Baltimore, MD
Cosmetology Schools in Baltimore, MD, Ranked (2026)
Baltimore. Photo by Bruce Emmerling, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Published
Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology
Eleven cosmetology schools in Baltimore and the counties around it report completion figures to the federal government, and one of the eleven has a Baltimore address. The rest run from Linthicum and Glen Burnie at six miles out to Silver Spring at twenty-nine. Four others nearby did not have enough students to rank.
Maryland's private career school directory lists four schools inside Baltimore, and none of the four appear in that federal reporting. For clock-hour schools that is normal and says nothing about them, but it does mean the two lists in front of you barely overlap, and only one of them carries outcome figures.
Figures in this section: Maryland Higher Education Commission; BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
The 11 Cosmetology Schools in and Near Baltimore, Ranked on Completion
15 cosmetology programs report to the US Department of Education from inside Baltimore 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 Maryland page links the board's own lookup.
| # | School | Miles | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aveda Institute-Maryland | 22 | 97% |
| 2 | The Temple Annapolis-A Paul Mitchell Partner School | 22 | 85% |
| 3 | Cortiva Institute | 6 | 70% |
| 4 | Hair Academy | 27 | 61% |
| 5 | All-State Career-Baltimore | 4 | 60% |
| 6 | Paul Mitchell the School-Jessup | 13 | 51% |
| 7 | Montgomery Beauty School | 29 | 50% |
| 8 | Aspen Beauty Academy of Laurel | 17 | 47% |
| 9 | Fortis Institute-Towson | 8 | 44% |
| 10 | Empire Beauty School-Owings Mills | 11 | 39% |
| 11 | Empire Beauty School-Glen Burnie | 6 | 36% |
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#1
Aveda Institute-Maryland
Bel Air, MD · Licensed school
97%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- $12,125 program cost
What the record shows
Aveda Institute-Maryland trains in Bel Air, licensed by the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Its license covers cosmetology and esthetics. The board lists no other licensed school in Bel Air. Of 77 enrolled in the fall count, 97 percent finish. Tuition is reported at $12,125 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $6,333 in federal loans, measured over 53 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. More finish here than at the typical school on this page, 97 percent against 51, and the price is 37 percent under the $19,260 median: the two numbers point the same way. It awarded 102 credentials over the year against a fall headcount of 77, which is what a clock-hour course that turns over more than one cohort a year looks like. 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, the median cosmetologist earns $36,370, the bottom tenth $31,820 and the top tenth $59,530. Local pay is compressed near the bottom, so the first years look much like the middle and progression comes from clientele rather than from a job title. Around Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, esthetics pays a $58,930 median, about 62 percent above cosmetology. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 2,700 people.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Maryland Higher Education Commission, 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. 34 points more of its students finish than the 51 percent median, priced within 8 percent of the $19,260 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
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, 19 points over the 51 percent median, is a good sign. $11,004 is 43 percent under the $19,260 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
Pay for skincare specialists around Baltimore-Columbia-Towson runs from $36,050 at the tenth percentile to $85,420 at the ninetieth, with a median of $58,930. The metro median is about 26 percent above the Maryland figure. The bottom of this market sits well below its middle, so the first year is likely to be lean and worth planning for. 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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#4
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 32 percent over the $19,260 median buys 10 points of completion over the 51 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
Half of cosmetologists around Washington-Arlington-Alexandria earn under $37,020, with the tenth percentile at $26,900 and the ninetieth at $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. 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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#5
All-State Career-Baltimore
Baltimore, MD
60%
Share of students who finish
- $12,314 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Baltimore, All-State Career-Baltimore is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. Across all 563 students at the school, 60 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. At 60 percent the school 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. Tuition is reported at $12,314. That price is 36 percent under the $19,260 median. Licensing is the business of the Maryland Higher Education Commission rather than the federal file's, so its register is where to confirm this school by its legal name first.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, the range runs $31,820 to $59,530 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $36,370. Starting pay and typical pay are close together in this market, which cuts both ways: less of a lean first year, and less immediate reward for getting quicker. On concentration, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.
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#6
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, exactly the median and $18,800 against $19,260, 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
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. The first rung and the middle of this market are close enough that the early years are less about pay than about who comes back. 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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#7
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. It charges 32 percent over the $19,260 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. 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
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. Local concentration around Washington-Arlington-Alexandria sits near the national average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Maryland Higher Education Commission, read 2026-08-31.
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#8
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. Completion and price both sit close to the page median, 47 percent against 51 and $20,990 against $19,260, and that median is low: 53 in a hundred here do not finish, which at $20,990 makes the purchase closer to a coin flip than a sure thing. 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
Pay for cosmetologists in Maryland runs from $31,830 at the tenth percentile to $72,940 at the ninetieth, 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.
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#9
Fortis Institute-Towson
Towson, MD · Licensed school
44%
Share of students who finish
- Esthetics
- $16,669 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Towson, Fortis Institute-Towson is on the Maryland Higher Education Commission register. Across all 354 students at the school, 44 percent finish, which covers esthetics along with everything else it teaches. That 44 percent is low for this page, but it is the school's rate and the esthetics program is a small part of it; the esthetics department's own completions are the check. The published tuition is $16,669. That price is 13 percent under the $19,260 median. It awarded 48 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 skincare specialist earns $58,930, the bottom tenth $36,050 and the top tenth $85,420. The metro median is about 26 percent above the Maryland figure. Early pay locally runs well under the median, so budget for a slow first year rather than the headline figure. 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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#10
Empire Beauty School-Owings Mills
Owings Mills, MD · Licensed school
39%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $19,260 program cost
What the record shows
Empire Beauty School-Owings Mills is licensed by the Maryland Higher Education Commission and trains in Owings Mills. Its license covers cosmetology. The board lists no other licensed school in Owings Mills. 39 percent of students see the course through, out of 121 enrolled. The published cost is $19,260 for the full program. Borrowing is pooled across Empire Beauty campuses in the federal file, 817 borrowers at a median of $13,000 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $138 a month. The price is close to the $19,260 median and the completion is not: 39 percent against 51. In a clock-hour course that is the wrong half of the trade, and the reason to ask hard questions before a deposit. 40 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. 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
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. The bottom and the middle sit close together here, which means early pay is predictable and the upside has to be built rather than waited for. 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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#11
Empire Beauty School-Glen Burnie
Glen Burnie, MD · Licensed school
36%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $19,260 program cost
What the record shows
Empire Beauty School-Glen Burnie trains in Glen Burnie, licensed by the Maryland Higher Education Commission. The board licenses it to train toward cosmetology. Of the 77 students in its fall count, 36 percent complete the course they started. The published cost is $19,260 for the full program. Borrowing is pooled across Empire Beauty campuses in the federal file, 817 borrowers at a median of $13,000 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $138 a month. 15 points fewer of its students finish than the 51 percent median, priced exactly at the $19,260 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 32 beauty credentials in the reporting year. 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
Half of cosmetologists around Baltimore-Columbia-Towson earn under $36,370, with the tenth percentile at $31,820 and the ninetieth at $59,530. There is little distance between entry pay and the median locally, so the early climb is flatter than in most trades. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 2,700 people.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Maryland Higher Education Commission, read 2026-08-31.
Other Licensed Cosmetology Schools in Baltimore
Maryland Higher Education Commission lists 4 currently licensed schools in Baltimore. None of them 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 |
|---|---|
| Avara's Academy of Hair Design | Licensed school |
| Baltimore Beauty & Barber School | Licensed school |
| Baltimore Studio of Hair Design School of Cosmetology | Licensed school |
| Maryland Beauty Academy - Essex | Licensed school |
Who Actually Regulates a Baltimore Cosmetology School
Maryland splits this three ways, which almost no other state does. The Maryland Higher Education Commission issues the school's certificate of approval. The Board of Cosmetologists, inside the Department of Labor, reviews and approves the curriculum and nothing else. Programs run by public high schools sit with the Maryland State Department of Education.
The practical effect is that no single Maryland agency holds a list of cosmetology schools. The Higher Education Commission's directory covers every private career school in the state, bartending and real estate schools included, so the beauty academies have to be picked out of it, and community college programs are not in it at all.
Your own license comes from somewhere else again. The Board of Cosmetologists licenses people and salons, and it asks for 1,500 hours of training in a cosmetology school or 24 months as a registered apprentice in a licensed beauty salon. The apprenticeship is a full substitute for the school hours rather than partial credit.
Distance education is the Higher Education Commission's call rather than the board's. Maryland runs an approval regime for interactive distance education by private career schools with no percentage cap written into it, asking only that a school show the clock hours awarded suit the part of the program taught that way. How other states handle online hours varies a lot.
Figures in this section: Maryland Higher Education Commission; College Scorecard, June 2026.
What the Baltimore Ranking Shows, and How Far Out It Sits
Aveda Institute-Maryland leads at 97% completion, the highest figure here, on 77 enrolled at $12,125 with a median debt of $6,333, twenty-two miles out in Bel Air. The Temple Annapolis-A Paul Mitchell Partner School is second at 85% on 202 enrolled, also twenty-two miles out, at $20,765.
The only ranked school with a Baltimore address is All-State Career-Baltimore, fifth at 60% on 563 enrolled and $12,314. Cortiva Institute in Linthicum, six miles out, is third at 70% on 225 enrolled and $11,004, the cheapest program on the list, and 71% of its students are 25 or older.
Empire Beauty School-Owings Mills and Empire Beauty School-Glen Burnie are priced identically at $19,260, carry the same $13,000 median debt, and finish 39% and 36% of their students. Aspen Beauty Academy of Laurel charges $20,990, finished 47%, and carries the highest median debt here at $16,250.
Distance matters on this list more than it does in most cities, because the strongest completion figures are twenty-two miles out in two directions. Five of the eleven schools enroll a majority of students 25 or older, which the adult learner ranking sorts on. The methodology explains what completion measures, and the Maryland ranking covers the rest of the state.
Figures in this section: BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
What Hair, Skin and Salon Management Pay Around Baltimore
The Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metro reports 2,700 hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists at a median of $36,370 in the BLS May 2025 release, within $50 of Maryland's $36,420. What differs is the top. The state's top tenth reaches $72,940 and the metro's stops at $59,530.
Skin is where the money is here. Skincare specialists in the metro report a median of $58,930 on 630 employed, about $22,500 above the hairdresser median and $12,340 above the Maryland skincare median of $46,590. If esthetics is on your shortlist, that gap is the reason to look at it closely.
Managing a salon is its own line in the data. Maryland reports 4,010 first-line supervisors of personal service workers at a median of $51,510, and at 1.98 times the national concentration the state runs close to twice as dense in that work as the country does. The salon manager career guide covers what the step involves.
Nail work sits in a narrow band. The metro reports 720 manicurists and pedicurists at a median of $37,590, with the bottom tenth at $31,990 and the top tenth at $46,210, the tightest spread of the three. All of these are employer-reported wages, so booth renters are outside them. Esthetician pay carries the national percentiles.
Figures in this section: BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
What Cosmetology Careers Pay in Baltimore
Median annual pay in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area, from the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. A cosmetologist here earns a median of $36,370 against $36,420 across Maryland, with 2,700 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 $58,930 $58,930
- Nail technicians $37,590 $37,590
- Cosmetologists $36,370 $36,370
| Occupation | Metro median | Maryland median |
|---|---|---|
| Estheticians | $58,930 | $46,590 |
| Nail technicians | $37,590 | $37,300 |
| Cosmetologists | $36,370 | $36,420 |
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 Baltimore
Answers draw on Maryland Higher Education Commission, the College Scorecard and the May 2025 BLS wage release.
How many hours of cosmetology school do you need in Baltimore?
Which agency licenses cosmetology schools in Baltimore?
Are there cosmetology schools inside Baltimore city?
Which school on the Baltimore list has the highest completion rate?
How much does beauty school cost around Baltimore?
What do estheticians earn in the Baltimore area?
Sources
- Maryland Higher Education Commission, school license records, read 2026-08-31. Hour requirement for a cosmetologist license: 1,500 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 Baltimore. 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD area.