If you enjoy helping others look their best and feel more confident, consider a career in cosmetology. Cosmetologists typically specialize in hairdressing, though some may explore further training in spa treatments, nail care, and other beautification skills. According to Salary.com, licensed cosmetologists in Florida make an average of $25,801 per year.
Do Cosmetologists Need A License?
Yes, they must pass an exam and obtain a license in order to work in Florida. The exam consists of two parts: Written Theory and Written Clinical. Written Theory is a 1.5 hour multiple-choice exam covering safety, services, and professional and ethical laws. The Written Clinical exam is also multiple-choice and 1.5 hours long. It covers a wide spectrum of hair treatments and styling.
What Are The Requirements For Taking The Cosmetology License Exam?
In order to take the Florida State Board of Cosmetology exam, applicants must be at least 16 years old and have completed at least 1,200 clock hours of schooling in a cosmetology program. Applicants must submit a graduate certification from an accredited program. Additionally, a board-approved HIV/AIDS course must be completed within two years prior to applying.
You may be able to complete some portions of your cosmetology training online! Check out the resources on our site for more information.
Top 5 Cosmetology Schools in Florida
Rank | School | Location |
---|---|---|
1 | Palm Beach State College | Palm Beach County, Florida |
2 | Erwin Technical College | Tampa, Florida |
3 | Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College | Miami, Florida |
4 | Cape Coral Technical College | Cape Coral, Florida |
5 | Eastern Florida State College | Cocoa, Florida |
What Are The Best Value Cosmetology Schools in Florida?
We ranked a list of 20 cosmetology schools from across the state on a 100-point scale. Our criteria included information students find most important when selecting a school: program cost, class size, and graduation rate. Read the results below!
20 Best Value Cosmetology Schools in Florida
Palm Beach State College
Palm Beach State College features Career Certificate Programs in cosmetology as well as specialty certificates in facials and nails. Students must attend a face-to-face meeting with an advisor before being accepted into the program. This program is also available at the Belle Glade campus.
School Overview
Erwin Technical College
The cosmetology program at Erwin Technical College takes about 14 months to complete the required 1200 clock hours for certification. Classes are held during the day on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. They also offer classes during the summer Monday – Thursday.
School Overview
Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College
Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College allows for full or part-time enrollment. At full-time status, students can expect to complete the program within 14 months. Students must be 16 and not enrolled in high school. They have an open-entry, open-exit enrollment, allowing students to enter the program at any time of the year.
School Overview
Cape Coral Technical College
Students can complete the cosmetology program at Cape Coral Technical College in about 11 months. Among the salon-ready skills taught by the school, enrollees also learn how to write and maintain a cover letter, resume and portfolio to prepare for employment.
School Overview
Eastern Florida State College
Students at Eastern Florida State College can complete the program within 3 semesters, with classes beginning in the Fall. The program consists of full-time day classes that start at 7:45AM. The school offers an additional facials specialty certificate program.
School Overview
Daytona State College
Classes at Daytona State College are held full-time days and evenings. Day classes occur Monday – Thursday starting at 8:30AM. Evening classes are offered Monday – Thursday starting at 4PM. Hybrid formats are available for some lecture portions of the course. This program is also offered by the Daytona campus.
School Overview
Indian River State College
Indian River State College allows cosmetology students to specialize in their career training. In addition to barbering and cosmetology, students can choose to specialize in facials or nails. Some courses may be taken part-time.
School Overview
South Dade Technical College
South Dade Technical College’s cosmetology program courses cover hair treatment, facial, nails, and other salon services required for state board certification. In order to enroll, prospective students must be 16 or older and not currently enrolled in a K-12 school.
School Overview
Fort Myers Technical College
The cosmetology program at Fort Myers Technical College takes approximately 11 months to complete. Classes are held full-time during the day from Monday – Friday. Projects in the program include skills competitions and the maintenance of a portfolio that includes photos, a resume, and reference letters.
School Overview
Fred K Marchman Technical College
Fred K Marchman Technical College offers a full-time cosmetology program. There are two schedules to choose from. Option 1: Monday – Friday 7:20 am to 2:40 pm; Option 2: Monday – Thursday 12:30 pm to 7:40 pm, Friday 7:20 am to 2:40 pm. A partnership with the Tampa Bay Career Pathways Consortium allows students to receive some articulated credit toward an associate degree.
School Overview
Manatee Technical College
Manatee Technical College offers courses in two timetables: Day and Evening. The Day program takes about 10 months to complete with classes hosted Monday – Friday. The Night class program takes about 16 months with classes hosted Monday-Thursday in the evening with one daytime class on Saturday. Students may be required to purchase additional books, uniforms, and supplies.
School Overview
Sheridan Technical College
Sheridan Technical College offers blended day or evening classes for full or part-time enrollment. Full-time students can complete the program within 12 months. Some portions of the coursework may be completed online. Students will be required to purchase a uniform from the campus bookstore.
School Overview
Orange Technical College
Students at Orange Technical College may complete the cosmetology program in about 12 months. The full-time schedule requires 29 hours of attendance per week, Monday – Friday. All classes are held during the day, starting at 7:45 in the morning. After completing the program, students can articulate up to 24 credits into the Supervision & Management associate degree program at Valencia College.
School Overview
Pensacola State College
Classes for Pensacola State College’s cosmetology program begin in August, January, and May. The department offers courses in barbering, cosmetology, facial specialty, advanced esthetics, nails specialty, and massage therapy. Depending on the program, some classes may be available in the evening.
School Overview
Ridge Technical College
Ridge Technical College offers courses at three different times to fit student schedules. Day classes are held Monday – Friday beginning at 8 AM. Evening classes are held Monday – Thursday with start times at 2:30 PM and 5:30 PM. Students may also earn additional specialty certification in facials and nails after completing the main cosmetology courses.
School Overview
Pinellas Technical College
Pinellas Technical College offers full-time classes Monday – Friday starting at 7AM. Students are expected to have at least 70% attendance and a minimum 75% satisfactory academic progress in order to graduate. PTC offers this program at their Clearwater and St. Petersburg campuses.
School Overview
George Stone Technical College
Classes at George Stone Technical College are held full-time during the day Monday – Friday. Program costs vary depending on resident status. We have reported the cost for in-state students below. It may be essential for students to purchase additional supplies.
School Overview
Okaloosa Technical College
Okaloosa Technical College features a cosmetology program advised by a council of local salon professionals. Students may have additional expenses for kits and textbooks outside of the program cost listed below.
School Overview
Lively Technical College
The cosmetology program at Lively Technical College is offered on a solely full-time basis. Full-time students must attend a minimum of 30 hours of class 4 to 5 days per week. Night classes may be available, though the specific available times may vary.
School Overview
Florida State College
The Cosmetology Career Certificate program at Florida State College at Jacksonville is offered during day and evening classes. Day classes are held Monday – Thursday starting at 8:30AM. Evening classes occur Monday – Thursday plus Saturday and begin at 5:30PM. Students are required to attend 100% of the course.
School Overview
Interested in exploring more online education opportunities? Use our degree-finding tools and advice to find your path, or check out even more cosmetology schools here.
Our Ranking Methodology
We ranked a list of 20 public colleges in Florida offering cosmetology training based on whole program cost, student-faculty ratio (class size), and first-time full-time student graduation rates. Program cost was obtained directly from each school’s website. Class size and graduation rates were gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics.
We sorted each school by each category and assigned points accordingly. The breakdown of point distribution is as follows: 40% program cost, 40% graduation rate, and 20% class size. The maximum possible points to earn was 100 points.
Reporting Errors
Employees of the above-listed schools are encouraged to contact us to make corrections to the data presented in this article.