Cosmetology school in Pennsylvania

2 cosmetology programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

2 schools offer these cosmetology programs, and Pennsylvania has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself 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 In Pennsylvania, every program asks for a diploma or other schooling first, and both are taught partly or fully online.

See the 2 programs

How much does cosmetology school cost in Pennsylvania?

$9,217 to $19,000

from the lowest-priced program to the highest, if you pay yourself

These two programs

Finished the program: 100%
Working 6 months later: Not reported
Earned a year, estimated: about $34,700
Length: 36 to 39 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Pennsylvania may also offer cosmetology school. How these figures are made

Is there free cosmetology school in Pennsylvania?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.²³⁴In program year 2024 it paid toward the training of at least 15 people at 2 of the 2 programs here.
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁵ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁴
Or pay yourself. These programs cost $9,217 to $19,000.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 2 cosmetology programs in Pennsylvania approved for WIOA funding

2 programs

Cosmetology license programOnlineHigh school diploma or equivalent
Cosmetology
Susquehanna Co Career &
Based in Springville, PA
High school diploma or equivalent
Susquehanna Co Career &, based in Springville, PA · Cosmetology license program · Online · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$34,700
Price if you pay yourself$9,217
6 students trained with WIOA funding
More details about Cosmetology at Susquehanna Co Career &
Finished
100%
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
$8,665
Length
36 weeks, 35 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$1,181
Students counted
24
a year, estimated
$34,700
price
$9,217
trained with WIOA funding
6
Cosmetology license programOnlineHigh school diploma or equivalent
Cosmetology
Noe Noonan School of Cosmetology
Based in Erie, PA
High school diploma or equivalent
Noe Noonan School of Cosmetology, based in Erie, PA · Cosmetology license program · Online · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$19,000
9 students trained with WIOA funding
Program website, Cosmetology at Noe Noonan School of Cosmetology
More details about Cosmetology at Noe Noonan School of Cosmetology
Finished
100%
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
39 weeks, 33 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$3,005
Students counted
12
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$19,000
trained with WIOA funding
9

How to pay for cosmetology school in Pennsylvania

WIOA funding can pay for cosmetology school in Pennsylvania

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

Financial aid and grants for cosmetology school

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁶⁷

GI Bill for cosmetology school

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁸

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

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

Where the Pennsylvania cosmetology program numbers come from

Which Pennsylvania cosmetology programs are on this list?

These are the cosmetology programs Pennsylvania approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).⁹ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Pennsylvania offers.

How the prices and results of Pennsylvania cosmetology programs are measured

The price is tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported it. "Trained with WIOA funding" on a program counts the people whose training there WIOA paid toward through a training account in program year 2024; the file never gives counts under 3, so a program without the line may still take WIOA students. It does not say how much of the price WIOA covered. Results describe students who left the program in recent years, and the yearly earnings figure is the reported quarter times four, an estimate. They describe past students, so they are no guarantee. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported". Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

How reliable are the Pennsylvania figures?

We leave out the share working 6 months later for Pennsylvania: its rates sit far below every other state's, and the counts suggest jobs were traced only for students whose training was publicly paid.

Sources for the facts about cosmetology school in Pennsylvania

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