Best Beauty Schools in District of Columbia (2026)

Quick answer: Cosmetologists in District of Columbia earn a median of $54,570 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited cosmetologist schools in District of Columbia with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Several training options serve cosmetologist students in District of Columbia, from short certificates to longer hands-on programs. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $54,570 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

District of Columbia Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$54,570BLS OEWS, May 2025
District of Columbia pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$36,400 to $130,950BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying District of Columbia metro for this fieldWashington, DC, $37,020BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+5.6% growth, about 75,800 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment870 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
District of Columbia location quotient0.63BLS 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 District of Columbia figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.

How We Rank Schools

We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
25%
Average net price (lower is better)
20%
Retention rate
15%
Fully online availability
10%

Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Avi Career Training

Great Falls, VA 15.0 miles away BOC Score 61.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 89.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 7
  • Annual completions: 76
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $26,411 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Columbia College

Vienna, VA 12.6 miles away BOC Score 52.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 75.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 7
  • Annual completions: 118
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $29,040 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Hair Academy II

Hillcrest Heights, MD 6.8 miles away BOC Score 35.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
  • Iverson Mall, 3705 Branch Avenue, Lower Level Hillcrest Heights, MD 20748-1401
  • (301) 459-2509
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 213
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $24,923 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

The Salon Professional Academy-Washington DC

Washington, DC 1.4 miles away BOC Score 34.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 61.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 183
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $30,620 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Aspen Beauty Academy of Laurel

Laurel, MD 16.0 miles away BOC Score 33.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 51.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 68
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $26,674 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Lafayette-Arlington

Arlington, VA 5.0 miles away BOC Score 27.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
  • 671 North Glebe Road, Suite 1280 Arlington, VA 22203-2137
  • (877) 892-8332
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 4
  • Annual completions: 388
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $21,980 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Bennett Career Institute

Washington, DC 2.2 miles away BOC Score 27.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 51.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 6
  • Annual completions: 124
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $25,687 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Hair Academy

New Carrollton, MD 8.8 miles away BOC Score 20.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 56.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 184
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $25,713 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Montgomery Beauty School

Silver Spring, MD 5.6 miles away BOC Score 19.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 57.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 3
  • Annual completions: 58
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $26,088 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Hair Expressions Academy

Rockville, MD 13.3 miles away
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 83.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 4
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $32,149 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#11

Paul Mitchell the School-Tysons Corner

McLean, VA 8.0 miles away
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 73.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 124
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $32,122 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#12

Paul Mitchell the School-Woodbridge

Woodbridge, VA 21.1 miles away
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 70.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $32,122 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Cosmetologist Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile - 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, 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 District of Columbia?

Cosmetologist certificate programs in District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), cosmetologists in District of Columbia earned a median annual wage of approximately $54,570. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $36,400 to $130,950 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many cosmetologist schools are in District of Columbia?

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)