Aveda Institute-Twin Falls is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. Of the 88 students in its fall count, 73 percent complete the course they started. Tuition is reported at $20,231 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $9,400 in federal loans, measured over 87 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $100 a month. The price is close to the $18,660 median and the completion is not: 73 percent against 85. In a clock-hour course that is the wrong half of the trade, and the reason to ask hard questions before a deposit. 87 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. From 88 enrolled, that is one of the higher-throughput floors on this page. Check its license with the state board before enrolling, because that record and not the federal listing is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
In Idaho, the median cosmetologist earns $35,480, the bottom tenth $22,810 and the top tenth $48,000.
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#12
Headmasters School of Hair Design
Lewiston, ID
68%
Share of students who finish
- 31 graduates a year
- $13,110 program cost
What the record shows
Headmasters School of Hair Design runs its cosmetology program in Lewiston and reports to the US Department of Education. 68 percent of the 92 students it enrolls finish. The published cost is $13,110 for the full program. The median graduate left with $10,556 in federal loans, across 32 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $112 a month. That is most of the $13,110 price arriving as debt, so the published cost and what a student actually finances are close to the same number here. Cheap, but 17 points fewer of its students finish than the 85 percent median, and in a clock-hour trade an unfinished course is the expensive outcome: you have paid for hours that never become a license. 31 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. 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
Half of cosmetologists around Lewiston earn under $37,820, with the tenth percentile at $22,710 and the ninetieth at $51,210. Early pay locally runs well under the median, so budget for a slow first year rather than the headline figure. Lewiston carries roughly 1.9 times the national concentration of this work, among the denser markets in the country.
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#13
Paul Mitchell the School-Nampa
Nampa, ID
67%
Share of students who finish
- 67% finish
- 66 graduates a year
- $20,596 program cost
What the record shows
Paul Mitchell the School-Nampa trains in Nampa, and because it takes federal financial aid its outcomes are published per program. 67 percent of students see the course through, out of 117 enrolled. The published cost is $20,596 for the full program. The federal file reports borrowing for Paul Mitchell campuses together rather than for this one: a median of $9,500 in federal loans across 377 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $101 a month. 18 points fewer of its students finish than the 85 percent median, priced within 11 percent of the $18,660 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. The school conferred 66 credentials in the year reported. Check its license with the state board before enrolling, because that record and not the federal listing is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Boise City, the range runs $22,860 to $47,190 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $35,890. There is a real gap between entry pay and the median here, which is the part of the trade that surprises people who costed only the tuition. Few places employ this trade as heavily: Boise City runs at about 1.6 times the national rate, some 1,250 people.
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#14
Boise Barber College
Boise, ID
51%
Share of students who finish
- 51% finish
- 58 graduates a year
- $11,100 program cost
What the record shows
Boise Barber College runs its barbering program in Boise and reports to the US Department of Education. 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. 51 percent of students see the course through, out of 104 enrolled. Tuition is reported at $11,100 for the full program. 71 graduates borrowed, at a median of $9,500 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $101 a month. That is most of the $11,100 price arriving as debt, so the published cost and what a student actually finances are close to the same number here. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 51 percent, 34 points under the 85 percent median, is the first thing to ask about. $11,100 is 41 percent under the $18,660 median for a similar hour count, which makes it the cheaper route to a chair. 58 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. 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 Idaho, the median barber earns $36,040, the bottom tenth $21,880 and the top tenth $59,590. The bottom of this market sits well below its middle, so the first year is likely to be lean and worth planning for.
- Premiere Aesthetics Institute-Me... 100% 100%
- Austin Kade Academy 94% 94%
- The Salon Professional Academy-N... 90% 90%
- Aveda Institute-Boise 89% 89%
- Oliver Finley Academy of Cosmeto... 88% 88%
- Evans Hairstyling College-Rexburg 87% 87%
- Nathan Layne Institute of Cosmet... 86% 86%
- Paul Mitchell the School-Rexburg 85% 85%
- Cosmetology School of Arts & Sci... 75% 75%
- Paul Mitchell the School-Boise 73% 73%
Where can you find the licensed cosmetology programs in Idaho?
The licensed cosmetology programs in Idaho are searched one at a time rather than published as a list, so this page links Idaho Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board (Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses)'s own records instead of reprinting a commercial directory. The schools above are drawn from the 16 Idaho 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 Idaho in 2026?
To become a cosmetologist in Idaho you need 1,600 clock hours at a school licensed by Idaho Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board (Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses), then a passing score on the state exam. At the pace most clock-hour schools run, that is roughly 12.3 months full time. That is above what 40 other states require, putting Idaho among the longer programs in the country.
Time is the expensive part of this qualification, and it is only banked while the school holds a current Idaho Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board (Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) license.
How much do cosmetologists make in Idaho in 2026?
Cosmetologists in Idaho earn a median of $35,480 , with the bottom tenth on $22,810 and the top tenth on $48,000 . The related licenses pay differently again, which matters because you pick the license before you start the hours.
- Cosmetologists $35,480 $35,480
- Estheticians $34,130 $34,130
- Salon managers $46,860 $46,860
- Nail technicians $34,910 $34,910
- Barbers $36,040 $36,040
What is different about cosmetology licensing in Idaho?
Idaho is the only state in this group with a full apprenticeship alternative to school: Idaho Code 54-5810(2)(c) lets an applicant qualify by 3,200 apprentice hours instead of 1,600 school hours, exactly double. It also sets the highest school-hour requirement of the five (1,600 vs 1,500-1,550 elsewhere), and it credits up to 30 hours toward graduation for instructor-approved activities that happen outside the school entirely. Read Idaho Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board (Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses)'s own rules .
Where do cosmetologists make the most money in Idaho?
Cosmetologists make the most money in Idaho around Lewiston, where the median is $37,820, and the least around Logan at $30,560. The 24 percent gap between them is modest by national standards, so pay is fairly even across Idaho.
The statewide median sits at $35,480, so the metros above it are carrying the average up.
- Lewiston $37,820 $37,820
- Coeur d'Alene $36,620 $36,620
- Boise City $35,890 $35,890
- Pocatello $33,760 $33,760
- Idaho Falls $33,080 $33,080
- Logan $30,560 $30,560
Is it better to be a cosmetologist, esthetician or nail tech in Idaho?
In Idaho, salon managers are the best paid of the beauty licenses at a $46,860 median. That is above the $35,480 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Salon managers | $46,860 | 700 |
| Barbers | $36,040 | 130 |
| Nail technicians | $34,910 | 160 |
| Estheticians | $34,130 | 720 |
Can you use a cosmetology license from another state in Idaho?
Using a cosmetology license from another state in Idaho means satisfying Idaho Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board (Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses), which decides case by case, and the number it weighs is hours. Against the other West states, Idaho is it asks 91 more hours than the regional average of 1,509, and it pays about 10 percent below the regional average.
It is worth knowing before you train if there is any chance you will move, since transferring a license is an application to the receiving board rather than a formality.
| State | Hours required | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Idaho (this state) | 1,600 | $35,480 |
| 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 |
| Utah | 1,250 | $35,140 |
| Hawaii | 1,800 | $35,040 |
| Nevada | 1,600 | $33,840 |
| Alaska | 1,650 | $32,150 |
| Wyoming | 1,600 | $29,170 |
What does this Idaho cosmetology program ranking not tell you?
This Idaho 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 Idaho Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board (Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses) for the license itself.
Common questions about cosmetology programs in Idaho
What makes the best cosmetology programs in Idaho rank highly here?
How many cosmetology schools are there in Idaho?
Should you choose a NACCAS-accredited school in Idaho?
How much does cosmetology school cost in Idaho?
Are the best cosmetology programs in Idaho accredited?
Where does this Idaho cosmetology program data come from?
This Idaho cosmetology program data comes from Idaho Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board (Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses), 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. Idaho is the only state in this group with a full apprenticeship alternative to school: Idaho Code 54-5810(2)(c) lets an applicant qualify by 3,200 apprentice hours instead of 1,600 school hours, exactly double. It also sets the highest school-hour requirement of the five (1,600 vs 1,500-1,550 elsewhere), and it credits up to 30 hours toward graduation for instructor-approved activities that happen outside the school entirely.
Idaho Barber and Cosmetology Services Licensing Board (Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses)Read 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