Accredited cosmetology programs
243 cosmetology programs at accredited schools, approved for WIOA funding in 41 states and territories
That is 68% of the 355 cosmetology programs that states have approved for workforce funding. The schools are on the US Department of Education's list of accredited schools. The Department doesn't accredit schools itself: it reviews accrediting agencies and lists the ones it recognizes as reliable judges of the quality of the education they accredit.1
WIOA funding doesn't require accreditation: besides colleges, a state can approve other public and private training providers.2 Funding comes through your own state's list, so pick your state below.
All cosmetology programs by state, accredited or not, with costs and results
Accredited cosmetology programs in each state
- Arizona8accredited schools, 9 programs
- Arkansas2accredited schools, 2 programs
- California13accredited schools, 14 programs
- Colorado4accredited schools, 4 programs
- Connecticut1accredited school, 1 program
- Delaware1accredited school, 1 program
- Florida1accredited school, 1 program
- Georgia4accredited schools, 4 programs
- Hawaii1accredited school, 1 program
- Illinois4accredited schools, 4 programs
- Indiana1accredited school, 1 program
- Iowa9accredited schools, 9 programs
- Kansas1accredited school, 1 program
- Kentucky2accredited schools, 2 programs
- Louisiana1accredited school, 1 program
- Maine1accredited school, 1 program
- Maryland3accredited schools, 3 programs
- Massachusetts2accredited schools, 2 programs
- Michigan7accredited schools, 8 programs
- Minnesota9accredited schools, 14 programs
- Mississippi1accredited school, 1 program
- Missouri8accredited schools, 8 programs
- Montana1accredited school, 1 program
- Nevada5accredited schools, 6 programs
- New Jersey6accredited schools, 6 programs
- New York2accredited schools, 2 programs
- North Carolina11accredited schools, 15 programs
- North Dakota1accredited school, 1 program
- Ohio22accredited schools, 23 programs
- Pennsylvania2accredited schools, 2 programs
- Puerto Rico9accredited schools, 18 programs
- Rhode Island2accredited schools, 2 programs
- South Dakota2accredited schools, 2 programs
- Tennessee17accredited schools, 17 programs
- Utah6accredited schools, 6 programs
- Vermont1accredited school, 1 program
- Virginia1accredited school, 1 program
- Washington21accredited schools, 28 programs
- West Virginia5accredited schools, 6 programs
- Wisconsin12accredited schools, 12 programs
- Wyoming2accredited schools, 2 programs
Schools with cosmetology programs that the state approved for WIOA funding and that are on the Department of Education's list. A school approved in two states counts in each.
How the accredited cosmetology schools were found
Which programs are counted?
Programs that states approved for WIOA funding, from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).3 The two lists share no ID number, so we matched each school by its website and name in the same state, and checked every unclear case by hand. A school that only hosts a college's classes doesn't count as the college.
How current is the accreditation?
We read the Department's list of October 24, 2026 and count only current accreditation. The Department notes that agencies report this information, that it isn't audited, and that the agency itself has the latest status.1
Sources for the accreditation facts about cosmetology programs
Show the 3 sourcesHide the sources
- US Department of Education, Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), data files of 2026-10-24
- 20 CFR 680.410, What is an eligible training provider? (eCFR)
- 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