Detroit, MI
Cosmetology Schools in Detroit, MI, Ranked (2026)
Detroit skyline. Photo by Lrgjr72, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Published
Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology
Fourteen cosmetology schools in Detroit and the suburbs around it report completion figures to the federal government. Two carry Detroit addresses, Metro Detroit Barber College and P&A Scholars Beauty School. The other twelve run from Royal Oak at eleven miles out to Waterford at thirty. Two more schools nearby were too small to rank.
Michigan runs its school records through a live licensee lookup rather than publishing a roster, so this ranking rests on the federal completion data instead. That data pulls the fourteen a long way apart. Metro Detroit Barber College reports 100% completion on 59 enrolled. Oakland Community College, at the bottom, reports 21%.
Figures in this section: Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing (Board of Cosmetology); BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
The 14 Cosmetology Schools in and Near Detroit, Ranked on Completion
16 cosmetology programs report to the US Department of Education from inside Detroit or within 30 miles of downtown. 14 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 2 had too few students to rank, so the list stops at 14.
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 Michigan page links the board's own lookup.
| # | School | Miles | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metro Detroit Barber College | 8 | 100% |
| 2 | Marketti Academy of Cosmetology | 30 | 90% |
| 3 | L'esprit Academy | 21 | 88% |
| 4 | David Pressley School of Cosmetology | 11 | 87% |
| 5 | Elevate Salon Institute | 15 | 85% |
| 6 | Paul Mitchell the School-Michigan | 18 | 80% |
| 7 | Taylor Andrews Academy of Hair Design-Hair Lab Detroit Barber School | 13 | 79% |
| 8 | Paul Mitchell the School-Farmington Hills | 20 | 79% |
| 9 | Michigan College of Beauty-Troy | 17 | 68% |
| 10 | P&A Scholars Beauty School | 7 | 65% |
| 11 | Dorsey College | 14 | 54% |
| 12 | Dorsey School of Beauty | 12 | 51% |
| 13 | Dorsey College-Roseville | 15 | 35% |
| 14 | Oakland Community College | 24 | 21% |
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#1
Metro Detroit Barber College
Detroit, MI
100%
Share of students who finish
- 100% finish
- Private nonprofit
- 17 graduates a year
- $14,377 program cost
What the record shows
Metro Detroit Barber College teaches barbering in Detroit, with its results published federally. This is a specialist: a barber license, not cosmetology. The work is men's cutting, shaving and beard work, the course is a similar hour count to cosmetology, and it does not license color, chemical services or the full cosmetology scope, so it is a different decision from the full-service schools on this page. The school graduates 100 percent, on a fall headcount of 59. Tuition is reported at $14,377 for the full program. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 100 percent, 21 points over the 79 percent median, is a good sign. $14,377 is 24 percent under the $18,900 median for a similar hour count, which makes it the cheaper route to a chair. 17 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. That is a small cohort, which usually buys more chair time with an instructor and a shorter wait for the clinic floor. The school is a private nonprofit, a category covering only a handful of cosmetology providers nationally. Ask the state board directly whether the license is in good standing, because a lapse while you are enrolled costs you the hours rather than the school.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn earn under $34,960, with the tenth percentile at $27,210 and the ninetieth at $96,770. Cosmetologists are the nearest series BLS carries to barbers here. Most of that range is a following, which is why two graduates of the same program can end up far apart. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn employs cosmetologists at about 1.3 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
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#2
Marketti Academy of Cosmetology
Waterford, MI
90%
Share of students who finish
- 48 graduates a year
- $9,115 program cost
What the record shows
Marketti Academy of Cosmetology teaches cosmetology in Waterford, with its results published federally. Of 45 enrolled in the fall count, 90 percent finish. The published cost is $9,115 for the full program. Graduates who borrowed took on $9,833 in federal loans at the median, 22 of them. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $104 a month. That median loan is larger than the $9,115 price, so the typical borrower here finances more than tuition. 11 points more of its students finish than the 79 percent median, and it charges 52 percent less than the $18,900 median to do it, which is the right direction on both counts. 48 credentials in the year from a fall count of 45: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. Confirm the school's current license with the state board first: federal reporting is about financial aid, and it is the state license that qualifies your hours.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn runs from $27,210 at the tenth percentile to $96,770 at the ninetieth, with a median of $34,960. Most of that range is a following, which is why two graduates of the same program can end up far apart. The work is somewhat more concentrated around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn than nationally, at roughly 1.3 times the usual rate.
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#3
L'esprit Academy
Canton, MI
88%
Share of students who finish
- 88% finish
- 219 graduates a year
- $10,115 program cost
What the record shows
L'esprit Academy trains in Canton, and because it takes federal financial aid its outcomes are published per program. Of the 266 students in its fall count, 88 percent complete the course they started. The published cost is $10,115 for the full program. Graduates who borrowed took on $6,333 in federal loans at the median, 160 of them. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. More finish here than at the typical school on this page, 88 percent against 79, and the price is 46 percent under the $18,900 median: the two numbers point the same way. It awarded 219 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Confirm the school's current license with the state board first: federal reporting is about financial aid, and it is the state license that qualifies your hours.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn earn under $34,960, with the tenth percentile at $27,210 and the ninetieth at $96,770. The distance between $27,210 and $96,770 is the whole argument for staying past the first couple of years. The work is somewhat more concentrated around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn than nationally, at roughly 1.3 times the usual rate.
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#4
David Pressley School of Cosmetology
Royal Oak, MI
87%
Share of students who finish
- 87% finish
- 176 graduates a year
- $18,150 program cost
What the record shows
David Pressley School of Cosmetology runs its cosmetology program in Royal Oak and reports to the US Department of Education. 87 percent of its students finish, out of 225 enrolled in the fall count. Tuition is reported at $18,150 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $6,333 in federal loans, measured over 220 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. 8 points more of its students finish than the 79 percent median, priced within 4 percent of the $18,900 median, so you pay the going rate for better than average odds of getting through. The school conferred 176 credentials in the year reported. Verify the school's standing with the state board before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
Around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, the median cosmetologist earns $34,960, the bottom tenth $27,210 and the top tenth $96,770. The distance between $27,210 and $96,770 is the whole argument for staying past the first couple of years. Concentration around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.3 times, or 4,790 people in the occupation.
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#5
Elevate Salon Institute
Royal Oak, MI
85%
Share of students who finish
- 152 graduates a year
- $13,880 program cost
What the record shows
Elevate Salon Institute teaches cosmetology in Royal Oak, with its results published federally. Of 197 enrolled in the fall count, 85 percent finish. The published cost is $13,880 for the full program. 123 graduates borrowed, at a median of $6,333 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. More finish here than at the typical school on this page, 85 percent against 79, and the price is 27 percent under the $18,900 median: the two numbers point the same way. It awarded 152 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Verify the school's standing with the state board before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, the range runs $27,210 to $96,770 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $34,960. The distance between $27,210 and $96,770 is the whole argument for staying past the first couple of years. Concentration around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.3 times, or 4,790 people in the occupation.
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#6
Paul Mitchell the School-Michigan
Sterling Heights, MI
80%
Share of students who finish
- 80% finish
- 99 graduates a year
- $20,970 program cost
What the record shows
Paul Mitchell the School-Michigan runs its cosmetology program in Sterling Heights and reports to the US Department of Education. 80 percent of its students finish, out of 136 enrolled in the fall count. It charges $20,970 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. Paul Mitchell campuses share a debt figure in the federal file, $7,232 in federal loans at the median over 70 borrowers, so read it as the chain's number rather than this floor's. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $77 a month. Completion and price both sit near the page's middle, 80 percent against 79 and $20,970 against $18,900. Nothing federal separates it, so the clinic floor and the board file will. The school conferred 99 credentials in the year reported. Verify the school's standing with the state board before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, the range runs $27,210 to $96,770 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $34,960. Most of that range is a following, which is why two graduates of the same program can end up far apart. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn employs the trade at about 1.3 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
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#7
Taylor Andrews Academy of Hair Design-Hair Lab Detroit Barber School
Southgate, MI
79%
Share of students who finish
- 79% finish
- 28 graduates a year
- $18,900 program cost
What the record shows
Taylor Andrews Academy of Hair Design-Hair Lab Detroit Barber School teaches cosmetology in Southgate, with its results published federally. 79 percent of its students finish, out of 57 enrolled in the fall count. Tuition is reported at $18,900 for the full program. Borrowing is pooled across Taylor Andrews Academy of Hair Design campuses in the federal file, 233 borrowers at a median of $10,556 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $112 a month. On completion and price it is close to the median school on this page, 79 percent, exactly the median and $18,900, exactly the median, which is neither a warning nor a recommendation: the choice comes down to the visit and the board file. 28 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Check its license with the state board before enrolling, because that record and not the federal listing is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn runs from $27,210 at the tenth percentile to $96,770 at the ninetieth, with a median of $34,960. Most of that range is a following, which is why two graduates of the same program can end up far apart. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn employs the trade at about 1.3 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
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#8
Paul Mitchell the School-Farmington Hills
Farmington Hills, MI
79%
Share of students who finish
- 79% finish
- 78 graduates a year
- $19,775 program cost
What the record shows
Paul Mitchell the School-Farmington Hills teaches cosmetology in Farmington Hills, with its results published federally. Of the 99 students in its fall count, 79 percent complete the course they started. It charges $19,775 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. 100 graduates borrowed, at a median of $9,833 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $104 a month. On every federal measure it is an ordinary school for this page, 79 percent, exactly the median and $19,775 against $18,900, 50 percent of the price borrowed against 48 for the page, and ordinary is not a warning: it means the deciding facts are the ones you gather on a visit. The school conferred 78 credentials in the year reported. Check its license with the state board before enrolling, because that record and not the federal listing is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, the range runs $27,210 to $96,770 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $34,960. A gap that size tracks clientele rather than seniority. The work is somewhat more concentrated around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn than nationally, at roughly 1.3 times the usual rate.
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#9
Michigan College of Beauty-Troy
Troy, MI
68%
Share of students who finish
- 68% finish
- 191 graduates a year
- $21,500 program cost
What the record shows
Michigan College of Beauty-Troy trains in Troy, and because it takes federal financial aid its outcomes are published per program. 68 percent of students see the course through, out of 230 enrolled. Tuition is reported at $21,500 for the full program. The median graduate left with $6,333 in federal loans, across 340 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. That is the pairing to be wary of: 11 points fewer of its students finish than the 79 percent median, at a price 14 percent over the $18,900 median. Ask the school directly why students leave before you commit. 191 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Confirm the school's current license with the state board first: federal reporting is about financial aid, and it is the state license that qualifies your hours.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, the range runs $27,210 to $96,770 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $34,960. That is a wide spread, and it is mostly the difference between building a client book and not. The work is somewhat more concentrated around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn than nationally, at roughly 1.3 times the usual rate.
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#10
P&A Scholars Beauty School
Detroit, MI
65%
Share of students who finish
- 65% finish
- 37 graduates a year
- $19,800 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Detroit, P&A Scholars Beauty School is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. The school graduates 65 percent, on a fall headcount of 90. Tuition is reported at $19,800 for the full program. The price is close to the $18,900 median and the completion is not: 65 percent against 79. In a clock-hour course that is the wrong half of the trade, and the reason to ask hard questions before a deposit. It awarded 37 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Confirm the school's current license with the state board first: federal reporting is about financial aid, and it is the state license that qualifies your hours.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn runs from $27,210 at the tenth percentile to $96,770 at the ninetieth, with a median of $34,960. That is a wide spread, and it is mostly the difference between building a client book and not. The work is somewhat more concentrated around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn than nationally, at roughly 1.3 times the usual rate.
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#11
Dorsey College
Madison Heights, MI
54%
Share of students who finish
- 136 graduates a year
What the record shows
Dorsey College runs its cosmetology program in Madison Heights and reports to the US Department of Education. 54 percent of students across the college finish, out of 643 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 54 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. Borrowing here runs to a median of $16,500 in federal loans, measured over 150 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $175 a month. The school conferred 136 credentials in the year reported. Check its license with the state board before enrolling, because that record and not the federal listing is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, the median cosmetologist earns $34,960, the bottom tenth $27,210 and the top tenth $96,770. That is a wide spread, and it is mostly the difference between building a client book and not. The work is somewhat more concentrated around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn than nationally, at roughly 1.3 times the usual rate.
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#12
Dorsey School of Beauty
Taylor, MI
51%
Share of students who finish
- 51% finish
- 163 graduates a year
- $28,950 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Taylor, Dorsey School of Beauty is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. Of the 164 students in its fall count, 51 percent complete the course they started. It charges $28,950 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. 90 graduates borrowed, at a median of $16,500 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $175 a month. Only 51 in a hundred finish here, 28 points under the 79 percent median. Treat that as the headline, not a footnote, and hold the $28,950 price against it. It awarded 163 beauty credentials in the reporting year. From 164 enrolled, that is one of the higher-throughput floors on this page. The license from the state board is still the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.
Where it leads
Around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, the median cosmetologist earns $34,960, the bottom tenth $27,210 and the top tenth $96,770. That is a wide spread, and it is mostly the difference between building a client book and not. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn employs the trade at about 1.3 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
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#13
Dorsey College-Roseville
Roseville, MI
35%
Share of students who finish
- 50 graduates a year
What the record shows
Dorsey College-Roseville teaches cosmetology in Roseville, with its results published federally. Across all 437 students at the college, 35 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. 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. Borrowing here runs to a median of $16,500 in federal loans, measured over 150 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $175 a month. Its 50 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a college of 437. The license from the state board is still the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.
Where it leads
Around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, the median cosmetologist earns $34,960, the bottom tenth $27,210 and the top tenth $96,770. The distance between $27,210 and $96,770 is the whole argument for staying past the first couple of years. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn employs the trade at about 1.3 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.
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#14
Oakland Community College
Auburn Hills, MI
21%
Share of students who finish
- Associate degree
- Public institution
What the record shows
Oakland Community College runs its cosmetology program in Auburn Hills and reports to the US Department of Education. Across all 12,748 students at the college, 21 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. Most of the students behind that 21 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. Graduates leave with an associate degree, not the usual certificate, and the general-education credits behind it can count toward a bachelor's later. It is a public college, so the cosmetology course is priced at in-district tuition rather than at an academy price. The license from the state board is still the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, the range runs $27,210 to $96,770 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $34,960. Most of that range is a following, which is why two graduates of the same program can end up far apart. The work is somewhat more concentrated around Detroit-Warren-Dearborn than nationally, at roughly 1.3 times the usual rate.
How Many Hours Michigan Wants, and Who Issues the License
The agency is the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, through its Bureau of Professional Licensing. The Board of Cosmetology advises, and LARA issues. A cosmetologist license takes 1,500 clock hours at a licensed school. Michigan also accepts two years as a salon apprentice as a complete substitute for those hours rather than partial credit.
Michigan is one of the few states with a written distance rule instead of silence. R 338.2158 lets theory hours be delivered remotely with no cap on the share, but every practical hour stays in person, instructor contact has to be logged, and you sit an in-person performance evaluation after each 10% of the distance portion.
Two more things follow from that rule. Your transcript has to identify which part of your training was delivered at a distance, and before you enroll you sign a disclaimer saying distance education may not be accepted for licensure in some other states. The state-by-state online hours rules explain why that warning is there.
Coming the other way, Michigan credits 100 training hours for every six months of licensed experience earned out of state when you apply on reciprocity. It also licenses a separate natural hair culturist on a much shorter curriculum, so if braiding and natural hair are the work you want, price that credential first.
Figures in this section: Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing (Board of Cosmetology); BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
What the Detroit Ranking Shows and What It Costs
Metro Detroit Barber College leads at 100% completion on 59 enrolled, at $14,377 for the program, and it is the only private nonprofit here. A perfect figure on a group that size is a smaller claim than it looks, so read it next to the schools underneath rather than on its own. The barber career guide covers what that license does.
Marketti Academy of Cosmetology in Waterford is second at 90% on 45 enrolled, and at $9,115 it is the cheapest program here by a full thousand dollars. L'esprit Academy in Canton is third at 88% on 266 enrolled, at $10,115, with a median debt of $6,333.
Price and completion do not move together on this list. Dorsey School of Beauty in Taylor charges $28,950, the most of the fourteen, and finished 51% of its students with $16,500 in median debt. David Pressley School of Cosmetology in Royal Oak charges $18,150 and finished 87%.
Oakland Community College anchors the bottom at 21%, but that figure covers a whole college with 12,748 students enrolled, not a beauty program. Community colleges report this way everywhere, which is why the community college ranking reads them side by side, and the methodology sets out the rest.
Figures in this section: Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing (Board of Cosmetology); BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
What the Trade Pays in the Detroit Metro
The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro reports 4,790 hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists at a median of $34,960 in the BLS May 2025 release. Michigan reports 8,970 at $34,820, so more than half the state's employment in this trade sits in this metro and the middle wage barely moves between the two.
The spread carries more information than the middle does. In the metro the bottom tenth of hairdressers earns $27,210 a year and the top tenth earns $96,770. That is roughly $69,000 between the floor and the ceiling of one job title, and it is the honest version of the six-figure claim you will see elsewhere.
Skin pays better than hair at the middle here. Skincare specialists in the metro report a median of $47,000 on 790 employed, against $34,960 for hairdressers. Nail work is thin in Detroit: 490 manicurists and pedicurists, about a quarter of the national concentration, at a median of $36,810.
Read all of it with one qualifier. BLS surveys employers, so booth renters and chair renters fall outside every figure above, and in this trade they are a large share of the people working. Cosmetologist pay carries the national percentiles next to these metro numbers.
Figures in this section: BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
What Cosmetology Careers Pay in Detroit
Median annual pay in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area, from the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. A cosmetologist here earns a median of $34,960 against $34,820 across Michigan, with 4,790 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 $47,000 $47,000
- Nail technicians $36,810 $36,810
- Cosmetologists $34,960 $34,960
| Occupation | Metro median | Michigan median |
|---|---|---|
| Estheticians | $47,000 | $45,240 |
| Nail technicians | $36,810 | $36,890 |
| Cosmetologists | $34,960 | $34,820 |
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 Detroit
Answers draw on Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing (Board of Cosmetology), the College Scorecard and the May 2025 BLS wage release.
How many hours of cosmetology school do you need in Detroit?
Can you do any of your cosmetology hours online in Michigan?
Which cosmetology schools are actually inside Detroit?
What does beauty school cost around Detroit?
How much do hairdressers make in Detroit?
Does Michigan credit cosmetology experience from another state?
Sources
- Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing (Board of Cosmetology), 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 Detroit. 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI area.