Home / Cosmetology Schools / California / San Diego area
Cosmetology Schools in the San Diego area
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area
Programs
11
3 within 10 miles
Median pay here
$37,290
hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists, BLS May 2025
Lowest listed cost
$4,500
of 9 with a cost, DOL WIOA list and IPEDS
Cosmetology Schools in the San Diego area at a glance
- Open to the public
- 11 programs: 10 at colleges and schools (IPEDS), 1 known only from the WIOA list
- Distance from San Diego
- 3 within 10 miles; nearest 6.3 miles, farthest 24.1 miles
- Listed program cost
- 9 of 11 list one: $4,500 to $25,208, middle $16,250 (DOL WIOA list and IPEDS)
- Program length
- 8 colleges list a length: 2 months to 12 months (IPEDS)
- Length on the WIOA list
- 1 listed program gives weeks: 99 weeks full time
- Completions, 2023-24
- 476 cosmetology awards at the 9 colleges that reported any (IPEDS)
- On the WIOA list
- 1 of 11 on California's eligible training list (DOL file, June 30, 2025)
- Pay here
- $37,290 median for hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists ($17.93 an hour); 10th to 90th percentile $35,500 to $62,130; 2,870 employed in the metro area; California median $38,660 (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
Cosmetology programs, nearest to San Diego first
| Program | Where | Type | Program cost | Length | Completions | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellus Academy-Poway | Poway | Certificate | $25,208 | 11 months | 61 | 6.3 |
| TNN Beauty Barber, Cosmetology, Permanent Makeup of CA & TCWIOA list | Poway | WIOA list only | $5,450 | Not reported | 7.8 | |
| California Hair Design Academy | La Mesa | Certificate | $16,250 | 8 months | 50 | 9.4 |
| Bellus Academy-El Cajon | El Cajon | Certificate | $23,759 | 12 months | 53 | 11.1 |
| Associated Barber College of San Diego | San Diego | Certificate | $19,000 | 7 months | 4 | 11.7 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-San Diego | San Diego | Certificate | $4,500 | 2 months | 133 | 11.8 |
| San Diego City College | San Diego | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 52 | 11.8 |
| Southern California College of Barber and Beauty | Escondido | Certificate | $7,664 | 12 months | 11 | 17.0 |
| Palomar Institute of Cosmetology | San Marcos | Certificate | $16,250 | 7 months | 62 | 18.2 |
| Bellus Academy-Chula Vista | Chula Vista | Certificate | $16,850 | 8 months | 50 | 18.6 |
| MiraCosta College | Oceanside | Certificate | Not reported | Not reported | 0 | 24.1 |
- College programs, cost and completions: IPEDS complete data files, 2024-25 collection, read October 8, 2026.
- WIOA list: DOL TrainingProviderResults.gov program file (ETA-9171), read October 8, 2026.
- Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, read October 8, 2026.
Paying for training
- WIOA in California: 4,171 programs are on the state's list in the U.S. DOL file, 33 of them Cosmetology.
- Pell Grants for short programs
- Workforce Pell
- GI Bill
Other California metro areas
- Los Angeles area52 programs
- Riverside area16 programs
- San Francisco area11 programs
- Sacramento area8 programs
- Fresno area6 programs
- San Jose area6 programs
- Modesto area4 programs
- Merced area3 programs