Kentucky
Best cosmetology programs in Kentucky 2026
Louisville skyline. Photo by Charles Delano of LouisvilleUSACE - Louisville District of the US Army Corp of Engineers, licensed under CC BY 2.0, 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.
Cosmetology has no programmatic accreditor, which is why nothing on this page is ranked on accreditation. NACCAS accredits schools as institutions, not their cosmetology courses, so an "accredited cosmetology program" is a category error however often it appears in a brochure. What counts in Kentucky is whether Kentucky Board of Cosmetology licensed the school while you were enrolled.
53
schools currently licensed
24
qualify to be ranked
3
excluded, under 40 enrolled students
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#1
Lindsey Institute of Cosmetology
Bowling Green, KY · Licensed school
83%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Instructor training
- $15,100 program cost
What the record shows
Lindsey Institute of Cosmetology trains in Bowling Green, licensed by the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology. Its license covers cosmetology and instructor training. 83 percent of students see the course through, out of 56 enrolled. The published cost is $15,100 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $9,395 in federal loans, measured over 39 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $100 a month. That puts it in the rare corner of this table: 27 points more of its students finish than the 56 percent median, and it charges 15 percent less than the $17,675 median to do it. 40 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Check its license with the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology before enrolling, because that record and not this card is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Around Bowling Green, the median cosmetologist earns $28,580, the bottom tenth $23,260 and the top tenth $56,210. The ninetieth percentile at $56,210 is 2.0 times the median, so the upside is real but bounded, and the floor sits 19 percent under the median, so the first year is lean but not the cliff it is in some states. Bowling Green employs the trade at only about 0.6 times the national rate, so graduates enter a thinner local market than average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, read 2026-08-31.
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#2
MedQuest College
Louisville, KY
82%
Share of students who finish
- $15,680 program cost
What the record shows
MedQuest College runs its cosmetology program in Louisville and reports to the US Department of Education. 82 percent of students across the college finish, out of 524 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. At 82 percent the college as a whole keeps its students better than most schools on this page. It is a good sign about the institution; the cosmetology program's own completion is a separate number to ask the cosmetology department for. The published tuition is $15,680. Its hours count only under a current entry with the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, so search that register by the school's legal name before any deposit.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Louisville/Jefferson County runs from $23,580 at the tenth percentile to $89,750 at the ninetieth, with a median of $33,620. Most of that range is a following, which is why two graduates of the same program can end up far apart. The metro median is about 13 percent above the Kentucky figure. Local demand is below the national norm, 0.7 times the usual concentration around Louisville/Jefferson County, which is worth knowing before committing the hours.
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#3
Paul Mitchell the School-Lexington
Lexington, KY · Licensed school
79%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Instructor training
- $19,391 program cost
What the record shows
Paul Mitchell the School-Lexington is licensed by the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology and trains in Lexington. Its license covers cosmetology and instructor training. With 5 licensed schools in Lexington, this one is competing for students rather than the only option. 79 percent of its students finish, out of 189 enrolled in the fall count. Tuition is reported at $19,391 for the full program. The median graduate left with $12,415 in federal loans, across 135 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $132 a month. 23 points more of its students finish than the 56 percent median, priced within 10 percent of the $17,675 median, so you pay the going rate for better than average odds of getting through. It awarded 80 beauty credentials in the reporting year. The license from the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology is the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.
Where it leads
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Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, read 2026-08-31.
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#4
Empire Beauty School-Florence
Florence, KY · Licensed school
75%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- Instructor training
- $17,145 program cost
What the record shows
Empire Beauty School-Florence operates in Florence under license from the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology. Its license covers cosmetology, esthetics and instructor training. 75 percent of its students finish, out of 124 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $17,145 for the full program. Empire Beauty campuses share a debt figure in the federal file, $13,000 in federal loans at the median over 746 borrowers, so read it as the chain's number rather than this floor's. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $138 a month. 19 points more of its students finish than the 56 percent median, priced within 3 percent of the $17,675 median, so you pay the going rate for better than average odds of getting through. 65 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Check its license with the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology before enrolling, because that record and not this card is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Cincinnati runs from $24,230 at the tenth percentile to $80,150 at the ninetieth, with a median of $36,790. Most of that range is a following, which is why two graduates of the same program can end up far apart. The metro median is about 23 percent above the Kentucky figure. Esthetics and cosmetology do not pay alike around Cincinnati: esthetics carries a $43,570 median, roughly 18 percent above cosmetology. Concentration around Cincinnati runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.2 times, or 2,540 people in the occupation.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, read 2026-08-31.
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#5
Paul Mitchell the School-Louisville
Louisville, KY · Licensed school
73%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- Instructor training
- $19,391 program cost
What the record shows
Paul Mitchell the School-Louisville trains in Louisville, licensed by the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology. Its license covers cosmetology, esthetics and instructor training. Louisville has 11 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. Of the 233 students in its fall count, 73 percent complete the course they started. Tuition is reported at $19,391 for the full program. Graduates who borrowed took on $9,833 in federal loans at the median, 129 of them. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $104 a month. $19,391 is within 10 percent of the $17,675 median, and the completion is not ordinary: 73 percent against 56. That is the better half of the trade. It awarded 98 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. The license from the Kentucky Board of 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 Louisville/Jefferson County earn under $33,620, with the tenth percentile at $23,580 and the ninetieth at $89,750. That is a wide spread, and it is mostly the difference between building a client book and not. Against the state as a whole, the metro runs roughly 13 percent higher on median pay. Around Louisville/Jefferson County, the gap between esthetics and cosmetology is real: a $38,750 median against one 13 percent lower. Local demand is below the national norm, 0.7 times the usual concentration around Louisville/Jefferson County, which is worth knowing before committing the hours.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, read 2026-08-31.
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#6
PJ's College of Cosmetology-Glasgow
Glasgow, KY · Licensed school
67%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- Instructor training
- Nail technology
- $18,616 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Glasgow, PJ's College of Cosmetology-Glasgow is on the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology register. Its license covers cosmetology, esthetics, instructor training and nail technology. The board lists no other licensed school in Glasgow. 67 percent of students see the course through, out of 44 enrolled. The published cost is $18,616 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $15,286 in federal loans, measured over 30 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $162 a month. That is most of the $18,616 price arriving as debt, so the published cost and what a student actually finances are close to the same number here. 11 points more of its students finish than the 56 percent median, priced within 6 percent of the $17,675 median, so you pay the going rate for better than average odds of getting through. 34 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Check its license with the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology before enrolling, because that record and not this card is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
undefined That is a wide spread, and it is mostly the difference between building a client book and not.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, read 2026-08-31.
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#7
PJ's College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green
Bowling Green, KY · Licensed school
64%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- Instructor training
- Nail technology
- $18,616 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Bowling Green, PJ's College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green is on the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology register. Its license covers cosmetology, esthetics, instructor training and nail technology. 64 percent of its students finish, out of 219 enrolled in the fall count. Tuition is reported at $18,616 for the full program. Graduates who borrowed took on $7,917 in federal loans at the median, 246 of them. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $84 a month. $18,616 is within 6 percent of the $17,675 median, and the completion is not ordinary: 64 percent against 56. That is the better half of the trade. 193 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. That is roughly 16 percent of everything awarded by federally reporting beauty programs in the state, so it is one of the larger training operations here. Check its license with the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology before enrolling, because that record and not this card is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Around Bowling Green, the median cosmetologist earns $28,580, the bottom tenth $23,260 and the top tenth $56,210. An ordinary shape: the top tenth at 2.0 times the median and a floor 19 percent below it, so a good first year and a good tenth year here are separated by a client book rather than by a cliff. In Kentucky, the gap between nail technology and cosmetology is real: a $45,310 median against one 34 percent lower. This is a comparatively thin market: Bowling Green runs at roughly 0.6 times the national concentration, about 100 people in the occupation.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, read 2026-08-31.
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#8
Employment Solutions-College for Technical Education
Lexington, KY
63%
Share of students who finish
- Private nonprofit
- 63 graduates a year
- $17,795 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Lexington, Employment Solutions-College for Technical Education is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 63 percent of the 203 students it enrolls finish. The published cost is $17,795 for the full program. 7 points more of its students finish than the 56 percent median, priced within 1 percent of the $17,675 median, so you pay the going rate for better than average odds of getting through. It awarded 63 beauty credentials in the reporting year. The school is a private nonprofit, a category covering only a handful of cosmetology providers nationally. Its hours count only under a current entry with the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, so search that register by the school's legal name before any deposit.
Where it leads
undefined 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. Lexington-Fayette employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 530 people.
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#9
American College of Barbering
Louisville, KY
62%
Share of students who finish
- 62% finish
- 38 graduates a year
- $17,675 program cost
What the record shows
American College of Barbering runs its barbering program in Louisville and reports to the US Department of Education. The license here is a barber license, which means men's cutting, shaving and beard work. It takes a similar hour count to cosmetology and is a narrower ticket, and for someone who already knows they want that end of the trade, the narrowness is the point. Of the 84 students in its fall count, 62 percent complete the course they started. The published cost is $17,675 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $12,125 in federal loans, measured over 69 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $129 a month. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 62 percent, 6 points over the 56 percent median, is a good sign. $17,675 is exactly at the $17,675 median for a similar hour count, which is the going rate. The school conferred 38 credentials in the year reported. The Kentucky Board of Cosmetology holds the record that counts your hours; find this school on it by its legal name and check it is current before a deposit.
Where it leads
undefined Cosmetologists are the nearest series BLS carries to barbers here. undefined Louisville/Jefferson County employs cosmetologists at only about 0.7 times the national rate, so graduates enter a thinner local market than average.
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#10
Gateway Community and Technical College
Florence, KY
59%
Share of students who finish
- Public institution
What the record shows
Gateway Community and Technical College teaches cosmetology in Florence, with its results published federally. Across all 3,167 students at the college, 59 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. Read that 59 percent as the college's rate, not the cosmetology floor's, so it neither ranks this program up nor down. Its hours count only under a current entry with the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, so search that register by the school's legal name before any deposit.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Cincinnati earn under $36,790, with the tenth percentile at $24,230 and the ninetieth at $80,150. The distance between $24,230 and $80,150 is the whole argument for staying past the first couple of years. Against the state as a whole, the metro runs roughly 23 percent higher on median pay. Concentration around Cincinnati runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.2 times, or 2,540 people in the occupation.
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#11
Empire Beauty School-Chenoweth
Louisville, KY · Licensed school
57%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Instructor training
- $17,145 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Louisville, Empire Beauty School-Chenoweth is on the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology register. Its license covers cosmetology and instructor training. Louisville has 11 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. 57 percent of its students finish, out of 100 enrolled in the fall count. Tuition is reported at $17,145 for the full program. Empire Beauty campuses share a debt figure in the federal file, $12,090 in federal loans at the median over 987 borrowers, so read it as the chain's number rather than this floor's. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $128 a month. Typical for this page on both counts, 57 percent against 56 and $17,145 against $17,675, and typical here means 43 in a hundred do not finish, which at $17,145 is the fact to weigh. It awarded 41 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Confirm the school's current license with the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology first: that entry is what qualifies your hours, whatever the federal figures say.
Where it leads
undefined undefined
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, read 2026-08-31.
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#12
Maysville Community and Technical College
Maysville, KY
56%
Share of students who finish
- Public institution
What the record shows
Maysville Community and Technical College teaches cosmetology in Maysville, with its results published federally. Across all 2,284 students at the college, 56 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. Read that 56 percent as the college's rate, not the cosmetology floor's, so it neither ranks this program up nor down. The Kentucky Board of Cosmetology holds the record that counts your hours; find this school on it by its legal name and check it is current before a deposit.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists in Kentucky runs from $22,580 at the tenth percentile to $76,170 at the ninetieth, with a median of $29,840. The distance between $22,580 and $76,170 is the whole argument for staying past the first couple of years. Kentucky employs the trade at only about 0.6 times the national rate, so graduates enter a thinner local market than average.
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#13
Appalachian Beauty School
Belfry, KY · Licensed school
56%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- Instructor training
- Nail technology
- $12,365 program cost
What the record shows
Appalachian Beauty School trains in Belfry, licensed by the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology. Its license covers cosmetology, esthetics, instructor training and nail technology. It is the only licensed school the board lists in Belfry. The school graduates 56 percent, on a fall headcount of 49. It charges $12,365 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. $12,365 is 30 percent under the $17,675 median, and completion is within 0 points of the 56 percent median, which is the cheap-without-a-catch pairing. It awarded 17 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Verify the school's standing with the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists in Kentucky, the range runs $22,580 to $76,170 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $29,840. That is a wide spread, and it is mostly the difference between building a client book and not. In Kentucky, the gap between nail technology and cosmetology is real: a $45,310 median against one 34 percent lower. Local demand is below the national norm, 0.6 times the usual concentration in Kentucky, which is worth knowing before committing the hours.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, read 2026-08-31.
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#14
Summit Salon Academy-Lexington
Lexington, KY · Licensed school
55%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- Instructor training
- $7,800 program cost
What the record shows
Summit Salon Academy-Lexington operates in Lexington under license from the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology. Its license covers cosmetology, esthetics and instructor training. With 5 licensed schools in Lexington, this one is competing for students rather than the only option. Of 154 enrolled in the fall count, 55 percent finish. Tuition is reported at $7,800 for the full program. 107 graduates borrowed, at a median of $7,917 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $84 a month. That median loan is larger than the $7,800 price, so the typical borrower here finances more than tuition. $7,800 is 56 percent under the $17,675 median, and completion is within 1 points of the 56 percent median, which is the cheap-without-a-catch pairing. It awarded 119 beauty credentials in the reporting year. That is roughly 10 percent of everything awarded by federally reporting beauty programs in the state, so it is one of the larger training operations here. Check its license with the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology before enrolling, because that record and not this card is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
undefined Around Lexington-Fayette, esthetics pays a $38,580 median, about 32 percent above cosmetology.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, read 2026-08-31.
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#15
Empire Beauty School-Dixie
Louisville, KY · Licensed school
52%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Instructor training
- $18,345 program cost
What the record shows
Empire Beauty School-Dixie is licensed by the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology and trains in Louisville. Its license covers cosmetology and instructor training. With 11 licensed schools in Louisville, this one is competing for students rather than the only option. 52 percent of students see the course through, out of 119 enrolled. Tuition is reported at $18,345 for the full program. Completion and price both sit close to the page median, 52 percent against 56 and $18,345 against $17,675, and that median is low: 48 in a hundred here do not finish, which at $18,345 makes the purchase closer to a coin flip than a sure thing. It awarded 42 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Confirm the school's current license with the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology first: that entry is what qualifies your hours, whatever the federal figures say.
Where it leads
Around Louisville/Jefferson County, the median cosmetologist earns $33,620, the bottom tenth $23,580 and the top tenth $89,750. Most of that range is a following, which is why two graduates of the same program can end up far apart. The metro median is about 13 percent above the Kentucky figure. Louisville/Jefferson County employs the trade at only about 0.7 times the national rate, so graduates enter a thinner local market than average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, read 2026-08-31.
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#16
Empire Beauty School-Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown, KY · Licensed school
51%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- Instructor training
- $18,345 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Elizabethtown, Empire Beauty School-Elizabethtown is on the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology register. Its license covers cosmetology, esthetics and instructor training. The board lists no other licensed school in Elizabethtown. 51 percent of students see the course through, out of 171 enrolled. Tuition is reported at $18,345 for the full program. Empire Beauty campuses share a debt figure in the federal file, $10,667 in federal loans at the median over 841 borrowers, so read it as the chain's number rather than this floor's. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $113 a month. 5 points fewer of its students finish than the 56 percent median, priced within 4 percent of the $17,675 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 42 beauty credentials in the reporting year. From 171 enrolled that is slow throughput for a clock-hour course, and it belongs beside the completion figure above. Verify the school's standing with the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
undefined undefined In Kentucky, esthetics pays a $38,580 median, about 29 percent above cosmetology.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, read 2026-08-31.
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#17
Ashland Community and Technical College
Ashland, KY
51%
Share of students who finish
- Public institution
- 31 graduates a year
What the record shows
Based in Ashland, Ashland Community and Technical College is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 51 percent of students across the college finish, out of 1,631 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 51 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. Its 31 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a college of 1,631. Licensing is the business of the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology rather than the federal file's, so its register is where to confirm this school by its legal name first.
Where it leads
Around Huntington-Ashland, the median cosmetologist earns $29,580, the bottom tenth $21,880 and the top tenth $58,250.
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#18
West Kentucky Community and Technical College
Paducah, KY
50%
Share of students who finish
- Public institution
- 27 graduates a year
What the record shows
West Kentucky Community and Technical College runs its cosmetology program in Paducah and reports to the US Department of Education. 50 percent of students across the college finish, out of 2,851 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. That 50 percent is low for this page, but it is the college's rate and the cosmetology program is a small part of it; the cosmetology department's own completions are the check. Its 27 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a college of 2,851. Its hours count only under a current entry with the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, so search that register by the school's legal name before any deposit.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Paducah earn under $28,350, with the tenth percentile at $22,250 and the ninetieth at $71,840. A gap that size tracks clientele rather than seniority. Paducah employs the trade at only about 0.4 times the national rate, so graduates enter a thinner local market than average.
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#19
Hazard Community and Technical College
Hazard, KY
48%
Share of students who finish
- Public institution
- 17 graduates a year
What the record shows
Hazard Community and Technical College teaches cosmetology in Hazard, with its results published federally. 48 percent of students across the college finish, out of 1,506 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 48 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. Its 17 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a college of 1,506. Look this school up on the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology register by its legal name before you pay, because that entry and not this one is what makes your hours count.
Where it leads
In Kentucky, the median cosmetologist earns $29,840, the bottom tenth $22,580 and the top tenth $76,170. A gap that size tracks clientele rather than seniority. Kentucky employs the trade at only about 0.6 times the national rate, so graduates enter a thinner local market than average.
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#20
Bluegrass Community and Technical College
Lexington, KY
43%
Share of students who finish
- Public institution
- 16 graduates a year
What the record shows
Bluegrass Community and Technical College runs its cosmetology program in Lexington and reports to the US Department of Education. Across all 8,244 students at the college, 43 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. Most of the students behind that 43 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. Its 16 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a college of 8,244. The Kentucky Board of Cosmetology holds the record that counts your hours; find this school on it by its legal name and check it is current before a deposit.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Lexington-Fayette earn under $29,230, with the tenth percentile at $22,580 and the ninetieth at $63,230. 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. Local concentration around Lexington-Fayette sits near the national average.
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#21
Somerset Community College
Somerset, KY
43%
Share of students who finish
- Public institution
- 67 graduates a year
What the record shows
Somerset Community College runs its cosmetology program in Somerset and reports to the US Department of Education. 43 percent of students across the college finish, out of 4,166 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 43 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. 24 graduates borrowed, at a median of $10,772 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $114 a month. Its 67 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a college of 4,166. Look this school up on the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology register by its legal name before you pay, because that entry and not this one is what makes your hours count.
Where it leads
undefined undefined Kentucky employs the trade at only about 0.6 times the national rate, so graduates enter a thinner local market than average.
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#22
South Eastern Beauty Academy
Paintsville, KY · Licensed school
41%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- Instructor training
- Nail technology
- $12,400 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Paintsville, South Eastern Beauty Academy is on the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology register. Its license covers cosmetology, esthetics, instructor training and nail technology. It is the only licensed school the board lists in Paintsville. Of the 45 students in its fall count, 41 percent complete the course they started. Tuition is reported at $12,400 for the full program. $12,400 is 30 percent under the $17,675 median, and 15 points fewer finish than the 56 percent median. The saving only counts if you are one of the ones who gets through. 23 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Verify the school's standing with the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
undefined undefined In Kentucky, nail technology pays a $45,310 median, about 52 percent above cosmetology.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, read 2026-08-31.
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#23
Big Sandy Community and Technical College
Prestonsburg, KY
38%
Share of students who finish
- Public institution
What the record shows
Based in Prestonsburg, Big Sandy Community and Technical College is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 38 percent of students across the college finish, out of 1,604 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 38 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. Its hours count only under a current entry with the Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, so search that register by the school's legal name before any deposit.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists in Kentucky earn under $29,840, with the tenth percentile at $22,580 and the ninetieth at $76,170. A gap that size tracks clientele rather than seniority. Kentucky employs the trade at only about 0.6 times the national rate, so graduates enter a thinner local market than average.
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#24
Jefferson Community and Technical College
Louisville, KY
35%
Share of students who finish
- Public institution
What the record shows
Jefferson Community and Technical College runs its cosmetology program in Louisville and reports to the US Department of Education. 35 percent of students across the college finish, out of 7,744 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 35 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. The Kentucky Board of Cosmetology holds the record that counts your hours; find this school on it by its legal name and check it is current before a deposit.
Where it leads
Around Louisville/Jefferson County, the median cosmetologist earns $33,620, the bottom tenth $23,580 and the top tenth $89,750. undefined The metro median is about 13 percent above the Kentucky figure.
- Lindsey Institute of Cosmetology 83% 83%
- MedQuest College 82% 82%
- Paul Mitchell the School-Lexington 79% 79%
- Empire Beauty School-Florence 75% 75%
- Paul Mitchell the School-Louisvi... 73% 73%
- PJ's College of Cosmetology-Glas... 67% 67%
- PJ's College of Cosmetology-Bowl... 64% 64%
- Employment Solutions-College for... 63% 63%
- American College of Barbering 62% 62%
- Gateway Community and Technical ... 59% 59%
Which other cosmetology schools in Kentucky are state licensed?
These Kentucky cosmetology schools hold a current license from Kentucky Board of Cosmetology but have no published earnings figure, because the ranking above reads federal data that covers only schools taking federal financial aid. Their hours count toward the Kentucky exam exactly as the ranked schools' hours do. They are listed by city rather than ordered, since nothing published about them supports an ordering.
| School | City | Board record | Approved to teach |
|---|---|---|---|
| KCTCS-Somerset (Clinton) | Albany | Licensed school | cosmetology, instructor |
| Empower Academy - Russell | Ashland | Licensed school | cosmetology, esthetics, instructor, nail-technology |
| KCTCS-Ashland | Ashland | Licensed school | cosmetology, instructor |
| Berea Beauty Academy | Berea | Licensed school | cosmetology, instructor |
| Regina Webb Academy | Bowling Green | Licensed school | cosmetology, esthetics, instructor |
| Campbellsville University Cosmetology School | Campbellsville | Licensed school | cosmetology, instructor |
| Campbellsville University Esthetics School | Campbellsville | Licensed school | esthetics, instructor |
| Lianna’s Nail Academy | Florence | Licensed school | nail-technology |
| Hairport Academy | Frankfort | Licensed school | cosmetology, esthetics, instructor, nail-technology |
| Campbellsville University Cosmetology School - Harrodsburg | Harrodsburg | Licensed school | cosmetology, instructor |
| KCTCS - Hazard | Hazard | Licensed school | cosmetology, instructor, nail-technology |
| Campbellsville University Cosmetology School - Hodgenville | Hodgenville | Licensed school | cosmetology, instructor |
| Katharos School of Esthetics LLC | Lexington | Licensed school | esthetics |
| KCTCS-Bluegrass Lexington | Lexington | Licensed school | cosmetology, instructor |
| Ray-Con Academy | Lexington | Licensed school | cosmetology, instructor |
| KCTCS-Somerset (Laurel) | London | Licensed school | cosmetology, esthetics, instructor |
| London Academy of Cosmetology | London | Licensed school | cosmetology, nail-technology |
| Divinity School of Cosmetology | Louisville | Licensed school | cosmetology, esthetics, instructor, nail-technology |
| Lavish Beauty Academy | Louisville | Licensed school | |
| Louisville Beauty Academy | Louisville | Licensed school | cosmetology, esthetics, instructor, nail-technology |
| Nailchella Nail Academy | Louisville | Licensed school | instructor, nail-technology |
| PJs College Of Cosmetology- Hurstbourne | Louisville | Licensed school | cosmetology, esthetics, instructor |
| Platinum Shears Beauty Academy | Louisville | Licensed school | cosmetology, esthetics, instructor, nail-technology |
| The Hair School, LLP | Louisville | Licensed school | cosmetology, instructor, nail-technology |
| The Redd Print Nail Academy | Louisville | Licensed school | instructor, nail-technology |
Showing 25 of the 29 remaining licensed schools, ordered by city. The full file is with Kentucky Board of Cosmetology .
How do you become a cosmetologist in Kentucky in 2026?
To become a cosmetologist in Kentucky you need 1,500 clock hours at a school licensed by Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, then a passing score on the state exam. At the pace most clock-hour schools run, that is roughly 11.5 months full time. 13 states set a lower requirement and the rest set a higher one, in a national range topping out at 2,000 hours.
The count is only good if the school was licensed by Kentucky Board of Cosmetology throughout, so the license is worth confirming before you enroll.
How much do cosmetologists make in Kentucky in 2026?
Cosmetologists in Kentucky earn a median of $29,840 , with the bottom tenth on $22,580 and the top tenth on $76,170 . The related licenses pay differently again, which matters because you pick the license before you start the hours.
- Cosmetologists $29,840 $29,840
- Salon managers $41,490 $41,490
- Estheticians $38,580 $38,580
- Nail technicians $45,310 $45,310
What is different about cosmetology licensing in Kentucky?
Kentucky publishes exam pass/fail outcomes school by school: each entry on the board's Schools page carries a downloadable XLSX reporting file (e.g. "Appalachian Beauty School Reporting 2023 - 2025"), which no other state in this group does. Its distance-education rule is also the strictest here and points the opposite way from everyone else - the only online allowance is 325 of the 750 apprentice-instructor theory hours, and even those must be delivered "from an approved digital platform at a licensed Kentucky school," i.e. online-but-on-campus. Cosmetology students themselves get zero online hours. Kentucky also licenses a 400-hour "blow drying services" credential, a tier the other four states do not recognize. Read Kentucky Board of Cosmetology's own rules .
Where do cosmetologists make the most money in Kentucky?
Cosmetologists make the most money in Kentucky around Cincinnati, where the median is $36,790, and the least around Owensboro at $27,890. A 32 percent spread across one state means where you work matters more to your pay than which of these metros you trained in.
Against a statewide median of $29,840, roughly half these metros pay above and half below.
- Cincinnati $36,790 $36,790
- Louisville/Jefferson County $33,620 $33,620
- Clarksville $29,900 $29,900
- Huntington-Ashland $29,580 $29,580
- Lexington-Fayette $29,230 $29,230
- Bowling Green $28,580 $28,580
- Elizabethtown $28,390 $28,390
- Paducah $28,350 $28,350
- Owensboro $27,890 $27,890
Where are the cosmetology schools in Kentucky?
The licensed cosmetology schools in Kentucky cluster hardest in Louisville, which holds 11 of the 53 the board currently lists. That is only 21 percent of the state total, so schools are spread more evenly here than in states with a single dominant city.
Another 22 towns hold a single licensed school apiece, so in much of the state the practical choice is one school or a commute.
- Louisville 11 11
- Lexington 5 5
- Bowling Green 3 3
- Ashland 2 2
- Campbellsville 2 2
- Florence 2 2
- London 2 2
- Paducah 2 2
- Somerset 2 2
- Albany 1 1
Is it better to be a cosmetologist, esthetician or nail tech in Kentucky?
In Kentucky, nail technicians are the best paid of the beauty licenses at a $45,310 median. That is above the $29,840 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 | $45,310 | 240 |
| Salon managers | $41,490 | 840 |
| Estheticians | $38,580 | 830 |
Can you use a cosmetology license from another state in Kentucky?
Using a cosmetology license from another state in Kentucky means satisfying Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, which decides case by case, and the number it weighs is hours. Against the other South states, Kentucky is it asks 70 more hours than the regional average of 1,430, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky (this state) | 1,500 | $29,840 |
| District of Columbia | 1,250 | $54,570 |
| North Carolina | 1,500 | $38,410 |
| Maryland | 1,500 | $36,420 |
| Georgia | 1,500 | $34,560 |
| West Virginia | 2,000 | $34,480 |
| Delaware | $34,350 | |
| South Carolina | 1,500 | $33,700 |
| Tennessee | 1,500 | $31,310 |
| Texas | 1,000 | $30,680 |
| Oklahoma | 1,500 | $29,650 |
| Florida | 1,200 | $29,530 |
| Alabama | 1,500 | $29,150 |
| Arkansas | 1,500 | $28,830 |
| Mississippi | 1,500 | $27,560 |
| Louisiana | 1,500 | $26,030 |
| Virginia | 1,000 |
What does this Kentucky cosmetology program ranking not tell you?
This Kentucky 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 Kentucky Board of Cosmetology for the license itself.
Common questions about cosmetology programs in Kentucky
What makes the best cosmetology programs in Kentucky rank highly here?
How many cosmetology programs in Kentucky hold a current license?
Should you choose a NACCAS-accredited school in Kentucky?
How much does cosmetology school cost in Kentucky?
Are the best cosmetology programs in Kentucky accredited?
Where does this Kentucky cosmetology program data come from?
This Kentucky cosmetology program data comes from Kentucky Board of Cosmetology, 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. Kentucky publishes exam pass/fail outcomes school by school: each entry on the board's Schools page carries a downloadable XLSX reporting file (e.g. "Appalachian Beauty School Reporting 2023 - 2025"), which no other state in this group does. Its distance-education rule is also the strictest here and points the opposite way from everyone else - the only online allowance is 325 of the 750 apprentice-instructor theory hours, and even those must be delivered "from an approved digital platform at a licensed Kentucky school," i.e. online-but-on-campus. Cosmetology students themselves get zero online hours. Kentucky also licenses a 400-hour "blow drying services" credential, a tier the other four states do not recognize.
Kentucky Board of CosmetologyRead 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
On this page
- Other licensed schools
- How to become one
- What it pays
- What is different in Kentucky
- Where do cosmetologists make the most money
- Where are the cosmetology schools
- Is it better to be a cosmetologist, esthetician or nail tech
- Can you use a cosmetology license from another state
- What this does not tell you
- Common questions
- Sources