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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, 4 ask for a diploma or equivalent and 1 asks for earlier courses first.

All 6 are the same kind of program: nail technician license program.

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
3 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Working 6 months later
Not enough data
3 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Earned a year, estimated
Not enough data
3 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
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?

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

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

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What you need to enroll
Kind of program
School
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6 programs

  • Nail technician license programOnlineHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Manicurist I

    Durham Technical Community College

    Based in Durham, NC

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Durham Technical Community College, based in Durham, NCNail technician license program · Accredited schoolOnline · 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
    Earned a year, estimated
    $36,000
    Price if you pay yourself
    $1,207
    School website, Manicurist I at Durham Technical Community College

  • Nail technician license programIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Manicuring/Nail Technology - C55400

    Western Piedmont Community College

    Morganton

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Western Piedmont Community College, MorgantonNail technician license program · Accredited schoolIn 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
    Earned a year, estimated
    $18,200
    Price if you pay yourself
    $1,034
    Program website, Manicuring/Nail Technology - C55400 at Western Piedmont Community College

  • Nail technician license programIn personNo diploma needed

    Nail Technician

    Cape Fear Community College

    Wilmington

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Cape Fear Community College, WilmingtonNail technician license program · Accredited schoolIn 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
    Earned a year, estimated
    $26,900
    Price if you pay yourself
    $230
    students trained with WIOA funding
    10
    Program website, Nail Technician at Cape Fear Community College

  • Nail technician license programIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Nail Technician

    Southeastern Community College

    Whiteville

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Southeastern Community College, WhitevilleNail technician license program · Accredited schoolIn 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
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $180
    School website, Nail Technician at Southeastern Community College

  • Nail technician license programIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Nail Technician / Manicurist

    Brunswick Community College

    Supply

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Brunswick Community College, SupplyNail technician license program · Accredited schoolIn 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
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $183
    Program website, Nail Technician / Manicurist at Brunswick Community College

  • Nail technician license programHybridPrerequisite courses

    Manicurist II

    Durham Technical Community College

    Durham

    Accredited school

    Prerequisite courses

    Durham Technical Community College, DurhamNail technician license program · Accredited schoolHybrid · 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
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $703
    School website, Manicurist II at Durham Technical Community College

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 it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

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.

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).

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

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

Other training in North Carolina

How nail tech school compares with the rest of beauty and personal care: Beauty school in North Carolina

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 the prices and results of North Carolina nail technician programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about nail tech school in North Carolina

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Manicurists and Pedicurists
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. 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)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  8. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  9. 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