Best cosmetology programs in New Jersey 2026

• #1

  Union County Vocational Technical School

  Scotch Plains, NJ

  99%

  Share of students who finish

  • Public institution
  • 16 graduates a year
  • $5,500 program cost

  What the record shows

  Based in Scotch Plains, Union County Vocational Technical School is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. Across all 88 students at the center, 99 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. That completion rate is 25 points above the 74 percent median, but it is every program on campus, so treat it as a fact about the center and not about the cosmetology floor. Tuition is reported at $5,500. That price is 69 percent under the $17,520 median, which is what public pricing looks like and the reason it is a fraction of the academies here. The school conferred 16 credentials in the year reported. Its hours count only under a current entry with the state board, so search that register by the school's legal name before any deposit.

  Where it leads

  undefined

  Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

• #2

  Total Image Beauty Academy

  Union City, NJ · Cosmetology Private School

  99%

  Share of students who finish

  • $15,732 program cost

  What the record shows

  Total Image Beauty Academy operates in Union City under license from the state board. The board lists no other licensed school in Union City. Of 204 enrolled in the fall count, 99 percent finish. The published cost is $15,732 for the full program. 163 graduates borrowed, at a median of $8,500 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $90 a month. 25 points more of its students finish than the 74 percent median, priced within 11 percent of the $17,520 median, so you pay the going rate for better than average odds of getting through. 351 credentials in the year from a fall count of 204: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. 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

  For cosmetologists around New York-Newark-Jersey City, the range runs $33,480 to $91,780 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $36,120. 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. Concentration around New York-Newark-Jersey City runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.5 times, or 27,660 people in the occupation.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety), read 2026-08-31.

• #3

  Rizzieri Aveda School for Beauty and Wellness

  Voorhees, NJ · Cosmetology Private School

  94%

  Share of students who finish

  • $18,550 program cost

  What the record shows

  Based in Marlton, Rizzieri Aveda School for Beauty and Wellness is on the state board register. 94 percent of its students finish, out of 346 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $18,550 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $5,500 in federal loans, measured over 287 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $58 a month. $18,550 is within 6 percent of the $17,520 median, and the completion is not ordinary: 94 percent against 74. That is the better half of the trade. 296 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. The license from the state board is the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.

  Where it leads

  Around Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, the median cosmetologist earns $37,320, the bottom tenth $28,600 and the top tenth $64,530. The trade is unusually concentrated around Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, about 1.8 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; New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety), read 2026-08-31.

• #4

  Innovate Salon Academy

  South Plainfield, NJ · Cosmetology Private School

  94%

  Share of students who finish

  • $12,726 program cost

  What the record shows

  Innovate Salon Academy operates in Brick under license from the state board. 94 percent of students see the course through, out of 288 enrolled. Tuition is reported at $12,726 for the full program. Borrowing is pooled across Innovate Salon campuses in the federal file, 251 borrowers 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, 94 percent against 74, and the price is 27 percent under the $17,520 median: the two numbers point the same way. It awarded 194 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Confirm the school's current license with the state board first: that entry is what qualifies your hours, whatever the federal figures say.

  Where it leads

  For cosmetologists around New York-Newark-Jersey City, the range runs $33,480 to $91,780 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $36,120. The floor is almost the median here, so the whole spread is above it, and it belongs to people with a book. New York-Newark-Jersey City 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; New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety), read 2026-08-31.

• #5

  Parisian Beauty School

  Hackensack, NJ · Cosmetology Private School

  88%

  Share of students who finish

  • Renews 2013-06
  • $19,960 program cost

  What the record shows

  Parisian Beauty School operates in Hackensack under license from the state board. The board lists no other licensed school in Hackensack. Of the 441 students in its fall count, 88 percent complete the course they started. It charges $19,960 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. 483 graduates borrowed, at a median of $7,667 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $81 a month. Paying 14 percent over the $17,520 median buys 14 points of completion over the 74 percent median, and whether that is worth it depends on how sure you are of finishing anywhere. 330 students completed a credential here 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. License 32XX00000300 is the board's entry for it, and that is the record to confirm is still current before a deposit.

  Where it leads

  Half of cosmetologists around New York-Newark-Jersey City earn under $36,120, with the tenth percentile at $33,480 and the ninetieth at $91,780. The floor is almost the median here, so the whole spread is above it, and it belongs to people with a book. Concentration around New York-Newark-Jersey City runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.5 times, or 27,660 people in the occupation.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety), read 2026-08-31.

• #6

  P B Cosmetology Education Center

  Gloucester, NJ

  86%

  Share of students who finish

  • 86% finish
  • 106 graduates a year
  • $19,200 program cost

  What the record shows

  P B Cosmetology Education Center runs its cosmetology program in Gloucester and reports to the US Department of Education. Of the 120 students in its fall count, 86 percent complete the course they started. Tuition is reported at $19,200 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $7,667 in federal loans, measured over 142 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $81 a month. $19,200 is within 10 percent of the $17,520 median, and the completion is not ordinary: 86 percent against 74. That is the better half of the trade. It awarded 106 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Its hours count only under a current entry with the state board, so search that register by the school's legal name before any deposit.

  Where it leads

  undefined The ninetieth percentile at $64,530 is 1.7 times the median, so the upside is real but bounded, and the floor sits 23 percent under the median, so the first year is lean but not the cliff it is in some states. The trade is unusually concentrated around Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, about 1.8 times the national rate, so there are more chairs to compete for and more to be hired into.

  Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

• #7

  Burlington County Institute of Technology-Adult Education

  Westampton, NJ

  84%

  Share of students who finish

  • Public institution
  • 16 graduates a year
  • $5,574 program cost

  What the record shows

  Burlington County Institute of Technology-Adult Education teaches cosmetology in Westampton, with its results published federally. Across all 96 students at the school, 84 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. A school that holds onto 84 percent of its students generally tends to hold onto them on the cosmetology floor too, though that floor's own figure is the one to ask for. The published tuition is $5,574. That price is 68 percent under the $17,520 median, which is what public pricing looks like and the reason it is a fraction of the academies here. The school conferred 16 credentials in the year reported. Licensing is the business of the state board rather than the federal file's, so its register is where to confirm this school by its legal name first.

  Where it leads

  Around Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, the median cosmetologist earns $37,320, the bottom tenth $28,600 and the top tenth $64,530. A 2.3-to-one spread from bottom to top is ordinary for the trade, and here as everywhere the top belongs to a client book. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington carries roughly 1.8 times the national concentration of this work, among the denser markets in the country.

  Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

• #8

  Artistic Academy of Hair Design

  Morris Plains, NJ · Cosmetology Private School

  83%

  Share of students who finish

  • $21,600 program cost

  What the record shows

  Based in Morris Plains, Artistic Academy of Hair Design is on the state board register. It is the only licensed school the board lists in Morris Plains. 83 percent of its students finish, out of 88 enrolled in the fall count. Tuition is reported at $21,600 for the full program. The median graduate left with $5,500 in federal loans, across 138 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $58 a month. Paying 23 percent over the $17,520 median buys 9 points of completion over the 74 percent median, and whether that is worth it depends on how sure you are of finishing anywhere. It awarded 120 credentials over the year against a fall headcount of 88, which is what a clock-hour course that turns over more than one cohort a year looks like. Confirm the school's current license with the state board first: that entry is what qualifies your hours, whatever the federal figures say.

  Where it leads

  undefined New York-Newark-Jersey City 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; New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety), read 2026-08-31.

• #9

  Innovate Salon Academy

  Ewing, NJ · Cosmetology Private School

  82%

  Share of students who finish

  • $12,726 program cost

  What the record shows

  Innovate Salon Academy is licensed by the state board and trains in Ewing. 82 percent of students see the course through, out of 174 enrolled. The published cost is $12,726 for the full program. The federal file reports borrowing for Innovate Salon campuses together rather than for this one: a median of $6,333 in federal loans across 251 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $67 a month. More finish here than at the typical school on this page, 82 percent against 74, and the price is 27 percent under the $17,520 median: the two numbers point the same way. 133 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. 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

  Around Trenton-Princeton, the median cosmetologist earns $39,990, the bottom tenth $32,220 and the top tenth $101,350. undefined The metro median is about 11 percent above the New Jersey figure.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety), read 2026-08-31.

• #10

  Christine Valmy International School of Esthetics & Cosmetology

  Wayne, NJ · Cosmetology Private School

  80%

  Share of students who finish

  • $16,425 program cost

  What the record shows

  Christine Valmy International School of Esthetics & Cosmetology operates in Wayne under license from the state board. The board lists no other licensed school in Wayne. 80 percent of its students finish, out of 353 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $16,425 for the full program. The median graduate left with $4,912 in federal loans, across 141 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $52 a month. $16,425 is within 7 percent of the $17,520 median, and the completion is not ordinary: 80 percent against 74. That is the better half of the trade. 301 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. Confirm the school's current license with the state board first: that entry is what qualifies your hours, whatever the federal figures say.

  Where it leads

  Pay for cosmetologists around New York-Newark-Jersey City runs from $33,480 at the tenth percentile to $91,780 at the ninetieth, with a median of $36,120. 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 work is somewhat more concentrated around New York-Newark-Jersey City than nationally, at roughly 1.5 times the usual rate.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety), read 2026-08-31.

• #11

  Cutting Edge Academy

  Succasunna, NJ · Cosmetology Private School

  80%

  Share of students who finish

  • $18,700 program cost

  What the record shows

  Cutting Edge Academy trains in Succasunna, licensed by the state board. The board lists no other licensed school in Succasunna. Of the 99 students in its fall count, 80 percent complete the course they started. The published cost is $18,700 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $7,463 in federal loans, measured over 60 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $79 a month. $18,700 is within 7 percent of the $17,520 median, and the completion is not ordinary: 80 percent against 74. That is the better half of the trade. It awarded 54 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

  undefined The floor is almost the median here, so the whole spread is above it, and it belongs to people with a book. New York-Newark-Jersey City 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; New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety), read 2026-08-31.

• #12

  Pro Beauty Academy

  Edison, NJ · Cosmetology Private School

  68%

  Share of students who finish

  • $17,700 program cost

  What the record shows

  Based in Edison, Pro Beauty Academy is on the state board register. It is the only licensed school the board lists in Edison. Of the 67 students in its fall count, 68 percent complete the course they started. The published cost is $17,700 for the full program. The price is close to the $17,520 median and the completion is not: 68 percent against 74. 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 157 credentials over the year against a fall headcount of 67, which is what a clock-hour course that turns over more than one cohort a year looks like. The license from the state board is the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.

  Where it leads

  Around New York-Newark-Jersey City, the median cosmetologist earns $36,120, the bottom tenth $33,480 and the top tenth $91,780. Entry pay and typical pay nearly meet, and everything past the median is a following: the upside is real and it is all earned above the middle. Concentration around New York-Newark-Jersey City runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.5 times, or 27,660 people in the occupation.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety), read 2026-08-31.

• #13

  Robert Fiance Beauty Schools-West New York

  West New York, NJ · Cosmetology Private School

  67%

  Share of students who finish

  • $19,500 program cost

  What the record shows

  Robert Fiance Beauty Schools-West New York trains in West New York, licensed by the state board. 67 percent of students see the course through, out of 271 enrolled. The published cost is $19,500 for the full program. 279 graduates borrowed, at a median of $7,000 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $74 a month. The price is close to the $17,520 median and the completion is not: 67 percent against 74. 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 246 beauty credentials 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. 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

  Pay for cosmetologists around New York-Newark-Jersey City runs from $33,480 at the tenth percentile to $91,780 at the ninetieth, with a median of $36,120. 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. New York-Newark-Jersey City 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; New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety), read 2026-08-31.

• #14

  Robert Fiance Beauty Schools-North Plainfield

  North Plainfield, NJ · Cosmetology Private School

  67%

  Share of students who finish

  • $19,500 program cost

  What the record shows

  Robert Fiance Beauty Schools-North Plainfield is licensed by the state board and trains in North Plainfield. It is the only licensed school the board lists in North Plainfield. The school graduates 67 percent, on a fall headcount of 190. The published cost is $19,500 for the full program. 94 graduates borrowed, at a median of $7,163 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $76 a month. The price is close to the $17,520 median and the completion is not: 67 percent against 74. 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 159 beauty credentials in the reporting year. The license from the state board is the thing to verify before you pay, since that is what decides whether these hours count toward your exam.

  Where it leads

  Around New York-Newark-Jersey City, the median cosmetologist earns $36,120, the bottom tenth $33,480 and the top tenth $91,780.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety), read 2026-08-31.

• #15

  Ocean County Vocational-Technical School

  Toms River, NJ

  65%

  Share of students who finish

  • Public institution
  • 61 graduates a year
  • $11,110 program cost

  What the record shows

  Based in Toms River, Ocean County Vocational-Technical School is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 65 percent of students across the center finish, out of 497 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 65 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. The published tuition is $11,110. That price is 37 percent under the $17,520 median, which is what public pricing looks like. Its 61 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a center of 497. Look this school up on the state board register by its legal name before you pay, because that entry and not this one is what makes your hours count.

  Where it leads

  Pay for cosmetologists around New York-Newark-Jersey City runs from $33,480 at the tenth percentile to $91,780 at the ninetieth, with a median of $36,120. 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. Concentration around New York-Newark-Jersey City runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.5 times, or 27,660 people in the occupation.

  Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

• #16

  Shore Beauty School

  Egg Harbor Township, NJ · Cosmetology Private School

  65%

  Share of students who finish

  • $21,225 program cost

  What the record shows

  Shore Beauty School is licensed by the state board and trains in Pleasantville. 65 percent of its students finish, out of 188 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $21,225 for the full program. 128 graduates borrowed, at a median of $7,667 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $81 a month. 9 points fewer finish than the 74 percent median and it costs 21 percent over the $17,520 median, so before enrolling ask what happens to the students who do not get through. 147 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. The license from the state board 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 metro median is about 17 percent above the New Jersey figure. The ninetieth percentile at $81,010 is 1.9 times the median, so the upside is real but bounded, and the floor sits 20 percent under the median, so the first year is lean but not the cliff it is in some states.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety), read 2026-08-31.

• #17

  Empire Beauty School-Cherry Hill

  Cherry Hill, NJ · Cosmetology Private School

  57%

  Share of students who finish

  • $17,520 program cost

  What the record shows

  Based in Cherry Hill, Empire Beauty School-Cherry Hill is on the state board register. 57 percent of its students finish, out of 139 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $17,520 for the full program. The price is close to the $17,520 median and the completion is not: 57 percent against 74. In a clock-hour course that is the wrong half of the trade, and the reason to ask hard questions before a deposit. 43 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Confirm the school's current license with the state board first: that entry is what qualifies your hours, whatever the federal figures say.

  Where it leads

  Half of cosmetologists around Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington earn under $37,320, with the tenth percentile at $28,600 and the ninetieth at $64,530. The upside is capped near 1.7 times the median and the floor is 23 percent under it, a market where the first year is tight rather than dangerous and the ceiling is earned slowly. The trade is unusually concentrated around Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, about 1.8 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; New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety), read 2026-08-31.

• #18

  Lincoln Technical Institute-Iselin

  Iselin, NJ

  54%

  Share of students who finish

  • $33,554 program cost

  What the record shows

  Based in Iselin, Lincoln Technical Institute-Iselin is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. Across all 638 students at the school, 54 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. That 54 percent is low for this page, but it is the school's rate and the cosmetology program is a small part of it; the cosmetology department's own completions are the check. The published tuition is $33,554. That price is 92 percent over the $17,520 median, and nothing on this record explains the premium. 552 graduates borrowed, at a median of $9,000 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $95 a month. The state board 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

  For cosmetologists around New York-Newark-Jersey City, the range runs $33,480 to $91,780 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $36,120. Entry pay and typical pay nearly meet, and everything past the median is a following: the upside is real and it is all earned above the middle. Concentration around New York-Newark-Jersey City runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.5 times, or 27,660 people in the occupation.

  Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

• #19

  Mcvsd

  Freehold, NJ

  53%

  Share of students who finish

  • Public institution
  • 40 graduates a year
  • $12,500 program cost

  What the record shows

  Mcvsd runs its cosmetology program in Freehold and reports to the US Department of Education. 53 percent of students across the school finish, out of 67 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 53 percent are in other programs, so ask the cosmetology department for its own figure rather than reading this one as the program's. The published tuition is $12,500. That price is 29 percent under the $17,520 median, which is what public pricing looks like. 40 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Look this school up on the state board register by its legal name before you pay, because that entry and not this one is what makes your hours count.

  Where it leads

  undefined The floor is almost the median here, so the whole spread is above it, and it belongs to people with a book.

  Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

• #20

  Empire Beauty School-Union

  Union, NJ · Cosmetology Private School

  44%

  Share of students who finish

  • $16,320 program cost

  What the record shows

  Based in Paramus, Empire Beauty School-Union is on the state board register. 44 percent of its students finish, out of 103 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $16,320 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. Only 44 in a hundred finish here, 30 points under the 74 percent median. Treat that as the headline, not a footnote, and hold the $16,320 price against it. 43 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. 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

  Pay for cosmetologists around New York-Newark-Jersey City runs from $33,480 at the tenth percentile to $91,780 at the ninetieth, with a median of $36,120. The floor is almost the median here, so the whole spread is above it, and it belongs to people with a book. New York-Newark-Jersey City 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; New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety), read 2026-08-31.

• #21

  Empire Beauty School-Bloomfield

  Bloomfield, NJ · Cosmetology Private School

  37%

  Share of students who finish

  • $16,320 program cost

  What the record shows

  Empire Beauty School-Bloomfield operates in Bloomfield under license from the state board. 37 percent of its students finish, out of 164 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $16,320 for the full program. Borrowing is pooled across Empire Beauty campuses in the federal file, 746 borrowers at a median of $13,000 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $138 a month. Only 37 in a hundred finish here, 37 points under the 74 percent median. Treat that as the headline, not a footnote, and hold the $16,320 price against it. It awarded 41 beauty credentials in the reporting year. From 164 enrolled that is slow throughput for a clock-hour course, and it belongs beside the completion figure above. Confirm the school's current license with the state board first: that entry is what qualifies your hours, whatever the federal figures say.

  Where it leads

  Around New York-Newark-Jersey City, the median cosmetologist earns $36,120, the bottom tenth $33,480 and the top tenth $91,780. New York-Newark-Jersey City 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; New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety), read 2026-08-31.

• #22

  Raritan Valley Community College

  Branchburg, NJ

  31%

  Share of students who finish

  • Public institution

  What the record shows

  Raritan Valley Community College teaches cosmetology in Branchburg, with its results published federally. 31 percent of students across the college finish, out of 5,416 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Most of the students behind that 31 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. The state board 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

  Around New York-Newark-Jersey City, the median cosmetologist earns $36,120, the bottom tenth $33,480 and the top tenth $91,780. The floor is almost the median here, so the whole spread is above it, and it belongs to people with a book. New York-Newark-Jersey City employs the trade at about 1.5 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.

  Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

Which other cosmetology schools in New Jersey are state licensed?

These New Jersey cosmetology schools hold a current license from New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety) 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 New Jersey exam exactly as the ranked schools' hours do. They are listed by city rather than ordered, since nothing published about them supports an ordering.

Showing 25 of the 63 remaining licensed schools, ordered by city. The full file is with New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety) .

How do you become a cosmetologist in New Jersey in 2026?

To become a cosmetologist in New Jersey you need 1,200 clock hours at a school licensed by New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety), then a passing score on the state exam. At the pace most clock-hour schools run, that is roughly 9.2 months full time. 7 states set a lower requirement and the rest set a higher one, in a national range topping out at 2,000 hours.

None of those hours count unless New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety) licensed the school at the time you sat them.

How much do cosmetologists make in New Jersey in 2026?

Cosmetologists in New Jersey earn a median of $36,150 , with the bottom tenth on $32,220 and the top tenth on $92,090 . The related licenses pay differently again, which matters because you pick the license before you start the hours.

What is different about cosmetology licensing in New Jersey?

New Jersey is the only one of these five with no percentage ceiling on distance learning: P.L.2023, c.301 draws the line by subject matter, any theory course may be fully remote, anything using practical demonstration must be in person, where Nevada caps at 10% of theory and New Hampshire, New Mexico and North Dakota all cap at 25%. It is also the only state here that formally splits school licensure into two license types, 'Cosmetology Private School' and 'Cosmetology Vocational School,' recognizing public vocational-technical programs alongside private schools, and it licenses 'Annex Classroom' as a distinct credential (N.J.A.C. 13:28-6.38). Read New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety)'s own rules .

Where do cosmetologists make the most money in New Jersey?

Cosmetologists make the most money in New Jersey around Atlantic City-Hammonton, where the median is $42,350, and the least around New York-Newark-Jersey City at $36,120. At 17 percent, the spread across New Jersey is narrow, and location will not decide your income the way it does in some states.

The statewide median sits at $36,150, so the metros above it are carrying the average up.

Where are the cosmetology schools in New Jersey?

The licensed cosmetology schools in New Jersey cluster hardest in Bloomfield, which holds 4 of the 85 the board currently lists. That is only 5 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.

Is it better to be a cosmetologist, esthetician or nail tech in New Jersey?

In New Jersey, salon managers are the best paid of the beauty licenses at a $54,330 median. That is above the $36,150 cosmetologist median, so the longer general license is not automatically the better-paid route here.

Picking between them is a trade between scope and speed: the broader license opens more chairs, the narrower one opens sooner.

Can you use a cosmetology license from another state in New Jersey?

Using a cosmetology license from another state in New Jersey means satisfying New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety), which decides case by case, and the number it weighs is hours. Against the other Northeast states, New Jersey is its 1,200 hour requirement is about the regional norm, and it pays about 8 percent below the regional average.

Reciprocity is decided case by case, and the state you trained in is only the starting point for that conversation.

Which New Jersey cosmetology schools have lapsed or lost their license?

1 New Jersey cosmetology school appears in New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety)'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.

What does this New Jersey cosmetology program ranking not tell you?

This New Jersey 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 New Jersey State Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling (Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Law and Public Safety) for the license itself.

Common questions about cosmetology programs in New Jersey