Nail Technology (MO) is a Certificate program offered by Academy of Beauty Professionals in Raymore, MO. Tuition is $5,244 total.
Program Overview
The Academy’s Missouri nail technology programme is 400 clock hours and is designed to prepare you for licensing as a Missouri nail technician (manicurist). Hands-on work in a salon and spa atmosphere begins in the second week of class.
The school builds the course on three segments — theory, practical and professional — with practical training carried out on real clients. More than half the programme is manicuring, hand and arm massage and treatment of the nails.
What sets this Program apart
- Graduate in about 20 weeks of instruction at 20 hours a week
- Hands-on learning in a working salon and spa environment from the second week of class
- A small learner-to-instructor ratio, with individual coaching rather than lectures
- No uniforms and no lectures — group discussion and self-expression are part of the method
- Exclusive lessons on people skills, social-media marketing, sustainability and wellness
- Preparation for the state licensing examination, plus work on interviews, résumés and portfolios
- Textbooks are itemised in the published cost, with no hidden add-on
Every programme here runs on what the Academy calls a contemporary, competency-based curriculum: the skills needed to work in the industry are broken into units the school calls “the Arts,” and a learner masters one before advancing to the next. The school’s stated reason is pace — the structure is designed to let learners spend longer on the areas they find harder without holding back the rest of the group.
Teaching starts with people skills rather than technique. The Academy opens with a three-week block on interaction and confident communication, on the founder’s argument that “if you can’t deal with a client… then you’re not going to succeed, no matter how well you cut hair.” Classrooms are run without podiums or uniforms, with instructors working beside learners in a salon and spa floor rather than lecturing to them.
Admission Requirements and Process
Attending the Academy of Beauty Professionals is the beginning of turning your passion into your dream career. We understand starting a new chapter can be overwhelming, so we explained the steps on how to get started. One of our Directors of Enrollment will guide you through every step!
General Requirements
- High School Diploma or EquivalentAcademy of Beauty Professionals admits as regular students only persons having a “Valid” high school diploma or its recognized equivalent. Academy of Beauty Professionals does not…
- Foreign Diploma EvaluationThe student must have the diploma/transcript translated in detail by using a “foreign diploma evaluation service.” The translated diploma must confirm the academic equivalence to…
- Age and Parental ApprovalYou must have written approval of parents if under 18 years of age and must be 17 years of age upon completing the program to be eligible for the Missouri State Board exam.
- Personal Interview and Campus VisitSchedule with our Admissions Representative a personal interview and participate in a campus visit and successfully complete a pre-admission interview.
- Proof of Age and DocumentsYou must provide proof of age (valid government issued ID or birth certificate), a “Valid” diploma or documentation of high school completion/GED, change of name documentation if…
- Application and Registration FeesSubmit the $40.00 Application and processing fee. Once the student has met the admissions requirements, the $100.00 Registration Fee is due at the time of the signing of the…
- Two-Week Trial PeriodAcademy of Beauty Professionals requires our students to participate in a Two-Week Trial Period prior to full acceptance to the program. Students must maintain an 80% average, and…
- No Vaccinations RequiredNo vaccinations are required by the Academy of Beauty Professionals to enroll.
Application Process
- 1Request InfoFill out our “Request Info” form. One of our Directors of Enrollment will then reach out to you shortly!
- 2Attend Your Career Planning SessionSchedule and attend your career planning session with your Director of Enrollment. It’s important for our admissions team to learn about you and your dream, so they can guide you through this decision-making process and be there to answer any questions you may have. Feel free to bring a guest to your career planning session!
- 3Complete the ApplicationComplete the application process with your Director of Enrollment. They will help you with every step!
- 4Submit Scholarship PaperworkSubmit scholarship and/or tuition discount paperwork.
- 5Bring Your DiplomaBring your high school diploma, GED, or HSED – or contact your high school and ask them to send us your official final transcript.
- 6Stay in TouchStay in touch with your Director of Enrollment and get ready to start your new journey! New Look. New Career. New You!
Program Schedule
The programme is 400 clock hours, taught 20 hours a week. Orientation runs 1–1.5 hours and counts towards clock hours.
Start dates run through the year and are published in the Missouri catalog; the Admissions Department at each location confirms the next one. Graduation requires an 80% minimum grade-point average across written tests and school examinations, a pass at 80% on every practical, completion of all 400 hours and assignments, and all financial obligations met.
Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
Attending an accredited institution means your education has met independently reviewed quality standards designed to protect students.
This program: the Academy of Beauty Professionals holds Additional Location Accreditation from the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts & Sciences (NACCAS) and states in its catalog that it is current with compliance standards.
- A reliable indicator of educational quality
- Recognised by employers across the beauty industry
- Credits toward a state licensing examination
- Independently reviewed against published standards
Accreditations
Student Demographics
These are demographics for all students at the Raymore Campus (IPEDS, 2024).
Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid Information
The figures below are the Academy’s own Costs per Course 2026 schedule from the Missouri catalog, reproduced line for line. They add to the school’s printed total exactly.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition for the 400 clock-hour course | $5,243.84 |
| Registration fee | $100.00 |
| Textbooks | $345.16 |
| Total | $5,689.00 |
The Academy states that federal financial aid (FAFSA) is not available for the Nail Technology course, because the course length does not meet the minimum standard for financial-aid eligibility.
Tuition $5,243.84; the school's printed total, including fees, kit and textbooks, is $5,689.00.
Curriculum
The nail technology curriculum below is the subject-and-hours breakdown printed in the Missouri catalog. The subjects sum to exactly 400 hours — the programme’s full clock-hour requirement.
The required courses below are from Academy of Beauty Professionals's published catalog.
Required Courses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Manicuring Hand & Arm Massage Treatment of Nails | 220 |
| Salesmanship/Shop Management | 20 |
| Sanitation & Sterilization | 20 |
| State Law | 10 |
| Anatomy | 10 |
| Study/use/application of certain chemicals | 40 |
| Misc. Lectures Test Review | 80 |
| Totals | 400 |
Required Courses
| Name |
|---|
| Manicuring Hand & Arm Massage Treatment of Nails |
| Salesmanship/Shop Management |
| Sanitation & Sterilization |
| State Law |
| Anatomy |
| Study/use/application of certain chemicals |
| Misc. Lectures Test Review |
| Totals |
Career Outcomes
The Missouri catalog lists these entry-level occupations for graduates of this programme:
Nail Technician • Nail Artist • Manicurist • Pedicurist • Artificial Nails Specialist • Nail Instructor • Nail Product Representative • Beauty School Owner • Beauty Blogger • Sales Representative • Nail Product Designer • Trade Show Director • Admissions Representative • Director of Education • Nail Salon Management • Nail Salon Owner
The Academy works with learners on job placement, interview technique, résumés and portfolios before graduation. Copies of its graduation rates are available on request.
What to expect as an Academy of Beauty Professionals student
Expect to be on the floor early: hands-on practice in a working salon and spa begins in the second week, and practical training is carried out on real clients. Progress is measured against the “Arts” — discrete skill units you master in order — so the pace is partly yours, with progress reports at each checkpoint.
Expect written theory tests and hands-on practical evaluations throughout, both graded against an 80%% threshold: 80%% and above is satisfactory, 79%% and below is not. Expect no uniforms and no lecture podiums, and expect the first weeks to cover communication and people skills before technique. Plan for the textbooks and, where the programme includes one, the kit — both are itemised in the cost table above rather than charged later.