Best cosmetology programs in Tennessee 2026

• #1

  Vibe Barber College

  Memphis, TN · Licensed school

  89%

  Share of students who finish

  • $17,800 program cost

  What the record shows

  Vibe Barber College operates in Memphis under license from the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. 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. With 18 licensed schools in Memphis, this one is competing for students rather than the only option. 89 percent of students see the course through, out of 71 enrolled. Tuition is reported at $17,800 for the full program. Completion is the one figure that compares across trades, and 89 percent, 10 points over the 79 percent median, is a good sign. $17,800 is 36 percent over the $13,075 median for a similar hour count, which needs a reason. It awarded 21 beauty credentials in the reporting year. From 71 enrolled that is slow throughput for a clock-hour course, and it belongs beside the completion figure above. License 553 is the board's entry for it, and that is the record to confirm is still current before a deposit.

  Where it leads

  Around Memphis, the median cosmetologist earns $30,980, the bottom tenth $25,370 and the top tenth $48,120. Cosmetologists are the nearest series BLS carries to barbers here. Memphis employs cosmetologists at close to the national rate, around 1,000 people.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division), read 2026-08-31.

• #2

  TC Beauty

  Johnson City, TN

  88%

  Share of students who finish

  • 88% finish
  • 106 graduates a year
  • $17,350 program cost

  What the record shows

  TC Beauty teaches cosmetology in Johnson City, with its results published federally. Of the 100 students in its fall count, 88 percent complete the course they started. It charges $17,350 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. The median graduate left with $7,917 in federal loans, across 91 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $84 a month. Paying 33 percent over the $13,075 median buys 9 points of completion over the 79 percent median, and whether that is worth it depends on how sure you are of finishing anywhere. 106 credentials in the year from a fall count of 100: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. Licensing is the business of the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners rather than the federal file's, so its register is where to confirm this school by its legal name first.

  Where it leads

  Around Johnson City, the median cosmetologist earns $28,980, the bottom tenth $22,850 and the top tenth $44,200. The local occupation is small in absolute terms, which tends to mean hiring runs through personal contacts. Johnson City employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 180 people.

  Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

• #3

  Franklin Hair Academy School of Cosmetology

  Franklin, TN · Licensed school

  86%

  Share of students who finish

  • $13,075 program cost

  What the record shows

  Based in Franklin, Franklin Hair Academy School of Cosmetology is on the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners register. Franklin has 6 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. 86 percent of students see the course through, out of 116 enrolled. It charges $13,075 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. $13,075 is exactly at the $13,075 median, and the completion is not ordinary: 86 percent against 79. That is the better half of the trade. It awarded 29 beauty credentials in the reporting year. From 116 enrolled that is slow throughput for a clock-hour course, and it belongs beside the completion figure above. The board files it under license 585; that record, not this one, is what makes your hours count.

  Where it leads

  Around Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, the median cosmetologist earns $34,430, the bottom tenth $28,080 and the top tenth $62,430. The metro median is about 10 percent above the Tennessee figure. The ninetieth percentile at $62,430 is 1.8 times the median, so the upside is real but bounded, and the floor sits 18 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; Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division), read 2026-08-31.

• #4

  The Hair Academy LLC

  Fayetteville, TN · Licensed school

  85%

  Share of students who finish

  • $17,625 program cost

  What the record shows

  Based in Fayetteville, The Hair Academy LLC is on the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners register. The board lists no other licensed school in Fayetteville. The school graduates 85 percent, on a fall headcount of 82. Tuition is reported at $17,625 for the full program. The median graduate left with $7,330 in federal loans, across 32 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $78 a month. Paying 35 percent over the $13,075 median buys 6 points of completion over the 79 percent median, and whether that is worth it depends on how sure you are of finishing anywhere. It awarded 35 beauty credentials in the reporting year. License 546 is the board's entry for it, and that is the record to confirm is still current before a deposit.

  Where it leads

  Pay for cosmetologists in Tennessee runs from $25,700 at the tenth percentile to $58,000 at the ninetieth, with a median of $31,310. 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. On concentration, Tennessee is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division), read 2026-08-31.

• #5

  Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Jacksboro

  Jacksboro, TN

  84%

  Share of students who finish

  • Public institution
  • 21 graduates a year
  • $4,620 program cost

  What the record shows

  Based in Jacksboro, Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Jacksboro is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 84 percent of students across the college finish, out of 231 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. A college 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 $4,620. That price is 65 percent under the $13,075 median, which is what public pricing looks like and the reason it is a fraction of the academies here. 21 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Licensing is the business of the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners rather than the federal file's, so its register is where to confirm this school by its legal name first.

  Where it leads

  Half of cosmetologists around Knoxville earn under $30,650, with the tenth percentile at $23,960 and the ninetieth at $63,100. Top earners locally clear twice the median, so the ceiling is real, though it belongs to stylists with an established book rather than to new graduates. Local concentration around Knoxville sits near the national average.

  Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

• #6

  Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Upper Cumberland

  Crossville, TN

  84%

  Share of students who finish

  • Public institution
  • 22 graduates a year
  • $4,620 program cost

  What the record shows

  Based in Crossville, Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Upper Cumberland is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. Across all 360 students at the college, 84 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. At 84 percent the college as a whole keeps its students better than most schools on this page. It is a good sign about the institution; the cosmetology program's own completion is a separate number to ask the cosmetology department for. Tuition is reported at $4,620. That price is 65 percent under the $13,075 median, which is what public pricing looks like and the reason it is a fraction of the academies here. The school conferred 22 credentials in the year reported. Licensing is the business of the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners rather than the federal file's, so its register is where to confirm this school by its legal name first.

  Where it leads

  undefined

  Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

• #7

  Brillare Beauty Institute

  Cleveland, TN · Licensed school

  84%

  Share of students who finish

  • $10,500 program cost

  What the record shows

  Based in Cleveland, Brillare Beauty Institute is on the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners register. 84 percent of its students finish, out of 265 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $10,500 for the full program. The median graduate left with $7,917 in federal loans, across 75 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $84 a month. More finish here than at the typical school on this page, 84 percent against 79, and the price is 20 percent under the $13,075 median: the two numbers point the same way. 180 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. The school is a private nonprofit, a category covering only a handful of cosmetology providers nationally. License 1 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 Cleveland earn under $30,390, with the tenth percentile at $19,750 and the ninetieth at $62,610. That is a wide spread, and it is mostly the difference between building a client book and not. Local demand is below the national norm, 0.5 times the usual concentration around Cleveland, which is worth knowing before committing the hours.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division), read 2026-08-31.

• #8

  Gould's Academy

  Bartlett, TN · Licensed school

  84%

  Share of students who finish

  • $18,650 program cost

  What the record shows

  Gould's Academy trains in Bartlett, licensed by the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. Of 135 enrolled in the fall count, 84 percent finish. Tuition is reported at $18,650 for the full program. Borrowing here runs to a median of $7,677 in federal loans, measured over 353 graduates. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $81 a month. Paying 43 percent over the $13,075 median buys 5 points of completion over the 79 percent median, and whether that is worth it depends on how sure you are of finishing anywhere. 144 credentials in the year from a fall count of 135: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. Its board record is license 329, and that entry is the one that counts your hours.

  Where it leads

  Around Memphis, the median cosmetologist earns $30,980, the bottom tenth $25,370 and the top tenth $48,120.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division), read 2026-08-31.

• #9

  Tennessee School of Beauty of Knoxville Inc

  Knoxville, TN · Licensed school

  82%

  Share of students who finish

  • $16,995 program cost

  What the record shows

  Tennessee School of Beauty of Knoxville Inc is licensed by the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners and trains in Knoxville. 82 percent of students see the course through, out of 323 enrolled. Tuition is reported at $16,995 for the full program. It charges 30 percent over the $13,075 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. 250 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. That is roughly 9 percent of everything awarded by federally reporting beauty programs in the state, so it is one of the larger training operations here. Its board record is license 48, and that entry is the one that counts your hours.

  Where it leads

  For cosmetologists around Knoxville, the range runs $23,960 to $63,100 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $30,650. The spread above the median is wide enough that averages mislead here. What separates the top is a client list built over years. The occupation is about as common around Knoxville as it is nationally.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division), read 2026-08-31.

• #10

  Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Elizabethton

  Elizabethton, TN

  81%

  Share of students who finish

  • Public institution
  • 14 graduates a year
  • $4,119 program cost

  What the record shows

  Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Elizabethton runs its cosmetology program in Elizabethton and reports to the US Department of Education. 81 percent of students across the college finish, out of 546 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Read that 81 percent as the college's rate, not the cosmetology floor's, so it neither ranks this program up nor down. The published tuition is $4,119. That price is 68 percent under the $13,075 median, which is what public pricing looks like and the reason it is a fraction of the academies here. Its 14 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a college of 546. The Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners 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 Johnson City, the range runs $22,850 to $44,200 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $28,980. Few people hold this occupation locally, so a graduate is competing in a small pool and is likely to be known in it quickly. On concentration, Johnson City is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.

  Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

• #11

  Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Morristown

  Morristown, TN

  80%

  Share of students who finish

  • Public institution
  • 13 graduates a year
  • $4,320 program cost

  What the record shows

  Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Morristown runs its cosmetology program in Morristown and reports to the US Department of Education. Across all 642 students at the college, 80 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. Read that 80 percent as the college's rate, not the cosmetology floor's, so it neither ranks this program up nor down. Tuition is reported at $4,320. That price is 67 percent under the $13,075 median, which is what public pricing looks like and the reason it is a fraction of the academies here. Its 13 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a college of 642. Its hours count only under a current entry with the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners, so search that register by the school's legal name before any deposit.

  Where it leads

  undefined Morristown employs the trade at only about 0.6 times the national rate, so graduates enter a thinner local market than average.

  Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

• #12

  Gould's Academy

  Memphis, TN · Licensed school

  80%

  Share of students who finish

  • $11,225 program cost

  What the record shows

  Gould's Academy trains in Memphis, licensed by the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. Memphis has 18 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. 80 percent of the 148 students it enrolls finish. Tuition is reported at $11,225 for the full program. The median graduate left with $7,677 in federal loans, across 353 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $81 a month. It charges 14 percent less than the $13,075 median and finishes about as many of its students as the typical school here, so the saving is real rather than a discount for worse odds. It awarded 132 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Its board record is license 124, and that entry is the one that counts your hours.

  Where it leads

  For cosmetologists around Memphis, the range runs $25,370 to $48,120 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $30,980. The ninetieth percentile at $48,120 is 1.6 times the median, so the upside is real but bounded, and the floor sits 18 percent under the median, so the first year is lean but not the cliff it is in some states. On concentration, Memphis is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division), read 2026-08-31.

• #13

  Elite College of Cosmetology

  Lexington, TN · Licensed school

  79%

  Share of students who finish

  • $16,875 program cost

  What the record shows

  Elite College of Cosmetology is licensed by the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners and trains in Lexington. It is the only licensed school the board lists in Lexington. 79 percent of its students finish, out of 53 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $16,875 for the full program. The median graduate left with $5,500 in federal loans, across 48 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $58 a month. It charges 29 percent over the $13,075 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. 34 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Its board record is license 70, and that entry is the one that counts your hours.

  Where it leads

  Half of cosmetologists in Tennessee earn under $31,310, with the tenth percentile at $25,700 and the ninetieth at $58,000. Neither end of this market is extreme: the top tenth earns about 1.9 times the median and the floor sits 18 percent under it, which makes the first year a budget question rather than a survival one. Tennessee employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 6,080 people.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division), read 2026-08-31.

• #14

  Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Livingston

  Livingston, TN

  78%

  Share of students who finish

  • Public institution
  • 41 graduates a year
  • $4,620 program cost

  What the record shows

  Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Livingston teaches cosmetology in Livingston, with its results published federally. Across all 340 students at the college, 78 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. That 78 percent is ordinary for this page, and it belongs to the whole campus; ask the cosmetology department for the program's own figure. The published tuition is $4,620. That price is 65 percent under the $13,075 median, which is what public pricing looks like and the reason it is a fraction of the academies here. The school conferred 41 credentials in the year reported. Licensing is the business of the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners rather than the federal file's, so its register is where to confirm this school by its legal name first.

  Where it leads

  undefined The ninetieth percentile at $58,000 is 1.9 times the median, so the upside is real but bounded, and the floor sits 18 percent under the median, so the first year is lean but not the cliff it is in some states.

  Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

• #15

  Image Maker Beauty Institute

  Hendersonville, TN · Licensed school

  77%

  Share of students who finish

  • $19,100 program cost

  What the record shows

  Based in Hendersonville, Image Maker Beauty Institute is on the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners register. 77 percent of students see the course through, out of 74 enrolled. Tuition is reported at $19,100 for the full program. The median graduate left with $9,833 in federal loans, across 51 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $104 a month. It charges 46 percent over the $13,075 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. 40 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. License 76 is the board's entry for it, and that is the record to confirm is still current before a deposit.

  Where it leads

  Pay for cosmetologists around Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin runs from $28,080 at the tenth percentile to $62,430 at the ninetieth, with a median of $34,430. The metro median is about 10 percent above the Tennessee figure. The ninetieth percentile at $62,430 is 1.8 times the median, so the upside is real but bounded, and the floor sits 18 percent under the median, so the first year is lean but not the cliff it is in some states. The work is somewhat more concentrated around Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin than nationally, at roughly 1.3 times the usual rate.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division), read 2026-08-31.

• #16

  Arnolds Beauty School

  Milan, TN · Licensed school

  77%

  Share of students who finish

  • $17,750 program cost

  What the record shows

  Arnolds Beauty School operates in Milan under license from the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. 77 percent of its students finish, out of 63 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $17,750 for the full program. The median graduate left with $9,411 in federal loans, across 34 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $100 a month. $17,750 is 36 percent over the $13,075 median, for a completion rate within 2 points of the 79 percent median, which is a premium with nothing on this record to justify it. It awarded 38 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Its board record is license 6, and that entry is the one that counts your hours.

  Where it leads

  In Tennessee, the median cosmetologist earns $31,310, the bottom tenth $25,700 and the top tenth $58,000.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division), read 2026-08-31.

• #17

  Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Murfreesboro

  Murfreesboro, TN

  76%

  Share of students who finish

  • Public institution
  • 47 graduates a year
  • $7,259 program cost

  What the record shows

  Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Murfreesboro runs its cosmetology program in Murfreesboro and reports to the US Department of Education. Across all 709 students at the college, 76 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. Read that 76 percent as the college's rate, not the cosmetology floor's, so it neither ranks this program up nor down. The published tuition is $7,259. That price is 44 percent under the $13,075 median, which is what public pricing looks like and the reason it is a fraction of the academies here. Its 47 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a college of 709. The Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, the median cosmetologist earns $34,430, the bottom tenth $28,080 and the top tenth $62,430. The metro median is about 10 percent above the Tennessee figure.

  Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

• #18

  Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Henry/Carroll

  Paris, TN

  75%

  Share of students who finish

  • Public institution
  • 24 graduates a year
  • $4,620 program cost

  What the record shows

  Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Henry/Carroll runs its cosmetology program in Paris and reports to the US Department of Education. 75 percent of students across the college finish, out of 180 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. Read that 75 percent as the college's rate, not the cosmetology floor's, so it neither ranks this program up nor down. The published tuition is $4,620. That price is 65 percent under the $13,075 median, which is what public pricing looks like and the reason it is a fraction of the academies here. 24 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Its hours count only under a current entry with the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners, so search that register by the school's legal name before any deposit.

  Where it leads

  For cosmetologists in Tennessee, the range runs $25,700 to $58,000 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $31,310. An ordinary shape: the top tenth at 1.9 times the median and a floor 18 percent below it, so a good first year and a good tenth year here are separated by a client book rather than by a cliff. On concentration, Tennessee is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.

  Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

• #19

  Paul Mitchell the School-Murfreesboro

  Murfreesboro, TN · Licensed school

  75%

  Share of students who finish

  • $17,400 program cost

  What the record shows

  Based in Murfreesboro, Paul Mitchell the School-Murfreesboro is on the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners register. Of the 201 students in its fall count, 75 percent complete the course they started. Tuition is reported at $17,400 for the full program. Paul Mitchell the School-Murfreesboro campuses share a debt figure in the federal file, $9,739 in federal loans at the median over 201 borrowers, so read it as the chain's number rather than this floor's. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $103 a month. It charges 33 percent over the $13,075 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. 144 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. License 355 is the board's entry for it, and that is the record to confirm is still current before a deposit.

  Where it leads

  undefined The metro median is about 10 percent above the Tennessee figure. Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin employs the trade at about 1.3 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division), read 2026-08-31.

• #20

  Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Dickson

  Dickson, TN

  74%

  Share of students who finish

  • Public institution
  • 54 graduates a year
  • $4,640 program cost

  What the record shows

  Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Dickson teaches cosmetology in Dickson, with its results published federally. Across all 714 students at the college, 74 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. That 74 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. The published tuition is $4,640. That price is 65 percent under the $13,075 median, which is what public pricing looks like and the reason it is a fraction of the academies here. Its 54 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a college of 714. The Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners 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

  Half of cosmetologists around Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin earn under $34,430, with the tenth percentile at $28,080 and the ninetieth at $62,430. Against the state as a whole, the metro runs roughly 10 percent higher on median pay. The upside is capped near 1.8 times the median and the floor is 18 percent under it, a market where the first year is tight rather than dangerous and the ceiling is earned slowly. Concentration around Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.3 times, or 2,770 people in the occupation.

  Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

• #21

  Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Oneida-Huntsville

  Huntsville, TN

  74%

  Share of students who finish

  • Public institution
  • 4 graduates a year
  • $4,174 program cost

  What the record shows

  Based in Huntsville, Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Oneida-Huntsville is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. Across all 171 students at the college, 74 percent finish, which covers cosmetology along with everything else it teaches. That 74 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. Tuition is reported at $4,174. That price is 68 percent under the $13,075 median, which is what public pricing looks like and the reason it is a fraction of the academies here. A program that awarded 4 credentials all year may not run every term, which is the first thing to confirm. The Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners 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 Knoxville, the median cosmetologist earns $30,650, the bottom tenth $23,960 and the top tenth $63,100.

  Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

• #22

  Paul Mitchell the School-Murfreesboro-Nashville

  Hendersonville, TN · Licensed school

  74%

  Share of students who finish

  • $17,400 program cost

  What the record shows

  Paul Mitchell the School-Murfreesboro-Nashville is licensed by the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners and trains in Hendersonville. 74 percent of its students finish, out of 237 enrolled in the fall count. Tuition is reported at $17,400 for the full program. Borrowing is pooled across Paul Mitchell campuses in the federal file, 201 borrowers at a median of $9,739 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $103 a month. 5 points fewer finish than the 79 percent median and it costs 33 percent over the $13,075 median, so before enrolling ask what happens to the students who do not get through. It awarded 152 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Its board record is license 428, and that entry is the one that counts your hours.

  Where it leads

  Pay for cosmetologists around Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin runs from $28,080 at the tenth percentile to $62,430 at the ninetieth, with a median of $34,430. The metro median is about 10 percent above the Tennessee figure. A 2.2-to-one spread from bottom to top is ordinary for the trade, and here as everywhere the top belongs to a client book. Concentration around Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin runs modestly above the national rate, about 1.3 times, or 2,770 people in the occupation.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division), read 2026-08-31.

• #23

  Love Beauty School Inc

  Manchester, TN · Licensed school

  74%

  Share of students who finish

  • $15,000 program cost

  What the record shows

  Love Beauty School Inc trains in Manchester, licensed by the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. The board lists no other licensed school in Manchester. 74 percent of its students finish, out of 75 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $15,000 for the full program. The median graduate left with $9,500 in federal loans, across 39 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $101 a month. That is the pairing to be wary of: 5 points fewer of its students finish than the 79 percent median, at a price 15 percent over the $13,075 median. Ask the school directly why students leave before you commit. It awarded 19 beauty credentials in the reporting year. From 75 enrolled that is slow throughput for a clock-hour course, and it belongs beside the completion figure above. The board files it under license 536; that record, not this one, is what makes your hours count.

  Where it leads

  For cosmetologists in Tennessee, the range runs $25,700 to $58,000 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $31,310. An ordinary shape: the top tenth at 1.9 times the median and a floor 18 percent below it, so a good first year and a good tenth year here are separated by a client book rather than by a cliff. The occupation is about as common in Tennessee as it is nationally.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division), read 2026-08-31.

• #24

  Empire Beauty School-Nashville

  Brentwood, TN · Licensed school

  72%

  Share of students who finish

  • $17,145 program cost

  What the record shows

  Empire Beauty School-Nashville is licensed by the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners and trains in Brentwood. The board lists no other licensed school in Brentwood. Of the 111 students in its fall count, 72 percent complete the course they started. Tuition is reported at $17,145 for the full program. Empire Beauty campuses share a debt figure in the federal file, $12,090 in federal loans at the median over 987 borrowers, so read it as the chain's number rather than this floor's. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $128 a month. 7 points fewer finish than the 79 percent median and it costs 31 percent over the $13,075 median, so before enrolling ask what happens to the students who do not get through. It awarded 65 beauty credentials in the reporting year. License 117 is the board's entry for it, and that is the record to confirm is still current before a deposit.

  Where it leads

  undefined Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin employs the trade at about 1.3 times the national rate, so the local market is thicker than average.

  Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division), read 2026-08-31.

• #25

  Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Knoxville

  Knoxville, TN

  71%

  Share of students who finish

  • Public institution
  • 33 graduates a year
  • $5,137 program cost

  What the record shows

  Based in Knoxville, Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Knoxville is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 71 percent of students across the college finish, out of 887 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. That 71 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. The published tuition is $5,137. That price is 61 percent under the $13,075 median, which is what public pricing looks like and the reason it is a fraction of the academies here. Its 33 completions a year make cosmetology a small program inside a college of 887. Look this school up on the Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners 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 cosmetologists around Knoxville, the range runs $23,960 to $63,100 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $30,650. Top earners locally clear twice the median, so the ceiling is real, though it belongs to stylists with an established book rather than to new graduates. On concentration, Knoxville is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.

  Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

Which other cosmetology schools in Tennessee are state licensed?

These Tennessee cosmetology schools hold a current license from Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division) 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 Tennessee 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 76 remaining licensed schools, ordered by city. The full file is with Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division) .

How do you become a cosmetologist in Tennessee in 2026?

To become a cosmetologist in Tennessee you need 1,500 clock hours at a school licensed by Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division), then a passing score on the state exam. At the pace most clock-hour schools run, that is roughly 11.5 months full time. 13 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 Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division) licensed the school at the time you sat them.

How much do cosmetologists make in Tennessee in 2026?

Cosmetologists in Tennessee earn a median of $31,310 , with the bottom tenth on $25,700 and the top tenth on $58,000 . 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 Tennessee?

Tennessee runs one merged board for cosmetology and barbering, and it states every requirement in clock hours AND credit-hour equivalents (1,500 clock hours / 45 credit hours), which almost no other state does. It also lets a licensed school build an apprenticeship curriculum in which up to 50 percent of the required hours are earned in a salon under a supervising licensee, with the salon required to post an 8-by-10-inch sign at the entrance letting customers choose not to be serviced by an apprentice. Read Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division)'s own rules .

Where do cosmetologists make the most money in Tennessee?

Cosmetologists make the most money in Tennessee around Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, where the median is $34,430, and the least around Kingsport-Bristol at $28,820. At 19 percent, the spread across Tennessee is narrow, and location will not decide your income the way it does in some states.

The statewide median sits at $31,310, so the metros above it are carrying the average up.

Where are the cosmetology schools in Tennessee?

The licensed cosmetology schools in Tennessee cluster hardest in Memphis, which holds 18 of the 101 the board currently lists. At 18 percent of the state total, no single city dominates training in Tennessee.

17 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 Tennessee?

In Tennessee, salon managers are the best paid of the beauty licenses at a $46,510 median. Cosmetologists in Tennessee sit at $31,310, below that, which is worth weighing before committing to the longest of the licenses.

Adding a second license later is common, so the question is less which career to pick than which of these programs to start with.

Can you use a cosmetology license from another state in Tennessee?

Using a cosmetology license from another state in Tennessee means satisfying Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division), which decides case by case, and the number it weighs is hours. Against the other South states, Tennessee is it asks 70 more hours than the regional average of 1,430, and it pays about 6 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.

What does this Tennessee cosmetology program ranking not tell you?

This Tennessee 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 Tennessee Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners (Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Regulatory Boards Division) for the license itself.

Common questions about cosmetology programs in Tennessee