A hairstylist blow-dries a client's hair with a round brush

Cosmetology school by state

354 cosmetology programs in 41 states and 2 territories, with costs, results and funding that can make them free

311 schools offer these programs, and each state on this page approved its programs for workforce funding. Compare the states below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.

Hairstylists and cosmetologists shampoo, cut, color and style hair. Every state requires a license: you finish a state-approved program, which usually leads to a certificate, and then pass a state licensing exam.¹

Compare cosmetology school by state: cost, pay and results

Cosmetology school by state
State	Programs	Most cost	Earned a year, estimated	Working 6 months later	Finished
Arizona	11	$19,822 to $22,627	about $34,000	57%	65%
Arkansas	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
California	35	$3,500 to $12,800	about $37,400	65%	81%
Colorado	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Connecticut	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Delaware	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Florida	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Georgia	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Hawaii	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Illinois	6	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Indiana	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Iowa	9	$19,165 to $19,849	about $19,500	80%	70%
Kansas	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Kentucky	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Louisiana	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Maine	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Maryland	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Massachusetts	7	$8,275 to $15,000	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Michigan	11	$10,792 to $25,975	about $16,500	72%	42%
Minnesota	15	$9,451 to $11,661	about $15,900	68%	64%
Mississippi	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Missouri	18	$1,200 to $12,055	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Nevada	7	$16,381 to $18,100	Not reported	Not reported	57%
New Jersey	10	$9,950 to $15,150	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
New Mexico	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
New York	6	$9,792 to $11,079	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
North Carolina	16	$3,366 to $5,522	about $17,400	50%	22%
North Dakota	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Northern Mariana Islands	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Ohio	33	$13,000 to $17,195	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Pennsylvania	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Puerto Rico	18	$10,224 to $11,659	about $12,600	Not reported	100%
Rhode Island	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
South Dakota	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Tennessee	20	$4,916 to $7,414	about $17,300	69%	70%
Texas	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Utah	6	$4,927 to $7,029	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Vermont	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Virginia	6	$9,156 to $15,950	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Washington	49	$14,370 to $20,160	about $23,000	75%	73%
West Virginia	7	$10,442 to $18,738	Not reported	Not reported	72%
Wisconsin	13	$5,994 to $9,192	about $21,800	74%	71%
Wyoming	7	$8,750 to $17,285	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported

Each figure is the middle program in that state. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools may offer cosmetology school too. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).How these figures are made

Is there free cosmetology school in the US?

WIOA funding can pay for cosmetology school in the US

Every program on this page is approved for WIOA funding: public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It can pay for training for eligible adults, people who lost their job and young people.²People on public assistance, with a low income or lacking basic skills come first, and veterans have priority.³Your state or local area may limit how much WIOA pays and for how long. If a program costs more, a Pell Grant, a scholarship or severance pay can cover the rest.⁴

Ask at an American Job Center

Eligibility rules apply, and services vary from state to state. Your local American Job Center can tell you whether you qualify. The Department of Labor's page links to the center finder, or call 1-877-US-2JOBS (1-877-872-5627).⁵

Or pay for cosmetology school yourself

Without funding, prices differ by state: most cosmetology programs cost $3,366 to $5,522 in North Carolina and $19,822 to $22,627 in Arizona. Each state's page lists every program with its price.

Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply

Where the cosmetology program numbers by state come from

Which cosmetology programs are counted?

Programs each state approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), 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. Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).⁵ Schools that never applied for approval are missing.

What the figures for each state 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 too few programs report a figure, the table says "Not reported".

Other training by state

Approved programs per field across every state. Each opens that field's comparison by state.

Sources for the facts about cosmetology school

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