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Cosmetology schools in Kentucky
Kentucky has 23 accredited campuses awarding cosmetology credentials. If you finish and work as a cosmetologist in Kentucky, expect to start around $22,580–$26,730 and reach a median of $29,840 with experience; the top quarter earn $42,220 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, Kentucky). Graduates of these Kentucky programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $17,100 in their first year, against $17,178 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists earn in Kentucky
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 2,350 employed in Kentucky. National median: $35,790.
Campuses in Kentucky, ranked by what their graduates earned
Cities: AshlandBelfryBereaBowling GreenCampbellsvilleElizabethtownFlorenceGlasgowHazardLexingtonLouisvilleManchesterPaducahPaintsvilleSomersetWhitesburg
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Beauty School-Florence | Florence | for-profit | 65 | $18,295 | $13,000 | 75% | $20,979 |
| Regina Webb Academy | Bowling Green | for-profit | 11 | $17,977 | not reported | 100% | $20,600 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Louisville | Louisville | for-profit | 98 | $17,792 | $9,833 | 73% | $33,260 |
| Empire Beauty School-Elizabethtown | Elizabethtown | for-profit | 42 | $17,754 | $10,667 | 51% | $21,845 |
| PJ's College of Cosmetology-Glasgow | Glasgow | for-profit | 25 | $17,502 | $15,286 | 67% | $33,168 |
| Empire Beauty School-Chenoweth | Louisville | for-profit | 41 | $17,189 | $12,090 | 57% | $20,033 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Lexington | Lexington | for-profit | 80 | $17,012 | $12,415 | 79% | $28,503 |
| Summit Salon Academy-Lexington | Lexington | for-profit | 34 | $16,764 | $7,917 | 55% | $18,701 |
| PJ's College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green | Bowling Green | for-profit | 74 | $16,566 | $7,917 | 64% | $30,528 |
| Empire Beauty School-Dixie | Louisville | for-profit | 42 | $15,988 | $12,000 | 52% | $23,134 |
| Campbellsville University | Campbellsville | non-profit | 63 | $15,076 | $8,750 | not reported | not reported |
| Somerset Community College | Somerset | Public | 52 | $13,178 | $10,772 | 43% | not reported |
| Lindsey Institute of Cosmetology | Bowling Green | for-profit | 40 | $11,569 | $9,395 | 83% | $19,169 |
| Employment Solutions-College for Technical Education | Lexington | non-profit | 35 | not reported | $14,089 | 63% | $26,784 |
| Ashland Community and Technical College | Ashland | Public | 31 | not reported | not reported | 51% | not reported |
| West Kentucky Community and Technical College | Paducah | Public | 27 | not reported | not reported | 50% | not reported |
| South Eastern Beauty Academy | Paintsville | for-profit | 22 | not reported | not reported | 41% | $12,266 |
| Allure Beauty College | Whitesburg | for-profit | 19 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Appalachian Beauty School | Belfry | for-profit | 17 | not reported | not reported | 56% | $17,455 |
| Hazard Community and Technical College | Hazard | Public | 17 | not reported | not reported | 48% | not reported |
| Bluegrass Community and Technical College | Lexington | Public | 16 | not reported | not reported | 43% | not reported |
| Edge Academy of Beauty | Manchester | for-profit | 12 | not reported | not reported | not reported | $20,565 |
| Berea Beauty Academy | Berea | — | — | 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.