Most Popular Beauty Schools in Phoenix, AZ Metro Area

WRITTEN BY Beauty Schools Directory Editorial Staff | EDITED BY Sarah Mattie | UPDATED ON 03/29/2024

Phoenix, AZ Most Popular Beauty Schools

#1: The Studio Academy of Beauty — Chandler

1,298 students enrolled

Studio Academy's Chandler campus was established in 2006 as the school's flagship location. Its 1,600-hour cosmetology program covers various topics and techniques, including hair cutting and styling, coloring and lightening, chemical waving and relaxing, facials, makeup, manicuring, Arizona state laws, and professional business practices. The school offers flexible schedules with both day and night classes available, so it's easy to fit in around other commitments.

"I am a student here and I personally love this environment," says one learner on Facebook. "All of these instructors are extremely knowledgeable of their profession and they share and teach it well. The services are awesome! Everyone is always so friendly. Protocols are always followed and they teach us to be extremely thorough. I am so excited and sad to graduate at the same time, I wish I could never leave!"

#2: Avalon Institute — Phoenix

915 students enrolled

Just like its Mesa campus, at the Avalon School of Cosmetology's Phoenix location, students can choose from programs in esthetics, cosmetology, and student instruction and take optional extra classes.

The school's cosmetology program takes between 55 and 86 weeks to complete (depending on whether you attend during the day or at night) and covers various beauty-based topics and techniques. Students also practice their skills in the school's onsite spa salon while under the instruction of qualified expert educators.

One recent reviewer on Indeed has this to say about their experience: "This was a lot of hands on training, it is a very good program for anyone to attend. A typical day would either be hands on with an actual client or learning a curriculum hands on for half of the day. Then the other half hands on learning."

#3: Avalon Institute — Mesa

705 students enrolled

#4: Penrose Academy — Scottsdale

607 students enrolled

As well as offering courses in esthetics, hair, and laser services, Penrose Academy is the first school in Arizona to be approved by the U.S. Department of Education to offer a cosmetology hybrid online and in-person program.

The 1,500-hour, 47-week program combines hands-on techniques and classroom sessions with distance learning online and at your convenience, making it easy to fit in around other commitments. It runs on a four-day schedule and covers various topics, from cutting, coloring, and styling, to extensions, nails, skin treatments, and business training.

The school has partnerships with leading brands such as Davines, Hattori Hanzo, Joico, and CND, and works with the Pivot Point Lab 2.0 curriculum. It also has a 70-chair student salon and four-chair beauty bar, where students can practice their skills.

"Good combination of classroom and hands-on learning," says one reviewer on Indeed. "The school made everything very interactive for each student. It also had good Technology for educational purposes."

#5: Aveda Institute Phoenix — Tempe

393 students enrolled

This Tempe beauty school, part of the Aveda Institute family, offers students the choice of programs in cosmetology or esthiology. As a brand, Aveda is committed to caring for the world we live in, from the products it makes to how it gives back to society. Because of this, it focuses on the use of cruelty-free products with naturally derived ingredients and 100% post-consumer recycled PET packaging.

The school's cosmetology program takes 1,600 hours and includes training in hair cutting, color, and texture services, skin and nail care, makeup artistry, and business development.

Reviews are favorable, such as this testimonial from one former cosmetology student on Indeed: "There's a great balance of classroom and service floor time. You're not going to perform a service without any education and hands on time in the classroom."

#6: Empire Beauty School — Avondale

285 students enrolled

#7: Paul Mitchell The School Phoenix — Phoenix

139 students enrolled

#8: Xtylo Beauty College — Phoenix

77 students enrolled

#9: Empire Beauty School — Chandler

73 students enrolled

#10: Kor Beauty Academy — Peoria

68 students enrolled

#11: International Barber College — Chandler

60 students enrolled

More Phoenix-Area Beauty School Rankings

Methodology and Editor’s Notes

We compared educational institutions from the Beauty Schools Directory database of beauty programs across the U.S. Those analyzed for these rankings were educational institutions that:

Report into the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)—predominantly institutions with programmatic accreditation
Had 50 or more students over the course of 12 months as of 2022
Were not a vocational/technical high school, community college, or postsecondary school that mainly offered programs outside of beauty training. We also excluded institutions offering massage therapy programs exclusively. These types of institutions were omitted for various reasons that make key data points difficult or irrelevant to compare apples to apples. We intended to compare standalone beauty schools or schools that mainly train beauty students.

Data was sourced from 2022, the latest available as of publication date.