World Beauty Schools

North America

Beauty Schools and Courses in the USA

275 verified schools and academies with a teaching location here, offering 915 courses and programs. This is the research done to date, not a complete list of every provider.

Best Beauty Schools: our researched selection

Browse by state

All states with research status

All 50 states and Washington, DC. 53 currently have at least one verified provider with a teaching location; the others are research gaps, not empty states.

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Major cities

Cities with at least two verified teaching locations.

Online from US providers

28 online or hybrid programs from US-based providers. They are not counted as located in any state; low-residency and hybrid formats are labelled.

Online beauty courses

276 schools & studios

Results are listed alphabetically. There is no price ranking: prices in different currencies and bases (per day, per course, per year, per instalment) are not comparable. Courses for teens and children appear only when you choose a youth audience. Online programs are never counted as physically located in a state or city. Items marked Sponsored are paid placements; they never change recognition status, verification or order.

About beauty training and licensing in United States

How beauty training is organised

In the United States beauty licensing is handled state by state: each state board sets the training required and approves schools, so the same course can count in one state and not in another. The occupation guides of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics describe cosmetology, barbering and skincare as licensed occupations with requirements that vary by state, and the California board publishes a 1,000-hour minimum for cosmetology and barbering as one example. State school approval is not institutional accreditation, and a school certificate is not a licence. Most programs researched here are private career schools and brand academies, plus community and technical colleges that award diplomas, certificates or associate degrees.

Source: bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/barbers-h

Qualification structures

Names and levels are local to United States. Similar names in other countries are not interchangeable.

State licence
A professional licence issued by a state board after approved training and, usually, an examination. Requirements are set by each state; check the board of the state where you will work. Source
Approved school program
A school program approved by the state board. California publishes a list of approved schools and a 1,000-hour minimum for cosmetology and barbering. Source
Institutional accreditation
Accreditation of a school by a recognised accrediting body, separate from state approval; it matters for federal student aid eligibility. Source

Languages and licensing

Teaching languages. Most programs are taught in English; some schools also teach in Spanish. The teaching language is recorded per program only when the school states it.

Licensing and regulation. Cosmetologists, barbers and skincare specialists are licensed by state boards, and requirements vary by state (see the Bureau of Labor Statistics occupation pages). Check the board of the state where you intend to work; this directory does not state any state's hours or exam rules. Source

Nothing here establishes visa, work-permit or credit-transfer eligibility. Check current rules with the official sources below.

Official study information

Country information last reviewed 23 October 2026. 3 sources consulted.