Las Vegas, NV
Cosmetology Schools in Las Vegas, NV, Ranked (2026)
Las Vegas skyline. Photo by Robert Conforti, licensed under CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Published
Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology
Cosmetology schools in Las Vegas are unusual in one good way: all seven ranked schools are inside the city. You aren't driving to another county to find a school with a completion figure attached. The Nevada State Board of Cosmetology licenses 14 schools here, and four of them are the same schools that report federal data, so the two lists genuinely overlap.
The requirement itself doesn't move. Nevada asks for 1,600 hours, and the board that licenses your school also licenses you, so there's no second agency in the chain. What changes between schools is price, which runs from $10,684 to $24,150 across the seven, and how many students finish, which runs from 58% to 93%.
Figures in this section: Nevada State Board of Cosmetology; BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
The 7 Cosmetology Schools in and Near Las Vegas, Ranked on Completion
7 cosmetology programs report to the US Department of Education from inside Las Vegas or within 30 miles of downtown. Every one 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.
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 Nevada page links the board's own lookup.
| # | School | Miles | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medspa Academies-National Institute of Modern Aesthetics | 9 | 93% |
| 2 | Paul Mitchell the School-Las Vegas | 11 | 93% |
| 3 | Academy of Hair Design-Las Vegas | 4 | 85% |
| 4 | Avalon Institute-Las Vegas | 4 | 84% |
| 5 | Casal Institute of Nevada | 5 | 70% |
| 6 | L Makeup Institute | 8 | 61% |
| 7 | Milan Institute-Las Vegas | 2 | 58% |
-
#1
Medspa Academies-National Institute of Modern Aesthetics
Las Vegas, NV
93%
Share of students who finish
- 93% finish
- 128 graduates a year
- $17,500 program cost
What the record shows
Medspa Academies-National Institute of Modern Aesthetics runs its esthetics program in Las Vegas and reports to the US Department of Education. 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. 93 percent of its students finish, out of 215 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $17,500 for the full program. 214 graduates borrowed, at a median of $8,443 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $90 a month. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 93 percent, 9 points over the 84 percent median, is a good sign. $17,500 is within 1 percent of the $17,650 median for a course shorter than cosmetology, which is dear for esthetics and worth asking about. 128 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Look this school up on the Nevada State Board of Cosmetology register by its legal name before you pay, because that entry and not this one is what makes your hours count.
Where it leads
For skincare specialists around Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, the range runs $29,220 to $62,530 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $38,700. The ninetieth percentile at $62,530 is 1.6 times the median, so the upside is real but bounded, and the floor sits 24 percent under the median, so the first year is lean but not the cliff it is in some states. This is a dense market by national standards, 2.4 times the usual concentration around Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas.
-
#2
Paul Mitchell the School-Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV · Licensed school
93%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- Instructor training
- $21,005 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Las Vegas, Paul Mitchell the School-Las Vegas is on the Nevada State Board of Cosmetology register. Its license covers cosmetology, esthetics and instructor training. Las Vegas has 14 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. The school graduates 93 percent, on a fall headcount of 204. Tuition is reported at $21,005 for the full program. The median graduate left with $11,367 in federal loans, across 225 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $121 a month. Paying 19 percent over the $17,650 median buys 9 points of completion over the 84 percent median, and whether that is worth it depends on how sure you are of finishing anywhere. 138 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. The license from the Nevada State Board of Cosmetology is the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas earn under $30,530, with the tenth percentile at $26,160 and the ninetieth at $69,250. Against the state as a whole, the metro sits roughly 10 percent under on median pay. 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. Around Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, esthetics pays a $38,700 median, about 27 percent above cosmetology. This is a comparatively thin market: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas runs at roughly 0.6 times the national concentration, about 1,420 people in the occupation.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Nevada State Board of Cosmetology, read 2026-08-31.
-
#3
Academy of Hair Design-Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV · Licensed school
85%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- Instructor training
- Nail technology
- $24,150 program cost
What the record shows
Academy of Hair Design-Las Vegas is licensed by the Nevada State Board of Cosmetology and trains in Las Vegas. Its license covers cosmetology, esthetics, instructor training and nail technology. Las Vegas has 14 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. 85 percent of its students finish, out of 183 enrolled in the fall count. Tuition is reported at $24,150 for the full program. 168 graduates borrowed, at a median of $8,050 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $85 a month. It charges 37 percent over the $17,650 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. 182 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. Check its license with the Nevada State Board of Cosmetology before enrolling, because that record and not this card is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Half of cosmetologists around Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas earn under $30,530, with the tenth percentile at $26,160 and the ninetieth at $69,250. Against the state as a whole, the metro sits roughly 10 percent under on median pay. 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. Nail technology and cosmetology do not pay alike around Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas: nail technology carries a $40,010 median, roughly 31 percent above cosmetology. Local demand is below the national norm, 0.6 times the usual concentration around Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, which is worth knowing before committing the hours.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Nevada State Board of Cosmetology, read 2026-08-31.
-
#4
Avalon Institute-Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV · Licensed school
84%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- Instructor training
- $17,650 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Las Vegas, Avalon Institute-Las Vegas is on the Nevada State Board of Cosmetology register. Its license covers cosmetology, esthetics and instructor training. Las Vegas has 14 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. The school graduates 84 percent, on a fall headcount of 304. Tuition is reported at $17,650 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $7,426 in federal loans, measured over 860 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $79 a month. It is close to the median school on this page on completion, price and borrowing, 84 percent, exactly the median and $17,650, exactly the median, 42 percent of the price borrowed against 42 for the page, which is neither a warning nor a recommendation: the choice comes down to the visit and the board file. 315 credentials in the year from a fall count of 304: 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 Nevada State Board of Cosmetology before any deposit changes hands, since that record and not this one governs your hours.
Where it leads
For cosmetologists around Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, the range runs $26,160 to $69,250 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $30,530. Against the state as a whole, the metro sits roughly 10 percent under on median pay. 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. Around Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, the gap between esthetics and cosmetology is real: a $38,700 median against one 21 percent lower. This is a comparatively thin market: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas runs at roughly 0.6 times the national concentration, about 1,420 people in the occupation.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Nevada State Board of Cosmetology, read 2026-08-31.
-
#5
Casal Institute of Nevada
Las Vegas, NV
70%
Share of students who finish
- 309 graduates a year
- $10,684 program cost
What the record shows
Based in Las Vegas, Casal Institute of Nevada is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 70 percent of the 271 students it enrolls finish. The published cost is $10,684 for the full program. Graduates who borrowed took on $6,333 in federal loans at the median, 309 of them. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. Cheap, but 14 points fewer of its students finish than the 84 percent median, and in a clock-hour trade an unfinished course is the expensive outcome: you have paid for hours that never become a license. It awarded 309 credentials over the year against a fall headcount of 271, which is what a clock-hour course that turns over more than one cohort a year looks like. Licensing is the business of the Nevada State Board of Cosmetology rather than the federal file's, so its register is where to confirm this school by its legal name first.
Where it leads
Pay for cosmetologists around Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas runs from $26,160 at the tenth percentile to $69,250 at the ninetieth, with a median of $30,530. The metro median runs about 10 percent below the Nevada figure. 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. This is a comparatively thin market: Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas runs at roughly 0.6 times the national concentration, about 1,420 people in the occupation.
-
#6
L Makeup Institute
Las Vegas, NV
61%
Share of students who finish
- 61% finish
- 60 graduates a year
- $24,050 program cost
What the record shows
L Makeup Institute runs its esthetics program in Las Vegas and reports to the US Department of Education. 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 school graduates 61 percent, on a fall headcount of 73. Tuition is reported at $24,050 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $3,880 in federal loans, measured over 81 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $41 a month. That is a small share of the $24,050 price, so most of it is being met some other way. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 61 percent, 23 points under the 84 percent median, is the first thing to ask about. $24,050 is more than the full cosmetology courses on this page charge, for a shorter course, which needs a reason. It awarded 60 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Look this school up on the Nevada State Board of Cosmetology register by its legal name before you pay, because that entry and not this one is what makes your hours count.
Where it leads
Half of skincare specialists around Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas earn under $38,700, with the tenth percentile at $29,220 and the ninetieth at $62,530. Neither end of this market is extreme: the top tenth earns about 1.6 times the median and the floor sits 24 percent under it, which makes the first year a budget question rather than a survival one. The trade is unusually concentrated around Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, about 2.4 times the national rate, so there are more chairs to compete for and more to be hired into.
-
#7
Milan Institute-Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV · Licensed school
58%
Share of students who finish
- Cosmetology
- Esthetics
- Instructor training
- Nail technology
- $16,381 program cost
What the record shows
Milan Institute-Las Vegas is licensed by the Nevada State Board of Cosmetology and trains in Las Vegas. Its license covers cosmetology, esthetics, instructor training and nail technology. Las Vegas has 14 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. Across all 331 students at the school, 58 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. Most of the students behind that 58 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 $16,381. Graduates who borrowed took on $6,333 in federal loans at the median, 776 of them. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. 87 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Check its license with the Nevada State Board of Cosmetology before enrolling, because that record and not this card is what makes your clock hours count.
Where it leads
Around Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, the median cosmetologist earns $30,530, the bottom tenth $26,160 and the top tenth $69,250. The metro median runs about 10 percent below the Nevada figure. 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. Around Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, the gap between nail technology and cosmetology is real: a $40,010 median against one 24 percent lower. Local demand is below the national norm, 0.6 times the usual concentration around Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, which is worth knowing before committing the hours.
Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Nevada State Board of Cosmetology, read 2026-08-31.
Other Licensed Cosmetology Schools in Las Vegas
Nevada State Board of Cosmetology lists 14 currently licensed schools in Las Vegas. These 10 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 |
|---|---|
| Amo School | Licensed school |
| Aveda Institute | Licensed school |
| Beyond Beauty Institute | Licensed school |
| Dermodality Institute of Modern Esthetics | Licensed school |
| Euphoria | Licensed school |
| Expertise - New Path | Licensed school |
| Expertise School of Beauty | Licensed school |
| Nima | Licensed school |
| Prestige Nail School | Licensed school |
| Southeast Career Technical Academy | Licensed school |
The 1,600 Hours Nevada Wants From a Las Vegas Cosmetology Student
Nevada sets the bar at 1,600 hours of training in a board-approved school, and the Nevada State Board of Cosmetology handles both ends of it: the school's license and yours. That's simpler than the split-agency setup other places run, and it means one roster to check before you sign anything. Nevada also lays out an apprentice route that totals 3,830 hours.
Nevada writes its curriculum as percentage bands rather than fixed hours per subject. Theory has to be at least 10 percent and no more than 13 percent of your total training, infection control at least 3 percent, and Nevada law at least 2 percent. You can also earn up to 5 percent of your hours on board-approved field trips.
Distance education exists in Nevada law, but the cap is 10 percent of theory hours, not 10 percent of the program, and theory is only a tenth to an eighth of your training to begin with. The online share is a slice of a slice. Which states allow online hours shows how much further other states go.
Two oddities in the Nevada rules are worth knowing. There's a shampoo technologist license that takes 50 hours, and the board may deliver those hours online itself. And the board's published school list includes a program running inside the Florence McClure Women's Correctional Center.
Figures in this section: Nevada State Board of Cosmetology; BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
What the Seven Ranked Las Vegas Beauty Schools Show
Two schools sit at the top with almost identical completion figures. Medspa Academies-National Institute of Modern Aesthetics finished 93% of 215 students at $17,500, and Paul Mitchell the School-Las Vegas finished 93% of 204 at $21,005. The difference between them is money: median debt of $8,443 against $11,367, and five-year earnings of $31,790 against $23,124.
Academy of Hair Design-Las Vegas is third at 85% across 183 students, and it's the most expensive of the seven at $24,150. Avalon Institute-Las Vegas is a point behind at 84%, with 304 students, $17,650 for the program and $29,008 five years out, the second-strongest earnings figure on the list.
At the other end, Milan Institute-Las Vegas finishes 58% of 331 students and Casal Institute of Nevada finishes 70%, though Casal is the cheapest here at $10,684. Cheap and unfinished is the worst outcome in this trade, so the completion figure deserves more of your attention than the sticker price does.
That order is the federal completion figure rather than the board's opinion. Nevada publishes one of the better school rosters, with license status and the programs each school offers, but it doesn't rank anything. The methodology shows how the ordering works, and the Nevada page puts these seven against the rest of the state.
Figures in this section: Nevada State Board of Cosmetology; BLS OEWS, May 2025; College Scorecard, June 2026.
Why Skin and Nails Pay Better Than Hair in Las Vegas
The Las Vegas figure that surprises people is the hairdresser median: $30,530, which is below Nevada's own $33,840. The metro employs 1,420 hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists at a location quotient of 0.63, meaning the trade is thinner here than the national average rather than thicker.
Skin work runs the other way. Skincare specialists in the metro carry a location quotient of 2.44, nearly two and a half times the national concentration, and 1,300 of Nevada's 1,540 work in this metro. The median is $38,700, about $8,200 above the hairdresser median. Esthetician training is a separate course and a separate license.
Nails pay well here too. Metro manicurists and pedicurists report a median of $40,010 and a top tenth of $78,260, higher at both ends than hairdressers, whose top tenth is $69,250. Nail technician pay is worth comparing before you commit to 1,600 hours of cosmetology.
The usual caution bites harder here than most places. BLS surveys employers, and a large share of this workforce rents a chair or a room instead, so these medians describe employed work rather than everyone doing the job. Makeup is a separate occupation with its own small sample, and the makeup artist page covers it.
Figures in this section: Nevada State Board of Cosmetology; BLS OEWS, May 2025.
What Cosmetology Careers Pay in Las Vegas
Median annual pay in the Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV metro area, from the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. A cosmetologist here earns a median of $30,530 against $33,840 across Nevada, with 1,420 employed in the metro. Booth renters and salon owners are self-employed and outside the survey, so these figures describe stylists on a payroll.
- Nail technicians $40,010 $40,010
- Estheticians $38,700 $38,700
- Cosmetologists $30,530 $30,530
| Occupation | Metro median | Nevada median |
|---|---|---|
| Nail technicians | $40,010 | $41,880 |
| Estheticians | $38,700 | $38,660 |
| Cosmetologists | $30,530 | $33,840 |
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 Las Vegas
Answers draw on Nevada State Board of Cosmetology, the College Scorecard and the May 2025 BLS wage release.
How many hours do you need for a cosmetology license in Las Vegas?
Which Las Vegas cosmetology school has the best completion rate?
How much does beauty school cost in Las Vegas?
Can any Las Vegas cosmetology hours be taken online?
Is esthetics a better bet than cosmetology in Las Vegas?
How many cosmetology schools does Nevada license in Las Vegas?
Sources
- Nevada State Board of Cosmetology, school license records, read 2026-08-31. Hour requirement for a cosmetologist license: 1,600 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 Las Vegas. 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 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV area.