Best Beauty Schools in California (2026)

Updated June 20, 2026 | TradeCareerPath Editorial Team

Quick answer: Cosmetologists in California earn a median of $38,660 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited cosmetologist schools in California with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Several training options serve cosmetologist students in California, from short certificates to longer hands-on programs. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $38,660 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

California Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$38,660BLS OEWS, May 2025
California pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$35,360 to $68,640BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying California metro for this fieldLos Angeles, CA, $43,500BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+5.6% growth, about 75,800 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment27,080 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
California location quotient0.76BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the Cosmetologist Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Programs. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the California figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.

How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention. Advertising plays no part.

This page lists 12 schools within 81 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 12 of them carry a score.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%

Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.

#2

Santa Barbara City College

Santa Barbara, CA 71.9 miles away BOC Score 56.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 34.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 41
  • Annual completions: 832
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $63,514 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Allan Hancock College

Santa Maria, CA 61.2 miles away BOC Score 55.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 26.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 53
  • Annual completions: 2518
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $55,202 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

College of the Sequoias

Visalia, CA 62.6 miles away BOC Score 47.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 35.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 53
  • Annual completions: 2591
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,147 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Design's School of Cosmetology

Paso Robles, CA 66.4 miles away BOC Score 46.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 75.3%
  • Programs offered: 4
  • Annual completions: 214
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $23,711 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Lu Ross Academy

Ventura, CA 80.8 miles away BOC Score 40.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 70.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 6
  • Annual completions: 394
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $30,475 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Milan Institute-Visalia

Visalia, CA 59.1 miles away BOC Score 35.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 49.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 10
  • Annual completions: 783
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $33,999 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Milan Institute-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 28.2 miles away BOC Score 29.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 52.5%
  • Programs offered: 7
  • Annual completions: 565
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $29,355 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Cosmetologist Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile, United States - Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists annual wage percentiles, BLS OEWS May 2025P10 $27040, P25 $30120, P50 $35790, P75 $48830, P90 $71190.10th$27,04025th$30,12050th (median)$35,79075th$48,83090th$71,190
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists annual wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wage
10th$27,040
25th$30,120
50th (median)$35,790
75th$48,830
90th$71,190
Projected employment growth, United States, Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists, 2024-2034
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists employment 2024 vs 2034 projection, BLS Employment Projections2024 employment 575200; 2034 projected employment 607400; percent change +5.6%.2024575,200 jobs2034 (proj.)607,400 jobsChange: +5.6%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists employment projection 2024 to 2034
YearEmployment
2024575,200
2034 projected607,400
Percent change+5.6%

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does cosmetologist training take in California?

Cosmetologist certificate programs in California typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do cosmetologists earn in California?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), cosmetologists in California earned a median annual wage of approximately $38,660. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $35,360 to $68,640 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many cosmetologist schools are in California?

The schools listed above are within about 800 miles of Programs. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.

About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)