Massachusetts
Best cosmetology programs in Massachusetts 2026
Downtown Boston across the Charles River. Photo by Chris Rycroft, 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.
Ranking on accreditation is impossible in this field, because no cosmetology program is accredited by anyone. NACCAS accredits the school and not the course, so an accredited school can run exactly the same program as an unaccredited one. A student's hours stand or fall on the school's Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure) license instead, and that is the distinction this page is built on.
115
schools currently licensed
17
qualify to be ranked
5
excluded, under 40 enrolled students
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#1
EINE Inc
Tewksbury, MA
100%
Share of students who finish
- 100% finish
- 34 graduates a year
- $16,200 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Tewksbury, EINE Inc is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. Of the 47 students in its fall count, 100 percent complete the course they started. The published cost is $16,200 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $6,333 in federal loans, measured over 26 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. 18 points more of its students finish than the 82 percent median, priced within 12 percent of the $14,590 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. The Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering 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
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#2
Massachusetts School of Barbering
Quincy, MA · Post-Secondary
100%
Share of students who finish
- Barbering
- $16,550 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Quincy, Massachusetts School of Barbering is on the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering register. 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. 100 percent of its students finish, out of 44 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $16,550 for the full program. 52 graduates borrowed, at a median of $8,293 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $88 a month. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 100 percent, 18 points over the 82 percent median, is a good sign. $16,550 is 13 percent over the $14,590 median for a similar hour count, which needs a reason. It awarded 32 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Check its license with the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering before enrolling, because that record and not this card is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Boston-Cambridge-Newton runs from $31,600 at the tenth percentile to $78,850 at the ninetieth, with a median of $37,430. Cosmetologists are the nearest series BLS carries to barbers here. The spread above the median is wide enough that averages mislead here. What separates the top is a client list built over years. Boston-Cambridge-Newton employs cosmetologists at about 1.5 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#3
Charles H McCann Technical School
North Adams, MA · Post-Secondary
100%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $3,770 program cost
What the record shows
Based in North Adams, Charles H McCann Technical School is on the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering register. It is the only licensed school the board lists in North Adams. Across all 41 students at the school, 100 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. That completion rate is 18 points above the 82 percent median, but it is every program on campus, so treat it as a fact about the school and not about the cosmetology floor. The published tuition is $3,770. That price is 74 percent under the $14,590 median, which is what public pricing looks like and the reason it is a fraction of the academies here. 9 credentials in a year means the cosmetology program barely ran; ask whether it is enrolling this term before anything else. The license from the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering is the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.
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.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#4
Catherine Hinds Institute of Esthetics
Woburn, MA · Post-Secondary
96%
Share of students who finish
- $14,625 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Woburn, Catherine Hinds Institute of Esthetics is on the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering register. This is a specialist: an esthetics license, not cosmetology. The work is skincare, facials and hair removal rather than hair, the course is a fraction of the hours a cosmetology license takes, and it does not license you to cut or color hair, so compare it with the other specialists here rather than with the full-service schools. With 9 licensed schools in Woburn, this one is competing for students rather than the only option. The school graduates 96 percent, on a fall headcount of 174. The published cost is $14,625 for the full program. The median graduate left with $6,303 in federal loans, across 203 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 96 percent, 14 points over the 82 percent median, is a good sign. $14,625 is within 1 percent of the $14,590 median for a course shorter than cosmetology, which is dear for esthetics and worth asking about. 209 credentials in the year from a fall count of 174: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. Verify the school's standing with the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
Around Boston-Cambridge-Newton, the median skincare specialist earns $47,480, the bottom tenth $36,020 and the top tenth $68,670. A 1.9-to-one spread from bottom to top is ordinary for the trade, and here as everywhere the top belongs to a client book. Local concentration around Boston-Cambridge-Newton sits near the national average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#5
Rob Roy Academy-Worcester
Worcester, MA · Post-Secondary
90%
Share of students who finish
- Barbering
- $17,230 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Worcester, Rob Roy Academy-Worcester is on the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering register. 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. Worcester has 6 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. 90 percent of its students finish, out of 109 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $17,230 for the full program. Graduates who borrowed took on $9,500 in federal loans at the median, 124 of them. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $101 a month. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 90 percent, 8 points over the 82 percent median, is a good sign. $17,230 is 18 percent over the $14,590 median for a similar hour count, which needs a reason. It awarded 75 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Verify the school's standing with the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Worcester runs from $31,200 at the tenth percentile to $93,210 at the ninetieth, with a median of $36,430. Cosmetologists are the nearest series BLS carries to barbers here. There is almost no distance between entry pay and the middle, and a great deal between the middle and the top, so the first year is predictable and the tenth is what you make of it. The occupation is about as common around Worcester as it is nationally.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#6
Spa Tech Institute-Plymouth
Plymouth, MA · Post-Secondary
87%
Share of students who finish
- Esthetics
- $12,950 program cost
What the record shows
Spa Tech Institute-Plymouth operates in Plymouth under license from the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering. This is a specialist: an esthetics license, not cosmetology. The work is skincare, facials and hair removal rather than hair, the course is a fraction of the hours a cosmetology license takes, and it does not license you to cut or color hair, so compare it with the other specialists here rather than with the full-service schools. 87 percent of the 233 students it enrolls finish. Tuition is reported at $12,950 for the full program. Spa Tech campuses share a debt figure in the federal file, $6,333 in federal loans at the median over 324 borrowers, so read it as the chain's number rather than this floor's. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 87 percent, 5 points over the 82 percent median, is a good sign. $12,950 is within 12 percent of the $14,590 median for a course shorter than cosmetology, which is dear for esthetics and worth asking about. It awarded 179 beauty credentials 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. Confirm the school's current license with the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering first: that entry is what qualifies your hours, whatever the federal figures say.
Where it leads
Around Boston-Cambridge-Newton, the median skincare specialist earns $47,480, the bottom tenth $36,020 and the top tenth $68,670. Boston-Cambridge-Newton employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 1,180 people.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#7
Rob Roy Academy-Fall River
Fall River, MA · Post-Secondary
87%
Share of students who finish
- Barbering
- $17,230 program cost
What the record shows
Rob Roy Academy-Fall River operates in Fall River under license from the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering. 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. The school graduates 87 percent, on a fall headcount of 97. Tuition is reported at $17,230 for the full program. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 87 percent, 5 points over the 82 percent median, is a good sign. $17,230 is 18 percent over the $14,590 median for a similar hour count, which needs a reason. 68 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Check its license with the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering before enrolling, because that record and not this card is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Around Providence-Warwick, the median cosmetologist earns $31,200, the bottom tenth $31,200 and the top tenth $65,430. Cosmetologists are the nearest series BLS carries to barbers here. The metro median runs about 16 percent below the Massachusetts figure. The tenth percentile and the median are the same $31,200, which means at least four in ten report the floor; the published median is the entry wage here, and everything above it is tips and a following. The trade is unusually concentrated around Providence-Warwick, about 1.5 times the national rate, so there are more chairs to compete for and more to be hired into.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#8
Jupiter Beauty Academy
Boston, MA · Post-Secondary
84%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $1,010 program cost
What the record shows
Jupiter Beauty Academy trains in Boston, licensed by the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering. 84 percent of the 201 students it enrolls finish. Tuition is reported at $1,010 for the full program. On completion it is an ordinary school for this page, 84 percent against the 82 percent median, so it comes down to the price and the visit. 329 credentials in the year from a fall count of 201: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. Check its license with the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering before enrolling, because that record and not this card is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Around Boston-Cambridge-Newton, the median cosmetologist earns $37,430, the bottom tenth $31,600 and the top tenth $78,850. 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.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#9
Lowell Academy Hairstyling Institute
Lowell, MA · Post-Secondary
82%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $14,590 program cost
What the record shows
Lowell Academy Hairstyling Institute trains in Lowell, licensed by the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering. The school graduates 82 percent, on a fall headcount of 66. Tuition is reported at $14,590 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $7,500 in federal loans, measured over 57 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $80 a month. It is close to the median school on this page on completion, price and borrowing, 82 percent, exactly the median and $14,590, exactly the median, 51 percent of the price borrowed against 49 for the page, which is neither a warning nor a recommendation: the choice comes down to the visit and the board file. It awarded 36 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Ask the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering 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
Half of cosmetologists around Boston-Cambridge-Newton earn under $37,430, with the tenth percentile at $31,600 and the ninetieth at $78,850. 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. Boston-Cambridge-Newton employs the trade at about 1.5 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#10
COLLECTIV Academy-Worcester
Worcester, MA
81%
Share of students who finish
- 81% finish
- 173 graduates a year
- $15,070 program cost
What the record shows
COLLECTIV Academy-Worcester runs its cosmetology program in Worcester and reports to the US Department of Education. Of the 192 students in its fall count, 81 percent complete the course they started. It charges $15,070 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. The median graduate left with $6,222 in federal loans, across 284 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $66 a month. Completion and price both sit close to the page median, 81 percent against 82 and $15,070 against $14,590, so the number that separates it is debt: 41 percent of the price arrives as federal loans, less than at the typical school here. 173 students completed a credential here 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. Licensing is the business of the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering rather than the federal file's, so its register is where to confirm this school by its legal name first.
Where it leads
Around Worcester, the median cosmetologist earns $36,430, the bottom tenth $31,200 and the top tenth $93,210. 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. Worcester employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 640 people.
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#11
Empire Beauty School-Malden
Malden, MA · Post-Secondary
78%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $13,600 program cost
What the record shows
Empire Beauty School-Malden is licensed by the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering and trains in Malden. The school graduates 78 percent, on a fall headcount of 95. It charges $13,600 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. 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. On completion and price it is close to the median school on this page, 78 percent against 82 and $13,600 against $14,590, which is neither a warning nor a recommendation: the choice comes down to the visit and the board file. 58 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Confirm the school's current license with the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering first: that entry is what qualifies your hours, whatever the federal figures say.
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. Boston-Cambridge-Newton employs the trade at about 1.5 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#12
Spa Tech Institute-Westboro
Westborough, MA · Post-Secondary
77%
Share of students who finish
- Esthetics
- $12,950 program cost
What the record shows
Spa Tech Institute-Westboro is licensed by the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering and trains in Westborough. 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 board lists no other licensed school in Westborough. Of 182 enrolled in the fall count, 77 percent finish. Tuition is reported at $12,950 for the full program. Borrowing is pooled across Spa Tech campuses in the federal file, 324 borrowers at a median of $6,333 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 77 percent, 5 points under the 82 percent median, is about what this page does. $12,950 is within 12 percent of the $14,590 median for a course shorter than cosmetology, which is dear for esthetics and worth asking about. It awarded 147 beauty credentials in the reporting year. That is roughly 9 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 Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering first: that entry is what qualifies your hours, whatever the federal figures say.
Where it leads
Pay for skincare specialists around Worcester runs from $37,330 at the tenth percentile to $63,350 at the ninetieth, with a median of $46,270. It is a small occupational market locally, so openings are fewer and word of mouth carries more weight than a resume. On concentration, Worcester is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#13
Southeastern Technical Institute
South Easton, MA · Secondary
74%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $11,125 program cost
What the record shows
Southeastern Technical Institute operates in South Easton under license from the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering. The board lists it as a high school program. 74 percent of students across the school finish, out of 260 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 74 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. Tuition is reported at $11,125. That price is 24 percent under the $14,590 median, which is what public pricing looks like. It awarded 13 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Verify the school's standing with the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
Around Providence-Warwick, the median cosmetologist earns $31,200, the bottom tenth $31,200 and the top tenth $65,430. The metro median runs about 16 percent below the Massachusetts figure. The tenth percentile and the median are the same $31,200, which means at least four in ten report the floor; the published median is the entry wage here, and everything above it is tips and a following. The trade is unusually concentrated around Providence-Warwick, about 1.5 times the national rate, so there are more chairs to compete for and more to be hired into.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#14
Tri County Regional Vocational Technical High School
Franklin, MA · Secondary
70%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $10,185 program cost
What the record shows
Tri County Regional Vocational Technical High School operates in Franklin under license from the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering. The board lists it as a high school program. 70 percent of students across the center finish, out of 72 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 70 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. Tuition is reported at $10,185. That price is 30 percent under the $14,590 median, which is what public pricing looks like. 9 credentials in a year means the cosmetology program barely ran; ask whether it is enrolling this term before anything else. Ask the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton employs the trade at about 1.5 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#15
New England Hair Academy
Malden, MA · Post-Secondary
67%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- $16,550 program cost
What the record shows
New England Hair Academy operates in Malden under license from the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering. 67 percent of the 87 students it enrolls finish. Tuition is reported at $16,550 for the full program. 15 points fewer finish than the 82 percent median and it costs 13 percent over the $14,590 median, so before enrolling ask what happens to the students who do not get through. It awarded 137 credentials over the year against a fall headcount of 87, which is what a clock-hour course that turns over more than one cohort a year looks like. Ask the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering 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
For cosmetologists around Boston-Cambridge-Newton, the range runs $31,600 to $78,850 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $37,430. The spread above the median is wide enough that averages mislead here. What separates the top is a client list built over years. The work is somewhat more concentrated around Boston-Cambridge-Newton than nationally, at roughly 1.5 times the usual rate.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
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#16
Springfield Technical Community College
Springfield, MA
32%
Share of students who finish
- Public institution
What the record shows
Springfield Technical Community College runs its cosmetology program in Springfield and reports to the US Department of Education. 32 percent of students across the college finish, out of 4,759 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 32 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. It is a public college, so the cosmetology course is priced at in-district tuition rather than at an academy price. Licensing is the business of the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering rather than the federal file's, so its register is where to confirm this school by its legal name first.
Where it leads
Around Springfield, the median cosmetologist earns $36,690, the bottom tenth $31,200 and the top tenth $91,030.
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#17
North Shore Community College
Danvers, MA · Post-Secondary
18%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
What the record shows
North Shore Community College is licensed by the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering and trains in Danvers. The board lists no other licensed school in Danvers. 18 percent of students across the college finish, out of 4,393 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 18 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. Its 20 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a college of 4,393. It is a public college, so the cosmetology course is priced at in-district tuition rather than at an academy price. Verify the school's standing with the Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Boston-Cambridge-Newton, the range runs $31,600 to $78,850 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $37,430. 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. Concentration around Boston-Cambridge-Newton runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.5 times, or 7,870 people in the occupation.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read 2026-08-31.
- EINE Inc 100% 100%
- Massachusetts School of Barbering 100% 100%
- Charles H McCann Technical School 100% 100%
- Catherine Hinds Institute of Est... 96% 96%
- Rob Roy Academy-Worcester 90% 90%
- Spa Tech Institute-Plymouth 87% 87%
- Rob Roy Academy-Fall River 87% 87%
- Jupiter Beauty Academy 84% 84%
- Lowell Academy Hairstyling Insti... 82% 82%
- COLLECTIV Academy-Worcester 81% 81%
Which other cosmetology schools in Massachusetts are state licensed?
These Massachusetts cosmetology schools hold a current license from Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure) 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 Massachusetts 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical High School | Andover | Secondary | barbering, cosmetology |
| Attleboro High School | Attleboro | Secondary | cosmetology |
| Juvenex Academy | Beverly | Post-Secondary | esthetics |
| Shawsheen Valley Technical High School | Billerica | Secondary | cosmetology |
| Jupiter Aesthetics Academy | Boston | Post-Secondary | esthetics |
| Lash L'Amour Learning | Boston | Post-Secondary | |
| Madison Park Technical High School | Boston | Secondary | cosmetology |
| Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical High School | Bourne | Secondary | cosmetology |
| Toni and Guy Hairdressing Academy | Braintree | Post-Secondary | cosmetology |
| Mafy's Nail Academy | Brockton | Post-Secondary | nail-technology |
| MiniLuxe Nail Academy | Brookline | Post-Secondary | nail-technology |
| Blue Hills Regional Tech High School | Canton | Secondary | cosmetology |
| Bay Path Vocational Technical High School | Charlton | Secondary | cosmetology |
| Chelmsford Beauty Academy | Chelmsford | Post-Secondary | esthetics, nail-technology |
| Cali For Nails Academy - Dorchester | Dorchester | Post-Secondary | nail-technology |
| East Boston Beauty Academy | East Boston | Post-Secondary | cosmetology |
| Flavia Leal Beauty Creators Academy | Everett | Post-Secondary | cosmetology |
| BMC Durfee High School | Fall River | Secondary | cosmetology |
| CCEE Nails Academy | Fall River | Post-Secondary | nail-technology |
| Rob Roy Hair Academy Fall River | Fall River | Post-Secondary | cosmetology, esthetics |
| Alexander Academy | Fitchburg | Post-Secondary | barbering, cosmetology |
| Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical High School | Fitchburg | Secondary | cosmetology |
| Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical High School - Adult Education | Fitchburg | Post-Secondary | cosmetology |
| Flavia Leal Aesthetics Framingham | Framingham | Post-Secondary | esthetics |
| Flavia Leal Manicuring Framingham | Framingham | Post-Secondary | nail-technology |
Showing 25 of the 98 remaining licensed schools, ordered by city. The full file is with Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure) .
How do you become a cosmetologist in Massachusetts in 2026?
To become a cosmetologist in Massachusetts you need 1,000 clock hours at a school licensed by Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), then a passing score on the state exam. At the pace most clock-hour schools run, that is roughly 7.7 months full time. No state sets a lower bar. Massachusetts sits at the floor of a range that runs to 2,000 hours elsewhere, so the same license costs twice the time in some states.
Time is the expensive part of this qualification, and it is only banked while the school holds a current Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure) license.
How much do cosmetologists make in Massachusetts in 2026?
Cosmetologists in Massachusetts earn a median of $37,290 , with the bottom tenth on $31,600 and the top tenth on $79,330 . The related licenses pay differently again, which matters because you pick the license before you start the hours.
- Cosmetologists $37,290 $37,290
- Nail technicians $35,470 $35,470
- Salon managers $53,740 $53,740
- Estheticians $47,310 $47,310
What is different about cosmetology licensing in Massachusetts?
At 1,000 hours Massachusetts sets one of the shortest cosmetology programs in the country, roughly two thirds of the 1,500-hour norm, and the school regulation caps a school's deviation at plus or minus 10% per subject with a hard 1,000-hour floor. The roster is also unusual in scope: the board licenses public vocational high school cosmetology programs alongside private academies and tags each row Secondary or Post-Secondary, so a single state file covers both worlds. Statute additionally carries a separate track (M.G.L. c.112 Sec. 87JJ) for 'post-secondary institutions' that must register and report student progress rather than hold an ordinary school license. Read Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure)'s own rules .
Where do cosmetologists make the most money in Massachusetts?
Cosmetologists make the most money in Massachusetts around Barnstable Town, where the median is $46,520, and the least around Providence-Warwick at $31,200. That is a 49 percent gap inside one state, which is wider than the gap between many states and worth more than most differences between schools.
The statewide median sits at $37,290, so the metros above it are carrying the average up.
- Barnstable Town $46,520 $46,520
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton $37,430 $37,430
- Springfield $36,690 $36,690
- Worcester $36,430 $36,430
- Pittsfield $35,550 $35,550
- Providence-Warwick $31,200 $31,200
Where are the cosmetology schools in Massachusetts?
The licensed cosmetology schools in Massachusetts cluster hardest in Woburn, which holds 9 of the 115 the board currently lists. That is only 8 percent of the state total, so schools are spread more evenly here than in states with a single dominant city.
37 towns have exactly one licensed school, which is worth knowing if you cannot easily move: losing that school means losing the option locally.
- Woburn 9 9
- Worcester 6 6
- Boston 4 4
- Fall River 4 4
- Malden 4 4
- Fitchburg 3 3
- Framingham 3 3
- Lawrence 3 3
- Medford 3 3
- New Bedford 3 3
Is it better to be a cosmetologist, esthetician or nail tech in Massachusetts?
In Massachusetts, salon managers are the best paid of the beauty licenses at a $53,740 median. Cosmetologists in Massachusetts sit at $37,290, below that, which is worth weighing before committing to the longest of the licenses.
The shorter licenses also take fewer hours, so the comparison is not only what the work pays but how long you spend unpaid getting there.
| Occupation | Median pay | Employed in state |
|---|---|---|
| Salon managers | $53,740 | 1,600 |
| Estheticians | $47,310 | 1,360 |
| Nail technicians | $35,470 | 4,660 |
Can you use a cosmetology license from another state in Massachusetts?
Using a cosmetology license from another state in Massachusetts means satisfying Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), which decides case by case, and the number it weighs is hours. Against the other Northeast states, Massachusetts is it asks 206 fewer hours than the regional average of 1,206, and pay tracks the regional average closely.
That matters if you might move, because a license does not travel automatically: the receiving state decides what your hours are worth, and a shorter program can be the harder one to carry across a line.
| State | Hours required | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts (this state) | 1,000 | $37,290 |
| Vermont | 1,000 | $48,650 |
| Connecticut | 1,500 | $44,620 |
| Maine | 1,500 | $44,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,250 | $36,790 |
| New Jersey | 1,200 | $36,150 |
| New York | 1,000 | $35,760 |
| New Hampshire | 1,200 | $34,650 |
| Rhode Island | 1,000 | $31,200 |
Which Massachusetts cosmetology schools have lapsed or lost their license?
1 Massachusetts cosmetology school appears in Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure)'s file with a license that is no longer current. Some closed, some let the license lapse, and some had it taken away. They are here because they still appear in commercial school directories, and because a reader holding a brochure from one of them deserves to know.
| School | City | Board status |
|---|---|---|
| JK Nails Academy (Closed 2023) | Worcester | Closed (JK Nails Academy (Closed 2023)) |
What does this Massachusetts cosmetology program ranking not tell you?
This Massachusetts cosmetology program ranking does not tell you everything you need. This is a completion rate, not a teaching inspection, and a school can lift it by enrolling only students likely to finish just as easily as by teaching well. It is reported for the institution rather than for the cosmetology course alone, which is exact at the beauty schools that teach nothing else and broader at a community college, where cosmetology is one program among many; each card says which kind it is describing. Schools enrolling fewer than 40 students are left out, because a completion rate over a handful of people moves too far on one person's decision to be worth ordering on. It covers only schools that take federal financial aid, a large share of the field but not all of it, so a school missing here takes no federal aid rather than performing badly. Finishing also says nothing about whether a school's hours will count toward your license, which is what the board record on this page is for.
Check a school against the NACCAS accredited school search if federal financial aid matters to you, and against Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure) for the license itself.
Common questions about cosmetology programs in Massachusetts
What makes the best cosmetology programs in Massachusetts rank highly here?
How many cosmetology programs in Massachusetts hold a current license?
Should you choose a NACCAS-accredited school in Massachusetts?
How much does cosmetology school cost in Massachusetts?
Are the best cosmetology programs in Massachusetts accredited?
Where does this Massachusetts cosmetology program data come from?
This Massachusetts cosmetology program data comes from Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure), read on 2026-08-31, from the board's own license records rather than from any school directory. The cost and debt figures come from the US Department of Education's College Scorecard , which publishes them per institution for cosmetology programs at every school taking federal financial aid. At 1,000 hours Massachusetts sets one of the shortest cosmetology programs in the country, roughly two thirds of the 1,500-hour norm, and the school regulation caps a school's deviation at plus or minus 10% per subject with a hard 1,000-hour floor. The roster is also unusual in scope: the board licenses public vocational high school cosmetology programs alongside private academies and tags each row Secondary or Post-Secondary, so a single state file covers both worlds. Statute additionally carries a separate track (M.G.L. c.112 Sec. 87JJ) for 'post-secondary institutions' that must register and report student progress rather than hold an ordinary school license.
Board of Registration of Cosmetology and Barbering (Division of Occupational Licensure)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
On this page
- Other licensed schools
- How to become one
- What it pays
- What is different in Massachusetts
- 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
- Lapsed and revoked licenses
- What this does not tell you
- Common questions
- Sources