Beauty school in California
120 beauty programs in 4 fields of beauty and personal care, with costs, results and funding that can make them free
64 schools offer these programs, and California has approved every one for workforce funding. Compare the 4 fields below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.
Beauty school covers cosmetology, barbering, skin care (esthetician) and nail tech programs. Most are full programs that prepare for a state license; a few are apprenticeships or shorter courses.
All job training programs in California, every line of work
Accredited beauty schools in California, each school with its accreditor
Beauty school by state, to compare California with other states
Compare beauty programs in California: cost, pay and results
44 programs at 43 schools
- Most cost
- $4,900 to $13,195
- Earned a year, estimated
- about $35,800
- Working 6 months later
- 63%
- Finished
- 80%
35 programs at 34 schools
- Most cost
- $3,500 to $12,800
- Earned a year, estimated
- about $37,400
- Working 6 months later
- 65%
- Finished
- 81%
23 programs at 23 schools
- Most cost
- $6,160 to $9,000
- Earned a year, estimated
- about $38,200
- Working 6 months later
- 59%
- Finished
- 90%
18 programs at 17 schools
- Most cost
- $3,051 to $4,711
- Earned a year, estimated
- about $33,300
- Working 6 months later
- 50%
- Finished
- 87%
Each figure is the middle program of that field. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools in California may offer more. How these figures are made
Other job training in California, by line of work
- Trade school programs644
- Medical certification programs517
- Business and office training498
- IT certification programs417
- Nursing and patient care programs231
- Allied health programs186
- First responder training175
- Transportation and logistics training173
- Child care and social services training132
- Culinary and hospitality programs90
- All job training in California3,183
Programs approved in California in each line of work.
Where the California beauty numbers come from
Which California programs are counted?
Programs California approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) in the fields listed above. Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).5 They come from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what California offers.
What the figures for each field mean
Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where a figure is missing, the table says why: "Not reported", "Left out" or "Not enough data" (what each means).
Sources for the funding facts about beauty programs in California
Show the 5 sourcesHide the sources
- US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
- US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
- Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
- US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
- US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List