Nail tech school in North Carolina

6 nail technician programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

5 schools offer these nail technician programs, and North Carolina has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Nail technicians clean, shape and decorate fingernails and toenails. A license usually takes a state-approved nail technician or cosmetology program and a state exam.¹ In North Carolina, 1 of the 6 programs takes students without a high school diploma, and 2 are taught partly or fully online.

See the 6 programs

How much does nail tech school cost in North Carolina?

$194 to $951 is what most nail technician programs in North Carolina cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 6 programs with a price. All of them: $180 to $1,207

In the typical program

Finished the program: Not enough data
Working 6 months later: Not enough data
Earned a year, estimated: Not enough data
Length: 13 to 17 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 North Carolina may also offer nail tech school. How these figures are made

Is there free nail tech school in North Carolina?

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 10 people at 1 of the 6 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. Most nail technician programs in North Carolina cost $194 to $951. Prices on this page run from $180 to $1,207.

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

Nail tech school in Wilmington, Hickory, Durham and other North Carolina cities

Choosing an area filters the list below. 1 in smaller cities and towns and 1 online.

All 6 nail technician programs in North Carolina approved for WIOA funding

6 programs

Nail technician license programOnlineHigh school diploma or equivalent
Manicurist I
Durham Technical Community College
Based in Durham, NC
High school diploma or equivalent
Durham Technical Community College, based in Durham, NC · Nail technician license program · Online · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$36,000
Price if you pay yourself$1,207
School website, Manicurist I at Durham Technical Community College
More details about Manicurist I at Durham Technical Community College
Finished
98%
Working at 6 months
38%
Earned in a quarter
$8,998
Length
12 weeks, 32 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
59
a year, estimated
$36,000
price
$1,207
Nail technician license programIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Manicuring/Nail Technology - C55400
Western Piedmont Community College
Morganton
High school diploma or equivalent
Western Piedmont Community College, Morganton · Nail technician license program · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$18,200
Price if you pay yourself$1,034
Program website, Manicuring/Nail Technology - C55400 at Western Piedmont Community College
More details about Manicuring/Nail Technology - C55400 at Western Piedmont Community College
Finished
86%
Working at 6 months
67%
Earned in a quarter
$4,551
Length
16 weeks, 20 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$700
Students counted
23
a year, estimated
$18,200
price
$1,034
Nail technician license programIn personNo diploma needed
Nail Technician
Cape Fear Community College
Wilmington
No diploma needed
Cape Fear Community College, Wilmington · Nail technician license program · In person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimated$26,900
Price if you pay yourself$230
10 students trained with WIOA funding
Program website, Nail Technician at Cape Fear Community College
More details about Nail Technician at Cape Fear Community College
Finished
100%
Working at 6 months
75%
Earned in a quarter
$6,734
Length
17 weeks, 20 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$1,000
Students counted
11
a year, estimated
$26,900
price
$230
trained with WIOA funding
10
Nail technician license programIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Nail Technician
Southeastern Community College
Whiteville
High school diploma or equivalent
Southeastern Community College, Whiteville · Nail technician license program · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$180
School website, Nail Technician at Southeastern Community College
More details about Nail Technician at Southeastern Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
18 weeks, 16 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$474
Students counted
Not reported
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$180
Nail technician license programIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Nail Technician / Manicurist
Brunswick Community College
Supply
High school diploma or equivalent
Brunswick Community College, Supply · Nail technician license program · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$183
Program website, Nail Technician / Manicurist at Brunswick Community College
More details about Nail Technician / Manicurist at Brunswick Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
16 weeks, 20 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$685
Students counted
Not reported
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$183
Nail technician license programHybridPrerequisite courses
Manicurist II
Durham Technical Community College
Durham
Prerequisite courses
Durham Technical Community College, Durham · Nail technician license program · Hybrid · Prerequisite courses
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$703
School website, Manicurist II at Durham Technical Community College
More details about Manicurist II at Durham Technical Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
12 weeks, 38 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
Not reported
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$703

How to pay for nail tech school in North Carolina

WIOA funding can pay for nail tech school in North Carolina

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 nail tech 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 nail tech 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

Quick facts: Nail tech school in North Carolina

programs with a price cost under $1,000: 4 of 6
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare: 1st of 16
nail technician programs here, against the typical state's 4: 6 vs 4

State comparisons use the same figures as the nail tech school by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Where the North Carolina nail technician program numbers come from

Which North Carolina nail technician programs are on this list?

These are the nail technician programs North Carolina 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 North Carolina offers.

How North Carolina nail technician program prices are reported

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. Prices under $100 are treated as not reported, because the file holds many blanks entered as $0. Check the current price with the school.

What the graduate results of these programs measure

The figures at the top of this page are the middle program among those that report results: half did better, half did worse. Results describe students who left each program in recent years: the share who finished, the share working in the second quarter after leaving, and the middle earnings of those working in that quarter. States report earnings for that one quarter because they take them from the wage reports employers file every three months. The yearly figure here is that quarter times four, rounded to the nearest $100: an estimate, and an early one, since it is measured about half a year after training. The quarter as reported is under "More details" on each program. Results are withheld for small programs, and they describe past students, so they are no guarantee.

Why do some nail technician programs say "Not reported"?

Where a school or the state left a field empty, or the Department of Labor withheld it, the page says "Not reported". Nothing here is estimated to fill a gap.

Why the kind of school is left off each program

The file also records whether a school is public, private or nonprofit, but those entries are wrong too often to print next to a school's name, so this page leaves them out.

Sources for the facts about nail tech school in North Carolina

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources