Campus and full-service Student Salon
North Austin
Austin, TX 78757
Cosmetology · Texas license
Hair, skin and nails. One license, the whole chair.
A Texas cosmetology license lets you offer every hair service, skin-care services and nail services. You'll learn them all here — in class first, then on real clients in our Student Salon.
What you learn
1,000 hours, most of them on hair.
The program follows the Pivot Point International curriculum. Hair care is the core — cutting, color, chemical texture, styling, wigs and extensions — with skin and nail hours so you graduate qualified for every service a Texas cosmetology license covers.
Clock hours by area, as published in our catalog. Every area includes business skills, professional development, health, safety and laws.
Hair care800 hours
- Cutting, layering and texturizing
- Coloring, highlights and balayage
- Chemical textures and relaxing
- Blow drying and hot-tool styling
- Wigs, extensions and braiding
- Salon management and business skills
Skin care100 hours
- Facials and skin analysis
- Waxing and hair removal
- Eyelash tinting and extensions
- Facial equipment operation
- Cosmetic makeup application
- Body treatments
Nail care100 hours
- Manicures and pedicures
- Artificial nail enhancements
- Nail repair and treatments
- Sanitation and safety protocols
- Professional nail techniques
- Client consultation skills
Products in class and on the salon floor include Wella, Redken, Dermalogica, CND, OPI. Your Pivot Point kit includes the Salon Fundamentals textbook, workbook, tools and mannequins.
Real clients, supervised
8 weeks in class. Then the salon floor.
Your first 8 weeks are intensive classroom instruction. After that, a typical day is class in the morning and salon floor work in the afternoon, in our full-service Student Salon — open to the public, with a licensed instructor supervising every service.
You practice on mannequins and each other first. Then you take real clients: haircuts, color, highlights, balayage, relaxers, updos and more, from our published salon menu.
- Haircut$10
- Haircut with blow-dry$15+
- Permanent color$40+
- Full balayage$70+
Prices as published on our Student Salon and Student Spa menus. Prices are subject to change and may vary with hair length and density; check with your campus for the current schedule.
More than technique
The skills that fill a book of clients.
Every program includes our Retail Skills and Salon Business courses, which teach sales techniques, career management skills and how to build a steady client base. In Cosmetology, salon management and business skills are also part of your hair-care hours.
That's the difference between being able to do a great cut and being able to make a living from one: consultations, retail recommendations, rebooking and the habits that bring a client back.
Retail skillsRecommending and selling the products your clients need
Salon businessCareer management and how a salon actually runs
Client buildingConsultation, rebooking and building a steady clientele
Salon managementTaught within your hair-care hours
Time
About 8 months, full-time.
1,000 clock hours at 32 hours a week is about 34 weeks. We are a clock-hour program, not a credit-hour program: you finish when you have completed your hours and passed your exams.
Life happens. Part-time work, child care, illness or an approved leave of absence can extend that, and students in those circumstances realistically complete in 9–11 months.
If you're interested in part-time study, tell us when you apply. Class hours are Tuesday–Friday, 8:30am–5:00pm.
A typical week
Hours per week32 clock hours
DaysTuesday–Friday
MorningsClass
AfternoonsSalon floor
Out-of-hours workNone required
Investment
$15,900, published. Nothing hidden in it.
The total below is the figure we publish in our catalog and on our start-dates page, last updated August 4, 2025. There are no over-contract fees on any program. Private-pay students make a down payment on tuition; monthly payment plans carry no interest.
| Tuition | $13,900 |
| Books and toolsPivot Point Salon Fundamentals textbook, workbook and supply kit, including mannequins | $1,900 |
| Non-refundable enrollment fee | $100 |
| Published total | $15,900 |
|---|
Paid separately
- $25 registration fee payable to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (first-time enrollees)
- State written and practical exam fees and the license application fee, paid when you schedule your exams
Paying for it
Federal Pell Grants and Federal Direct Loans are available to those who qualify, and monthly payment plans carry no interest.
FAFSA school code012268
We recommend that students — and parents of dependent students — submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
2026 start dates
21 published starts in 2026. Yours is close.
New Cosmetology classes begin about every month. These are the dates we published; the next one is highlighted. Past dates are hidden.
- Jan 6Tue
- Jan 27Tue
- Feb 10Tue
- Mar 3Tue
- Mar 24Tue
- Apr 7Tue
- Apr 28Tue
- May 19Tue
- Jun 2Tue
- Jun 23Tue
- Jul 14Tue
- Jul 28Tue
- Aug 18Tue
- Aug 25Tue
- Sep 8Tue
- Sep 22Tue
- Oct 13Tue · next class
- Nov 3Tue
- Nov 17Tue
- Dec 8Tue
- Dec 15Tue
5 of 21 published 2026 starts remain as of 2026-09-24. Prior to starting class, all financial aid paperwork must be complete — we help with that.
After graduation
Licensed by the state. Introduced by us.
After graduation you take the Texas state board written and practical exams, administered for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, to receive your license.
We maintain an active list of Austin salons seeking licensed professionals and will help connect you with interviews as long as you remain in the profession. A continuously updated list of salons seeking personnel is kept in our administrative office, and at your request we help arrange interviews with prospective employers.
Employment assistance is offered to graduates who remain in the beauty profession. No job is guaranteed by graduation.
0%Completion2024, school-wide
0%Placement2024, school-wide
0%Licensure2024, school-wide
Baldwin Beauty Schools 2024 annual report rates · consumer information
“At Baldwin, I felt recognized. I felt important. Today, I have clients. I have confidence. I have a great education.”
Ricky HodgeOwner, Ricky Hodge Salon · Featured by Baldwin, September 2015
Choose a campus
The same program at both campuses.
Cosmetology is taught at North Austin and South Austin. Both have a full-service Student Salon. Pick the commute that works, then come see it.
8440 Burnet Road, Suite 140
Austin, TX 78757
Campus, full-service Student Salon and headquarters administration
South Austin
Austin, TX 78704
Questions
Cosmetology, asked and answered.
Do I need any experience?
No prior beauty experience is required or expected. You need to be 17 or older and hold a high school diploma, GED or approved equivalent. Your first 8 weeks are dedicated to classroom instruction, and the curriculum is built to take you from the beginning.
How does the cost break down?
The published total is $15,900: $13,900 tuition, $1,900 books and tools, $100 non-refundable enrollment fee. Separately, first-time enrollees pay a $25 registration fee to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and state exam and license fees apply when you schedule your exams. There are no over-contract fees on any program.
How long does it take?
The program is 1,000 clock hours, completed full-time (32 hours a week) in about 34 weeks — 8 months. Part-time work, child care, illness or an approved leave of absence can extend that; students realistically finish in 9–11 months in those cases.
What happens after I graduate?
After completing your hours and passing your written and practical exams with a grade of 70 or above, you receive a diploma of completion. You then take the Texas state board examination to receive your license. We maintain an active list of Austin salons seeking licensed professionals and will help connect you with interviews as long as you remain in the profession.
Can I transfer hours from another school?
Yes. We accept up to 500 transfer clock hours for Cosmetology, subject to review and approval at the time of enrollment, and adjust tuition accordingly.
Where do classes take place?
At either of our two Austin campuses — both reached by major freeways with bus routes in walking distance. We are not a hybrid school: all your work is done in the classroom or the on-site Student Salon, with no out-of-hours work required.
Your next step
When you're ready — and not before.
Ready to see it
Plan a campus visit
Pick a campus and a time. Admissions confirms by phone. Or call (512) 441-6898.
Request a visitReady to commit
Start your application
Begins with a conversation and an interview with admissions.
Apply now