Cosmetology Schools in Austin, TX, Ranked (2026)

The 9 Cosmetology Schools in and Near Austin, Ranked on Completion

10 cosmetology programs report to the US Department of Education from inside Austin or within 30 miles of downtown. 9 of them had at least 40 students and a published completion figure, and they are ordered on the share of students who finish within half again the program's normal length. The other 1 had too few students to rank, so the list stops at 9.

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 Texas page links the board's own lookup.

1. #1

   Avenue Five Institute-South Austin Campus

   Austin, TX

   88%

   Share of students who finish

   • 88% finish
   • 109 graduates a year
   • $12,757 program cost

   What the record shows

   Based in Austin, Avenue Five Institute-South Austin Campus is one of the cosmetology programs the federal government tracks. 88 percent of students see the course through, out of 139 enrolled. It charges $12,757 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. Borrowing is pooled across Avenue Five campuses in the federal file, 306 borrowers at a median of $7,917 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $84 a month. $12,757 is within 9 percent of the $13,900 median, and the completion is not ordinary: 88 percent against 73. That is the better half of the trade. 109 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. Licensing is the business of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation rather than the federal file's, so its register is where to confirm this school by its legal name first.

   Where it leads

   For cosmetologists around Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, the range runs $29,240 to $69,290 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $35,220. Against the state as a whole, the metro runs roughly 15 percent higher on median pay. The ninetieth percentile at $69,290 is 2.0 times the median, so the upside is real but bounded, and the floor sits 17 percent under the median, so the first year is lean but not the cliff it is in some states. On concentration, Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.

   Source: US Department of Education, College Scorecard.

2. #2

   Ann Webb Skin Institute

   Austin, TX · Cosmetology Private School

   87%

   Share of students who finish

   • Cosmetology
   • Renews 2027-05
   • $15,960 program cost

   What the record shows

   Ann Webb Skin Institute operates in Austin under license from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Austin has 25 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. 87 percent of its students finish, out of 121 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $15,960 for the full program. 82 graduates borrowed, at a median of $7,917 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $84 a month. Paying 15 percent over the $13,900 median buys 14 points of completion over the 73 percent median, and whether that is worth it depends on how sure you are of finishing anywhere. 171 credentials in the year from a fall count of 121: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. Its board record is license 705188, and that entry is the one that counts your hours.

   Where it leads

   Half of cosmetologists around Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos earn under $35,220, with the tenth percentile at $29,240 and the ninetieth at $69,290. Against the state as a whole, the metro runs roughly 15 percent higher on median pay. The ninetieth percentile at $69,290 is 2.0 times the median, so the upside is real but bounded, and the floor sits 17 percent under the median, so the first year is lean but not the cliff it is in some states. Local concentration around Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos sits near the national average.

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, read 2026-08-28.

3. #3

   Avenue Five Institute

   Austin, TX · Cosmetology Private School

   77%

   Share of students who finish

   • Cosmetology
   • Renews 2027-07
   • $12,757 program cost

   What the record shows

   Avenue Five Institute trains in Austin, licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. With 25 licensed schools in Austin, this one is competing for students rather than the only option. Of 316 enrolled in the fall count, 77 percent finish. The published cost is $12,757 for the full program. Borrowing is pooled across Avenue Five campuses in the federal file, 306 borrowers at a median of $7,917 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $84 a month. On completion and price it is close to the median school on this page, 77 percent against 73 and $12,757 against $13,900, which is neither a warning nor a recommendation: the choice comes down to the visit and the board file. 190 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. The board files it under license 705018; that record, not this one, is what makes your hours count.

   Where it leads

   For cosmetologists around Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, the range runs $29,240 to $69,290 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $35,220. Against the state as a whole, the metro runs roughly 15 percent higher on median pay. A 2.4-to-one spread from bottom to top is ordinary for the trade, and here as everywhere the top belongs to a client book. The occupation is about as common around Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos as it is nationally.

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, read 2026-08-28.

4. #4

   Central Texas Beauty College-Round Rock

   Round Rock, TX · Cosmetology Private School

   74%

   Share of students who finish

   • Cosmetology
   • Renews 2027-02
   • $8,675 program cost

   What the record shows

   Central Texas Beauty College-Round Rock is licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and trains in Round Rock. The board lists no other licensed school in Round Rock. 74 percent of its students finish, out of 122 enrolled in the fall count. The published cost is $8,675 for the full program. $8,675 is 38 percent under the $13,900 median, and completion is within 1 points of the 73 percent median, which is the cheap-without-a-catch pairing. It awarded 49 beauty credentials in the reporting year. License 702271 is the board's entry for it, and that is the record to confirm is still current before a deposit.

   Where it leads

   Around Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, the median cosmetologist earns $35,220, the bottom tenth $29,240 and the top tenth $69,290. The metro median is about 15 percent above the Texas figure. A 2.4-to-one spread from bottom to top is ordinary for the trade, and here as everywhere the top belongs to a client book. Local concentration around Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos sits near the national average.

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, read 2026-08-28.

5. #5

   Total Transformation Institute of Cosmetology

   San Marcos, TX · Cosmetology Private School

   73%

   Share of students who finish

   • Cosmetology
   • Renews 2027-06
   • $14,422 program cost

   What the record shows

   Based in San Marcos, Total Transformation Institute of Cosmetology is on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation register. 73 percent of the 112 students it enrolls finish. Tuition is reported at $14,422 for the full program. The median graduate left with $7,917 in federal loans, across 37 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $84 a month. Completion, price and borrowing all sit near the page's middle here, 73 percent, exactly the median and $14,422 against $13,900, 55 percent of the price borrowed against 56 for the page. Nothing federal separates it, so the clinic floor and the board file will. It awarded 54 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Its board record is license 705596, and that entry is the one that counts your hours.

   Where it leads

   Pay for cosmetologists around Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos runs from $29,240 at the tenth percentile to $69,290 at the ninetieth, with a median of $35,220. The metro median is about 15 percent above the Texas figure. Neither end of this market is extreme: the top tenth earns about 2.0 times the median and the floor sits 17 percent under it, which makes the first year a budget question rather than a survival one. The occupation is about as common around Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos as it is nationally.

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, read 2026-08-28.

6. #6

   Paul Mitchell the School-Austin

   Austin, TX · Cosmetology Private School

   71%

   Share of students who finish

   • Cosmetology
   • Renews 2026-12
   • $13,600 program cost

   What the record shows

   Paul Mitchell the School-Austin is licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and trains in Austin. With 25 licensed schools in Austin, this one is competing for students rather than the only option. Of the 171 students in its fall count, 71 percent complete the course they started. Tuition is reported at $13,600 for the full program. The median graduate left with $9,833 in federal loans, across 125 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $104 a month. Completion and price both sit close to the page median, 71 percent against 73 and $13,600 against $13,900, so the number that separates it is debt: 72 percent of the price arrives as federal loans, more than at the typical school here. 143 students completed a credential here in the reporting year. License 702708 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 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos runs from $29,240 at the tenth percentile to $69,290 at the ninetieth, with a median of $35,220. The metro median is about 15 percent above the Texas figure. A 2.4-to-one spread from bottom to top is ordinary for the trade, and here as everywhere the top belongs to a client book. The occupation is about as common around Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos as it is nationally.

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, read 2026-08-28.

7. #7

   Baldwin Beauty School-North Austin

   Austin, TX · Cosmetology Private School

   70%

   Share of students who finish

   • Cosmetology
   • Renews 2026-12
   • $13,900 program cost

   What the record shows

   Based in Austin, Baldwin Beauty School-North Austin is on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation register. Austin has 25 licensed schools, so there is a real choice locally. Of the 78 students in its fall count, 70 percent complete the course they started. It charges $13,900 for the full program, which for a clock-hour course is the whole price rather than a yearly one. The federal file reports borrowing for Baldwin Beauty campuses together rather than for this one: a median of $7,353 in federal loans across 69 borrowers. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $78 a month. On completion and price it is close to the median school on this page, 70 percent against 73 and $13,900, exactly the median, which is neither a warning nor a recommendation: the choice comes down to the visit and the board file. 102 credentials in the year from a fall count of 78: the program cycles more than once a year, so the two figures are different populations rather than a contradiction. The board files it under license 702424; that record, not this one, is what makes your hours count.

   Where it leads

   Half of cosmetologists around Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos earn under $35,220, with the tenth percentile at $29,240 and the ninetieth at $69,290. Against the state as a whole, the metro runs roughly 15 percent higher on median pay. The upside is capped near 2.0 times the median and the floor is 17 percent under it, a market where the first year is tight rather than dangerous and the ceiling is earned slowly. Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos employs the trade at close to the national rate, around 2,800 people.

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, read 2026-08-28.

8. #8

   The Salon Professional Academy-Georgetown

   Georgetown, TX · Cosmetology Private School

   63%

   Share of students who finish

   • Cosmetology
   • Renews 2026-09
   • $17,125 program cost

   What the record shows

   Based in Georgetown, The Salon Professional Academy-Georgetown is on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation register. The board lists no other licensed school in Georgetown. Of the 79 students in its fall count, 63 percent complete the course they started. The published cost is $17,125 for the full program. 29 graduates borrowed, at a median of $9,833 in federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $104 a month. 10 points fewer finish than the 73 percent median and it costs 23 percent over the $13,900 median, so before enrolling ask what happens to the students who do not get through. It awarded 58 beauty credentials in the reporting year. Its board record is license 705251, and that entry is the one that counts your hours.

   Where it leads

   Pay for cosmetologists in Texas runs from $23,580 at the tenth percentile to $59,730 at the ninetieth, with a median of $30,680. An ordinary shape: the top tenth at 1.9 times the median and a floor 23 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, Texas is unremarkable, tracking the national rate closely.

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, read 2026-08-28.

9. #9

   Southern Careers Institute-Austin

   Austin, TX · Cosmetology Private School

   53%

   Share of students who finish

   • Cosmetology
   • Renews 2026-12
   • $18,450 program cost

   What the record shows

   Based in Austin, Southern Careers Institute-Austin is on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation register. With 25 licensed schools in Austin, this one is competing for students rather than the only option. 53 percent of students across the school finish, out of 746 enrolled, and cosmetology is one of the programs inside that figure. That 53 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. Tuition is reported at $18,450. That price is 33 percent over the $13,900 median, and nothing on this record explains the premium. The board files it under license 705334; that record, not this one, is what makes your hours count.

   Where it leads

   For cosmetologists around Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, the range runs $29,240 to $69,290 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles, with a median of $35,220. Against the state as a whole, the metro runs roughly 15 percent higher on median pay. The upside is capped near 2.0 times the median and the floor is 17 percent under it, a market where the first year is tight rather than dangerous and the ceiling is earned slowly. The occupation is about as common around Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos as it is nationally.

   Sources: US Department of Education, College Scorecard; Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, read 2026-08-28.

Other Licensed Cosmetology Schools in Austin

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation lists 25 currently licensed schools in Austin. These 20 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. The board's file also holds 3 Austin records that are no longer active, which is why the roster is longer than this table.

What TDLR Requires From Austin Cosmetology Students

Cosmetology in Texas is regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, not by a board of its own, and the same agency licenses barber schools and cosmetology schools. TDLR sets 1,000 hours for a cosmetologist license. Hours you bank at a school whose license has expired are hours the agency will not count toward yours.

Half of those 1,000 hours can be done online. That single rule changes how you plan a year more than anything else on this page, and it is not the rule everywhere: online hour rules by state runs the range. The other 500 hours happen at the school, so ask a program how it schedules them.

TDLR publishes no status field, only an expiration date, so a school's standing is a date you compare against today. Three Austin records had already gone past theirs in the file we pulled on August 28, 2026. The address on that file is a mailing address, which is why the Austin list carries a Vogue College-San Antonio record and a Southern Careers Institute Brownsville one.

Figures in this section: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation; College Scorecard, June 2026.

What the Austin Ranking Shows About Price and Completion

Texas publishes nothing that rates one school above another, so the ordering below is the federal completion figure and nothing else. Avenue Five Institute-South Austin Campus leads at 88 percent on 139 students, at $12,757 tuition, with median earnings of $32,137 five years after entry, the top earnings figure in this group.

Ann Webb Skin Institute is second at 87 percent on 121 students, at $15,960. Avenue Five's main campus is third at 77 percent with 316 enrolled, on the same $12,757 tuition, and it conferred 190 cosmetology credentials in the reporting year, more than any other school here. Paul Mitchell the School-Austin is sixth at 71 percent, $13,600, with $31,923 median earnings.

Price and completion do not line up. Central Texas Beauty College-Round Rock charges $8,675, the cheapest of the nine, finishes 74 percent, and 61 percent of its students are 25 or older. Southern Careers Institute-Austin charges $18,450, the most expensive, finishes 53 percent, and reports $15,546 median earnings.

If nothing on the list fits, the Texas ranking covers every school in the state with federal data, and the most affordable schools sorts the same records by what they charge. Our methodology explains what a completion figure does and does not tell you.

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

What the Trade Pays in the Austin Metro

Austin gets its own wage series, the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro, and it pays better than the state does. Hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists here earn a median of $35,220 against $30,680 across Texas. The metro employs 2,800 of them, about ten percent more concentrated than the country as a whole.

The distance between the ends of that scale is the honest answer to what this work pays. The bottom tenth of Austin hairdressers earn $29,240 and the top tenth $69,290. BLS collects from employers, so booth renters, chair renters and salon owners are not in the count, and in this trade that is a large share of the people working.

Two other trades are worth a look. Skincare specialists in the Austin metro post a $54,850 median, well above the $49,250 Texas figure, with a 90th percentile of $108,300. Barbers are more than three times as concentrated here as they are nationally, on 400 employed, though their median sits at $32,770.

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

What Cosmetology Careers Pay in Austin

Median annual pay in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area, from the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. A cosmetologist here earns a median of $35,220 against $30,680 across Texas, with 2,800 employed in the metro. Booth renters and salon owners are self-employed and outside the survey, so these figures describe stylists on a payroll.

Each occupation has its own salary page with the range and every state, and a career page on the work and the license it needs.

Cosmetology Schools in Nearby Cities

• Cosmetology schools in Houston, TX
• Cosmetology schools in San Antonio, TX
• Cosmetology schools in Dallas, TX
• Cosmetology schools in Fort Worth, TX
• Cosmetology schools in El Paso, TX
• Cosmetology schools in Arlington, TX
• All of Texas
• All 50 cities

Common Questions About Cosmetology School in Austin

Answers draw on Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the College Scorecard and the May 2025 BLS wage release.