Most Popular Beauty Schools in San Francisco, CA Metro Area

WRITTEN BY Casey Lozier | EDITED BY Jessica Santina | UPDATED ON 05/28/2024

It could be said that the schools with the most students attract so many students for a reason, whether for their low student-teacher ratios, convenient locations or scheduling options, affordable tuition, or something else. Looking at the most popular schools and digging into what makes them popular can help you pick the best San Francisco metro beauty school.

Most Popular Beauty Schools in San Francisco, CA Metro Badge

San Francisco, CA Most Popular Beauty Schools

#1: Moler Barber College — Oakland

638 students enrolled

According to the most recent available data, Moler Barber College had more students graduate in 12 months than any other beauty school in the San Francisco area. The 638 students who graduated from the program during 150% of the typical length of time account for Moler Beauty School earning the honor of being the most popular beauty school in the area.

Classes at Moler start every two weeks. Students can choose between programs in cosmetology, barbering, or esthetics.

In addition to its multiple convenient locations across the Bay Area, the school offers refresher courses for students re-enrolling in barbering or cosmetology programs after taking a break from their studies.

#2: International College of Cosmetology — Oakland

398 students enrolled

The International College of Cosmetology has been open since 1999. It can partly attribute its longevity and popularity to the understanding that different students have different needs. Not only does it offer flexible schedules, but it also has course materials in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese. In fact, most teachers are bilingual and work hard to ensure international students can succeed.

Given how the college strives to welcome all learners, it's no wonder it has high enrollment.

#3: The Salon Professional Academy — San Jose

387 students enrolled

TSPA prides itself on having a student-first culture, and nothing draws someone in more than feeling like they matter as a person. Whether you take the school's cosmetology or esthetics program, you'll be encouraged to celebrate your uniqueness and creativity while learning valuable skills for your career.

The school's location may also contribute to its popularity. TSPA is within walking distance of a Target, several restaurants, a Trader Joe's, and more.

#3: Paul Mitchell The School East Bay — Pleasant Hill

387 students enrolled

Tied for third place is Paul Mitchell The School East Bay, where name recognition, programs offered, and outreach to potential students may explain its popularity. Here, you can take cosmetology, esthetics, or barbering, so the school caters to people of all sorts of interests.

This institution performs outreach at local high school career fairs, meaning they can show young learners how to turn their curiosity into a career.

#5: San Francisco Institute of Esthetics & Cosmetology — San Francisco

344 students enrolled

This Paul Mitchell partner school offers barbering, cosmetology, esthetics, and nail programs. It strives to stay on top of all the latest trends and developments in beauty. It also has a passion for the planet, so students who share a love of going green may feel right at home here.

The San Francisco Institute of Esthetics & Cosmetology tailors its training to each learner using Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences. So, if a student learns best visually, their training should look different from one who learns best with hands-on practice. As each learner is treated as a unique human, it's no wonder the school appeals to so many.

#6: JD Academy of Salon and Spa — Danville

291 students enrolled

#7: Cinta Aveda Institute — San Francisco

205 students enrolled

#8: Urban Barber College — Concord

192 students enrolled

#9: Hilltop Beauty School — Daly City

140 students enrolled

More San Francisco-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.