Best Beauty Schools in Virginia (2026)

Updated June 20, 2026 | TradeCareerPath Editorial Team

Quick answer: This page lists accredited cosmetologist schools and programs in Virginia, with local employment data and per-school details to help you compare options.

If you want to train as a cosmetologist in Virginia, start by weighing program length, schedule, and cost at nearby schools.

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 Virginia 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 91 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

Vance-Granville Community College

Henderson, NC 67.6 miles away BOC Score 57.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35
  • Annual completions: 624
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $47,633 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Piedmont Community College

Roxboro, NC 60.6 miles away BOC Score 52.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 38.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 20
  • Annual completions: 257
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $37,251 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Culpeper Cosmetology Training Center

Culpeper, VA 90.9 miles away BOC Score 46.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 76.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 52
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $27,924 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Rockingham Community College

Wentworth, NC 85.1 miles away BOC Score 43.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 32.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 32
  • Annual completions: 364
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,278 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Halifax Community College

Weldon, NC 83.6 miles away BOC Score 39.6
Tuition $2,608 - $16,938
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 37.9%
  • Programs offered: 30
  • Annual completions: 262
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $45,575 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Paul Mitchell the School-Roanoke

Roanoke, VA 69.3 miles away BOC Score 23.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 50.9%
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 84
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $28,991 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Empire Beauty School-Midlothian

Midlothian, VA 59.4 miles away BOC Score 18.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 40.8%
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 54
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $27,559 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#11

Empire Beauty School-Richmond

Richmond, VA 71.4 miles away BOC Score 16.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 56
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $27,559 (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 Virginia?

Cosmetologist certificate programs in Virginia 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 many cosmetologist schools are in Virginia?

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)