You wouldn’t expect much from a city famous for its cows—or would you? Despite its epithet of “Where the West Begins,” Fort Worth is more than just cattle and indoor rodeos. In fact, it’s a pretty great place to start a career in the beauty industry, as Fort Worth is home to some amazing cosmetology schools as well.
This fact is a bit serendipitous, given that Texas has become a burgeoning beauty hub in the past five years. Some of beauty’s biggest influencers are proud Texans and entrepreneurial tastemakers; the Drunk Elephant and GloPro got their start here. When you take into account that Texas is situated squarely in the middle of the country (and is also way cheaper and more spacious than Los Angeles or New York), suddenly you start to see why the beauty industry is taking root here.
Speaking of cheap, have we mentioned how amazingly affordable Fort Worth is? While it’s no buzzing cosmopolitan epicenter, it’s 28.8% cheaper to live here than Los Angeles (and 2% cheaper than the national average), making it an attractively affordable spot to set up shop. On a cosmetologist’s average salary of $30,000, this is actually very doable. Plus, you’ll have less traffic and more wide, open spaces to stretch your legs in Texas. Now that’s something worth messing with!
So how does one begin their journey in the beauty industry here? The first step is to enroll in cosmetology school, of course. But it can be a bit overwhelming trying to sift through all the options to find the best fit for you. That’s why we took it upon ourselves and did the hard work for you, choosing the best schools in the area in terms of program selection, tuition costs, and financing options.
The Best Cosmetology Schools in Fort Worth, TX
Keep reading to learn more about our top picks for cosmetology schools in Fort Worth. No matter what your top priority is, there’s a school out there for you that caters to both your financial and professional goals. Feel free to use our handy school finder to check out which of our schools is closest to you, too.
1) Ogle School
With nine locations across the Lone Star State, the Ogle School is clearly a hit with aspiring Texas-based beauticians. They’ve also adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic’s ever-shifting educational landscape, offering both in-person and tablet learning options for their programs. Students can also enroll in the Prosper U Business Training program as well, which teaches the basics of marketing, customer retention, and brand building to set students up for post-grad professional success.
However, you’ll have to inquire for more information on their programs’ tuition costs and lengths, but you can expect it to be somewhere around $15,000—this is the ballpark tuition cost for the cosmetology programs of other schools on this list. Fortunately, money-minded students have a slew of financing options to choose from, putting this world-class cosmetology training well within reach for everybody.
Cost: Inquire for information
Program Length: Inquire for information
Location: 6125 S.W. Loop 820, Suite 128, Fort Worth, TX 76132
Financial Aid: Federal grants, DIRECT loans (i.e., standard, subsidized, unsubsidized, and PLUS), private loans through banks or credit unions, G.I. Bill benefits (for applicable veterans), scholarship opportunities
Other Programs Offered: Esthetics program
2) Fort Worth Beauty School
This family-owned beauty school has been training some of Texas’ finest beauticians since 1985. Owned and operated by three generations of women, Fort Worth Beauty School is committed to helping budding beauticians get their start in the industry, no matter if they’re in their cosmetology, esthetics, or manicuring program. Industry veterans and ambitious rookies alike can also further their education by taking the student-instructor program, which gives them the tools to help teach Texas’ beauticians of tomorrow.
Tuition for the cosmetology program is just over $15K, which is on par with about every other cosmetology school in the area. They also offer a host of scheduling and financing options in an effort to make their programs more accessible for those with already busy lifestyles; full-time students can expect to finish any of these programs in eight months or less.
Cost: $15,800 (for the cosmetology program)
Program Length: 1000 hours (for the cosmetology program)
Location: 4601 Boat Club Rd., Fort Worth, TX 76135
Financial Aid: Pell Grants, DIRECT student loans, private loans through banks or credit unions, G.I. Bill benefits (for applicable veterans), scholarship opportunities
Other Programs Offered: Esthetics, manicuring, and student-instructor programs
3) I.T.S. Academy of Beauty
For the past 40 years, I.T.S. Academy of Beauty has been training young beauticians in both Texas and Oklahoma. Their program list is fairly comprehensive; think the usual offerings like cosmetology, nail technician, and barbering programs alongside extras like eyebrow threading, makeup contouring, and Brazilian waxing classes, to name a few. However, it’s really their employment placement numbers that speak to this school’s success, as over 65% of graduates find work in their respective professions within a year of graduation.
Like almost every other cosmetology school, they offer a host of financial aid options, like federal and private loans, scholarship opportunities, and even veteran benefits for those who have served our country. You’ll also find a wealth of informational resources on their website, including occupational outlooks for different professions in the beauty industry, where to find scholarships, and FAQ for financial aid applications.
Cost: $15,495 (for the cosmetology program)
Program Length: 1500 hours (for the cosmetology program)
Location: 1802 Green Oaks Rd., Fort Worth, Texas 76116
Financial Aid: Pell Grants, federal DIRECT subsidized and unsubsidized loans, private loans through banks or credit unions, G.I. Bill benefits (for applicable veterans), scholarship opportunities
Other Programs Offered: Barbering, esthetics, and nail technician programs
4) Tint School of Makeup & Cosmetology
We love Tint not only for their flexible start dates and myriad financing options, but also because they enroll international students in their programs. This means that non-citizens can still kick-start their careers here in the U.S., so long as they’re able to head back to their home country and apply for a student M-1 visa there first. Their programs have pretty favorable placement rates, too: 46% for the cosmetology program, 57% for the manicuring program, and a whopping 93% for the makeup artistry program.
They also have a job bank right on their website for graduates who need a little extra help finding work. You can find resources for estimated tuition costs, tips for finding gainful employment, and even a campus crime report as well. Fort Worth residents won’t have to worry about making too long of a trek, either; this Irving-based school is just a short, 15-minute drive away.
Cost: $15,875 (for the cosmetology program)
Program Length: 1000 hours (for the cosmetology program)
Location: 2716 W Irving Blvd., Irving, TX 75061
Financial Aid: Pell Grants, DIRECT loans (i.e., subsidized, unsubsidized, PLUS, and consolidated), private loans through banks or credit unions, G.I. Bill benefits (for applicable veterans), scholarship opportunities
Other Programs Offered: Manicuring and makeup artistry programs
5) Duvall’s School of Cosmetology
If you’re skeptical of what Duvall’s has to offer its students, take a look at their alumni and client testimonials on their website. Here you’ll find dozens of satisfied customers raving about the top-notch training and cosmetological services they provide their students and clients, respectively. Their transparency only underscores their mission statement of helping students discover their passion for beauty and helping others look and feel their best.
The school is accredited and recognized by several of the beauty industry’s top organizations and brands, including the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS), Texas Veterans Commission, and DermaMed Solutions, to name a few. These credentials are proof that you’ll get exactly the training you need to start your cosmetology career at Duvall’s.
Cost: $16,825 (for the cosmetology program)
Program Length: 1000 hours (for the cosmetology program)
Location: 201 Harwood Rd. #218, Bedford, TX 76021
Financial Aid: Pell Grants, DIRECT loans (i.e., standard and PLUS), private loans through banks or credit unions, G.I. Bill benefits (for applicable veterans), scholarship opportunities
Other Programs Offered: Esthetics and student-instructor programs
Final Thoughts on Cosmetology Schools in Fort Worth, TX
There’s plenty to mess with in Texas—particularly cosmetology programs that will help jumpstart your professional dreams. Thankfully, choosing a school isn’t hard when you’ve done your homework, and hopefully, we’ve helped with the research phase of your program hunt! As always, thanks for reading, and best of luck on your search for a school that’s right for you.