Stockton is in the Central Valley of California, surrounded by farmland. Stockton is one of the top 15 biggest cities in California, meaning that there’s a decent amount of potential for thriving in the cosmetology field. Where there are people, there is hair to be done and skin to be taken care of.
Stockton has a bustling performing arts scene, ranging from music to museums. The city is home to Stockton Symphony—the 3rd largest orchestra in California—as well as the Stockton Civic Theatre and the Stockton Opera. All of these venues present opportunities for potential clients, whether you want to do hair and makeup for a stage or a glamorous blowout for someone attending a show.
Many films and shows have been shot in Stockton, which lends the possibility to work on a movie or TV set doing hair and makeup. Stockton’s relativity to Los Angeles and Hollywood leaves the door open to a future in film set work.
Stockton has several museums, which, similarly to performing arts venues, may be potential client hotspots. Museums often host events—sometimes causal and sometimes more elegant—which means that people will be looking for a chic up-do or sleek coif.
Getting around Stockton tends to be most accessible by car, but a railway system throughout the city makes it so traveling without a car isn’t impossible. In addition, Stockton is reasonably equidistant between San Francisco and Sacramento, though both cities are a bit of a drive away.
Even though Stockton is a smaller city than some of the other major ones in California, there’s still some variety among the cosmetology programs available.
The Best Cosmetology Schools in Stockton
Program quality was the chief driving force in our program recommendation decision process. Cost and financial aid potential were other significant factors that we looked at, as we know that the expense of schooling can make or break a potential choice.
Usually, location is another prime reason for giving a school a higher or lower rank. Still, we were more generous with including surrounding areas and suburbs with Stockton, as the neighboring schools’ accreditation and proximity merited placement on our list.
Without further ado, let’s check out the best cosmetology programs in and around Stockton!
Inspire Academy of Barbering and Cosmetology
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Inspire Academy of Barbering and Cosmetology is an extremely small school, which means there’s a lot of specialized instruction. This is a perfect fit if you want a lot of hands-on training and attention you may not get from a bigger class. Inspire Academy of Barbering of Cosmetology will be offering night classes soon, which will open up the flexibility of the school’s schedule—right now, classes are offered only from morning until late afternoon. The school is currently working on becoming accredited so they can offer financial aid, but as of now, it’s still the most cost-efficient option in the Stockton area.
Cost: $12.7k plus books and equipment
Program Length: 1600 hours
Location: 445 W. Weber Ave. Ste. 223, Stockton, CA 95203
Financial Aid: Inspire Academy doesn’t offer financial aid at this time.
Other Programs Offered: Barbering, esthetics, nail technician
Paul Mitchell the School, Modesto
Paul Mitchell the School, Modesto, gives each student a full cosmetology kit, which includes an iPad so students have full access to everything they need on the go. Students work closely with learning leaders through the beginning phases of their academic careers and also have the opportunity to be part of student teams. These teams each have different focus areas, ranging from sustainability to social media, and can help hone skills the student is looking to build in a collaborative setting. There is also a big emphasis on working in the school’s salon for practice and learning, which gives lots of real-world, hands-on experience.
Cost: 21.3k
Program Length: 1600 hours
Location: 3100 McHenry Avenue, Modesto, CA 95350
Financial Aid: Paul Mitchell the School, Modesto offers scholarships and financial aid to those who qualify.
Other Programs Offered: Barbering, esthetics, nail technician
Adrian’s Beauty Academy
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Adrian’s Beauty Academy has the most program variety out of any of the available options and is the only school that offers cosmetology instructor training. So, if being an instructor really speaks to you, then Adrian’s Beauty Academy is definitely the right fit. Each student receives a recommended product and equipment list for their kit, which they can purchase directly through Adrian’s Beauty Academy or get on their own. This means that they don’t have to be tied to a specific brand if they don’t want to be, but they do have the option if it’s more convenient.
Cost: $15.5k, plus books and equipment
Program Length: 1600 hours
Location: 124 Floyd Ave, Modesto, CA 95350
Financial Aid: Adrian’s Beauty Academy does offer financial aid to those who qualify.
Other Programs Offered: Barbering, esthetics, nail technician, cosmetology instructor