Best Beauty Schools in Wisconsin (2026)

Quick answer: Cosmetologists in Wisconsin earn a median of $36,230 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited cosmetologist schools in Wisconsin with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Programs sits within the Wisconsin cosmetologist workforce, served by accredited training providers. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $36,230 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Wisconsin Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$36,230BLS OEWS, May 2025
Wisconsin pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$23,790 to $58,970BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying Wisconsin metro for this fieldMilwaukee, WI, $38,190BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2025 to 2035)+7.7% growth, about 73,400 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2025-2035
State employment6,260 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
Wisconsin location quotient1.08BLS 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 Wisconsin 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 49 miles, ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 11 of them carry a score. 1 does not have enough federal outcome data to score, and appears last rather than being hidden.

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.

#1

Advanced College of Cosmetology

Waupun, WI 15.9 miles away BOC Score 69.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 87.5%
  • Programs offered: 1
  • Annual completions: 16
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $31,854 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

VICI Beauty School

Greenfield, WI 42.8 miles away BOC Score 68.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 88.1%
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 100
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $35,925 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Aveda Institute-Madison

Madison, WI 44.6 miles away BOC Score 67.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 97.2%
  • Programs offered: 4
  • Annual completions: 79
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $35,085 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

The Institute of Beauty and Wellness

Milwaukee, WI 45.4 miles away BOC Score 67.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 90.2%
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 179
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $35,085 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Moraine Park Technical College

Fond du Lac, WI 28.1 miles away BOC Score 66.9
Tuition $4,819 in-state / $7,084 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 57.5%
  • Programs offered: 61
  • Annual completions: 1243
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $53,771 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Waukesha County Technical College

Pewaukee, WI 30.7 miles away BOC Score 62.3
Tuition $4,872 in-state / $7,115 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 44.4%
  • Programs offered: 51
  • Annual completions: 1788
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $57,764 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Madison Area Technical College

Madison, WI 39.8 miles away BOC Score 59.1
Tuition $4,977 in-state / $7,255 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 28.9%
  • Programs offered: 88
  • Annual completions: 2537
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $55,207 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Milwaukee Area Technical College

Milwaukee, WI 44.6 miles away BOC Score 52.5
Tuition $5,184 in-state / $7,427 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 24.6%
  • Programs offered: 82
  • Annual completions: 2205
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $52,346 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#10

Empire Beauty School-Milwaukee

Milwaukee, WI 47.8 miles away BOC Score 22.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 46.9%
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 70
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $26,762 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#11

Paul Mitchell the School-Milwaukee

Wauwatosa, WI 37.8 miles away BOC Score 22.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 7.7%
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 41
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $29,301 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#12

Paul Mitchell the School-Madison

Madison, WI 49.4 miles away
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 42.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 31
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $36,712 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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, 2025-2035
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists employment 2025 vs 2035 projection, BLS Employment Projections2025 employment 595000; 2035 projected employment 640900; percent change +7.7%.2025595,000 jobs2035 (proj.)640,900 jobsChange: +7.7%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025-2035
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists employment projection 2025 to 2035
YearEmployment
2025595,000
2035 projected640,900
Percent change+7.7%

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does cosmetologist training take in Wisconsin?

Cosmetologist certificate programs in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), cosmetologists in Wisconsin earned a median annual wage of approximately $36,230. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $23,790 to $58,970 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many cosmetologist schools are in Wisconsin?

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 Statistics2025-2035
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)