Cosmetology Schools in Minneapolis, MN, Ranked (2026)

The 6 Cosmetology Schools in and Near Minneapolis, Ranked on Completion

8 cosmetology programs report to the US Department of Education from inside Minneapolis or within 30 miles of downtown. 6 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 6.

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 Minnesota page links the board's own lookup.

1. #1

   Empire Beauty School-Bloomington

   Bloomington, MN · Cosmetology School License

   78%

   Share of students who finish

   • Cosmetology
   • Esthetics
   • Renews 2028-07
   • $20,538 program cost

   What the record shows

   Empire Beauty School-Bloomington trains in Bloomington, licensed by the Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners. Its license covers cosmetology and esthetics. Of the 128 students in its fall count, 78 percent complete the course they started. Tuition is reported at $20,538 for the full program. Empire Beauty campuses share a debt figure in the federal file, $12,500 in federal loans at the median over 838 borrowers, so read it as the chain's number rather than this floor's. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $133 a month. $20,538 is exactly at the $20,538 median, and the completion is not ordinary: 78 percent against 60. That is the better half of the trade. 95 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. That is roughly 8 percent of everything awarded by federally reporting beauty programs in the state, so it is one of the larger training operations here. The board files it under license 25001019; that record, not this one, is what makes your hours count.

   Where it leads

   Pay for cosmetologists around Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington runs from $25,640 at the tenth percentile to $82,500 at the ninetieth, with a median of $46,310. Most of that range is a following, which is why two graduates of the same program can end up far apart. The metro median is about 18 percent above the Minnesota figure. Esthetics pays a $36,610 median around Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, 21 percent under cosmetology. On concentration, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners, read 2026-08-31.

2. #2

   PCI Academy-Plymouth

   Plymouth, MN · Cosmetology School License

   72%

   Share of students who finish

   • Cosmetology
   • Esthetics
   • Instructor training
   • Nail technology
   • Renews 2028-08
   • $15,388 program cost

   What the record shows

   PCI Academy-Plymouth trains in Plymouth, licensed by the Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners. It is the only licensed school the board lists in Plymouth. 72 percent of students see the course through, out of 165 enrolled. Tuition is reported at $15,388 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $6,333 in federal loans, measured over 245 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. 12 points more of its students finish than the 60 percent median, and it charges 25 percent less than the $20,538 median to do it, which is the right direction on both counts. 93 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Its board record is license 25001119, and that entry is the one that counts your hours.

   Where it leads

   For cosmetologists around Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, the range runs $25,640 to $82,500 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $46,310. A gap that size tracks clientele rather than seniority. Against the state as a whole, the metro runs roughly 18 percent higher on median pay. Nail technology pays a $35,920 median around Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, 22 percent under cosmetology. On concentration, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners, read 2026-08-31.

3. #3

   Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Minneapolis

   Minneapolis, MN · Cosmetology School License

   68%

   Share of students who finish

   • Cosmetology
   • Esthetics
   • Instructor training
   • Nail technology
   • Renews 2028-04
   • $22,300 program cost

   What the record shows

   Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Minneapolis trains in Minneapolis, licensed by the Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners. Of 623 enrolled in the fall count, 68 percent finish. Tuition is reported at $22,300 for the full program. Graduates who borrowed took on $6,333 in federal loans at the median, 403 of them. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. $22,300 is within 9 percent of the $20,538 median, and the completion is not ordinary: 68 percent against 60. That is the better half of the trade. 313 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. That is roughly 27 percent of everything awarded by federally reporting beauty programs in the state, by some distance the largest beauty school in the state's federal file. License 25000419 is the board's entry for it, and that is the record to confirm is still current before a deposit.

   Where it leads

   Around Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, the median cosmetologist earns $46,310, the bottom tenth $25,640 and the top tenth $82,500. That is a wide spread, and it is mostly the difference between building a client book and not. The metro median is about 18 percent above the Minnesota figure. Nail technology pays a $35,920 median around Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, 22 percent under cosmetology. Local concentration around Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington sits near the national average.

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners, read 2026-08-31.

4. #4

   Empire Beauty School-Spring Lake Park

   Spring Lake Park, MN · Cosmetology School License

   52%

   Share of students who finish

   • Cosmetology
   • Esthetics
   • Instructor training
   • Renews 2029-09
   • $20,538 program cost

   What the record shows

   Empire Beauty School-Spring Lake Park operates in Spring Lake Park under license from the Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners. Its license covers cosmetology, esthetics and instructor training. The board lists no other licensed school in Spring Lake Park. The school graduates 52 percent, on a fall headcount of 95. The published cost is $20,538 for the full program. The federal file reports borrowing for Empire Beauty campuses together rather than for this one: a median of $13,000 in federal loans across 746 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $138 a month. 8 points fewer of its students finish than the 60 percent median, priced exactly at the $20,538 median, so you would be paying the going rate for worse odds of getting through. Ask the school what happens to the ones who leave. It awarded 42 beauty credentials in the reporting year. The board files it under license 26001519; that record, not this one, is what makes your hours count.

   Where it leads

   Around Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, the median cosmetologist earns $46,310, the bottom tenth $25,640 and the top tenth $82,500. A gap that size tracks clientele rather than seniority. The metro median is about 18 percent above the Minnesota figure. Esthetics pays a $36,610 median around Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, 21 percent under cosmetology. Local concentration around Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington sits near the national average.

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners, read 2026-08-31.

5. #5

   Saint Paul College

   Saint Paul, MN · Cosmetology School License

   40%

   Share of students who finish

   • Cosmetology
   • Esthetics
   • Instructor training
   • Nail technology
   • Renews 2026-10

   What the record shows

   Saint Paul College trains in Saint Paul, licensed by the Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners. 40 percent of students across the college finish, out of 3,813 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. That 40 percent is low for this page, but it is the college's rate and the cosmetology program is a small part of it; the cosmetology department's own completions are the check. 77 graduates borrowed, at a median of $7,597 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $81 a month. 118 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. License 23002219 is the board's entry for it, and that is the record to confirm is still current before a deposit.

   Where it leads

   Around Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, the median cosmetologist earns $46,310, the bottom tenth $25,640 and the top tenth $82,500. Most of that range is a following, which is why two graduates of the same program can end up far apart. The metro median is about 18 percent above the Minnesota figure. Nail technology pays a $35,920 median around Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, 22 percent under cosmetology. Local concentration around Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington sits near the national average.

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners, read 2026-08-31.

6. #6

   Century College

   White Bear Lake, MN · Cosmetology School License

   31%

   Share of students who finish

   • Cosmetology
   • Esthetics
   • Nail technology
   • Renews 2029-08

   What the record shows

   Century College trains in White Bear Lake, licensed by the Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners. Its license covers cosmetology, esthetics and nail technology. Across all 6,280 students at the college, 31 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. That 31 percent is low for this page, but it is the college's rate and the cosmetology program is a small part of it; the cosmetology department's own completions are the check. Its 63 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a college of 6,280. The board files it under license 26001119; that record, not this one, is what makes your hours count.

   Where it leads

   Around Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, the median cosmetologist earns $46,310, the bottom tenth $25,640 and the top tenth $82,500. That is a wide spread, and it is mostly the difference between building a client book and not. The metro median is about 18 percent above the Minnesota figure. Nail technology pays a $35,920 median around Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, 22 percent under cosmetology. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 3,920 people.

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners, read 2026-08-31.

Other Licensed Cosmetology Schools in Minneapolis

Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners lists 3 currently licensed schools in Minneapolis. These 2 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.

Minnesota's 1,550 Hours Cover Hair, Skin and Nails in One Course

The Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners licenses both the school and the person. A cosmetologist license takes 1,550 hours, split by rule into 1,130 hours of applied science and skills and 420 hours of related theory and sciences. Hours you bank at a school that was not licensed at the time are hours the board will not accept.

What makes the Minnesota course unusual is what has to be inside it. The 1,550 hours must carry the entire nail technician curriculum and the entire esthetician curriculum on top of hair, so this is not a hair-led program with a little skin and nails bolted on. You come out trained in three things.

There is no online route around any of it. State law requires instruction to be given inside a licensed school building and caps a student at ten hours of instruction in a day, so a 1,550-hour course is a schedule problem before it is anything else. The online hour rules by state show how far Minnesota sits from Texas.

Barbering is somewhere else entirely. Minnesota kept a separate Minnesota Board of Barber Examiners, so a barber school and a barber license come from a different agency than the one behind this page. If that is the trade you want, start with what barbering takes rather than a cosmetology course.

Figures in this section: Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners.

Six Ranked Schools Near Minneapolis, and What They Cost

Empire Beauty School-Bloomington sits first at 78 percent completion on 128 students, ten miles out, at $20,538. PCI Academy-Plymouth is second at 72 percent on 165 students for $15,388, with median debt of $6,333, the lowest borrowing on the list along with Aveda's. Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Minneapolis is third at 68 percent, one mile in, at $22,300.

The two Empire campuses are the clearest comparison here, because the price is identical. Bloomington and Spring Lake Park both charge $20,538 and both sit ten miles out, and they finished 78 percent and 52 percent of their students. Median debt lands at $12,500 and $13,000. Same chain, same money, twenty-six points apart.

The two public colleges finish last on completion, and that figure needs reading. Saint Paul College's 40 percent and Century College's 31 percent are whole-college numbers across 3,813 and 6,280 students rather than the cosmetology course alone. Saint Paul College still conferred 118 cosmetology credentials that year, and Century College 63. Both appear in the community college ranking.

The metro line on this page crosses into Wisconsin, but all six ranked schools are in Minnesota, so all six train to the 1,550-hour rule and the Minnesota license. Nothing on the board roster puts them in order. The roster lists licensed courses, not results, which is why the sequence here is the federal completion figure. The Minnesota ranking uses the same file.

Figures in this section: Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners; BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.

Hair, Skin and Nail Pay in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro

The metro pays well for hair by national standards. Its 3,920 hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists earn a median of $46,310, which runs $7,140 above the Minnesota median of $39,170, and the top tenth clears $82,500. The bottom tenth is $25,640, so the range inside one job title is more than three to one.

Nails are the dense trade here. The metro employs 2,680 manicurists and pedicurists, 40 percent above the national concentration, at a median of $35,920. The spread is narrow, $27,530 at the bottom tenth to $47,590 at the top, and that is the tradeoff: steadier than hair, with a lower ceiling. Nail technician pay has the national comparison.

Skin runs the other way. The metro's 730 skincare specialists post a median of $36,610 against $44,430 across Minnesota, and the local concentration sits at 0.80, below the national rate. The ceiling is still there, $81,170 at the top tenth, but the middle of the trade pays less here than it does elsewhere in the state.

One caveat on all of it. BLS surveys employers, so booth renters and chair renters are outside these numbers entirely, and in this trade that is a lot of people. Read every median on this page as what an employed stylist takes home rather than what the whole trade earns.

Figures in this section: BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.

What Cosmetology Careers Pay in Minneapolis

Median annual pay in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area, from the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. A cosmetologist here earns a median of $46,310 against $39,170 across Minnesota, with 3,920 employed in the metro. Booth renters and salon owners are self-employed and outside the survey, so these figures describe stylists on a payroll.

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 Minneapolis

Answers draw on Minnesota Board of Cosmetologist Examiners, the College Scorecard and the May 2025 BLS wage release.