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Cosmetology schools in Alabama
Alabama has 29 accredited campuses awarding cosmetology credentials. If you finish and work as a cosmetologist in Alabama, expect to start around $21,300–$23,610 and reach a median of $29,150 with experience; the top quarter earn $37,230 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, Alabama). Graduates of these Alabama programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $14,122 in their first year, against $17,178 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists earn in Alabama
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 3,300 employed in Alabama. National median: $35,790.
Campuses in Alabama, ranked by what their graduates earned
Cities: AlbertvilleAlexander CityAndalusiaBay MinetteBessemerBirminghamDeatsvilleDothanEvergreenGadsdenHancevilleHooverHuntsvilleJacksonJasperMadisonMidfieldMobileMuscle ShoalsRainsvilleSelmaTuscaloosaWadley
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lurleen B Wallace Community College | Andalusia | Public | 24 | $18,296 | not reported | 41% | not reported |
| The Salon Professional Academy-Huntsville | Huntsville | for-profit | 30 | $17,737 | $9,833 | 57% | $19,936 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Huntsville | Madison | for-profit | 50 | $15,904 | $10,398 | not reported | not reported |
| Remington College-Mobile Campus | Mobile | non-profit | 56 | $15,441 | $14,750 | 42% | not reported |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Birmingham | Hoover | for-profit | 67 | $14,122 | $9,833 | 56% | $22,896 |
| University Academy of Hair Design | Tuscaloosa | for-profit | 38 | $13,974 | $9,833 | 81% | $15,855 |
| Blue Cliff Career College | Mobile | for-profit | 11 | $13,089 | $8,833 | 80% | $20,175 |
| George C Wallace Community College-Dothan | Dothan | Public | 73 | $12,218 | not reported | 35% | not reported |
| Northeast Alabama Community College | Rainsville | Public | 47 | $9,206 | not reported | 56% | not reported |
| Gadsden State Community College | Gadsden | Public | 119 | not reported | not reported | 38% | not reported |
| Shelton State Community College | Tuscaloosa | Public | 90 | not reported | not reported | 30% | not reported |
| Northwest Shoals Community College | Muscle Shoals | Public | 52 | not reported | not reported | 39% | not reported |
| George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville | Hanceville | Public | 38 | not reported | not reported | 51% | not reported |
| J. F. Drake State Community and Technical College | Huntsville | Public | 38 | not reported | not reported | 14% | not reported |
| New Beginning College of Cosmetology | Albertville | for-profit | 36 | not reported | not reported | 31% | $18,619 |
| Southern Union State Community College | Wadley | Public | 36 | not reported | not reported | 36% | not reported |
| Winonah's International School of Cosmetology | Hoover | for-profit | 30 | not reported | $6,861 | 61% | $17,030 |
| Coastal Alabama Community College | Bay Minette | Public | 29 | not reported | not reported | 31% | not reported |
| Brown Beauty Barber School | Bessemer | for-profit | 25 | not reported | $16,500 | 83% | $32,112 |
| Bevill State Community College | Jasper | Public | 24 | not reported | not reported | 38% | not reported |
| J F Ingram State Technical College | Deatsville | Public | 23 | not reported | not reported | 21% | not reported |
| Alabama School of Nail Technology & Cosmetology | Jackson | for-profit | 22 | not reported | $16,500 | 62% | $26,107 |
| Reid State Technical College | Evergreen | Public | 22 | not reported | not reported | 59% | not reported |
| Bishop State Community College | Mobile | Public | 21 | not reported | not reported | 36% | not reported |
| Central Alabama Community College | Alexander City | Public | 17 | not reported | not reported | 33% | not reported |
| Lawson State Community College | Birmingham | Public | 12 | not reported | not reported | 27% | not reported |
| George C Wallace State Community College-Selma | Selma | Public | 11 | not reported | not reported | 41% | not reported |
| Midfield Institute of Cosmetology | Midfield | non-profit | 5 | not reported | not reported | 100% | not reported |
| Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Birmingham | Hoover | — | — | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.