Cosmetology is a Certificate program offered by California Beauty College in Modesto, CA. The program takes 1,000 clock hours; 29 weeks at 35 hours a week, or 40 weeks at 25 to complete, with a total tuition of $15,000.
Program Overview
Cosmetology is a 1,000 clock hour programme covering hair, skin and nails, and the college's route to the California cosmetology licence. The published units give it the widest spread of any programme here: 400 hours across chemical hair services and hairstyling, 150 on skin care, 100 on manicure and pedicure, 50 on hair removal and lash and brow work, and 200 on health, safety, disinfection and sanitation.
A further 100 hours go on the parts of the job that are not technique — 50 on the Board's Acts and Regulations, taught from the state book, and 50 on business development and job training covering interview readiness, building a clientele, social media marketing, money management and resumes. The college teaches from the Milady curriculum.
What sets this Program apart
The college's mission. "California Beauty College's mission is to provide professional instruction in cosmetology, manicuring and esthetics. Each of these programs are designed to prepare students for entry-level employment in their field and to pass California state licensing exams."
How long it has been here. The college was founded in 1961, and the catalog records that the founding family carried that commitment on until 2023, when the present owners bought the college "and plan to carry on their legacy for years to come".
What the owners say they bring. "With our over 60 years of combined industry experience, it will allow us to continue to offer a supportive and professional learning opportunity of 'real-life' hands-on salon experiences, individual classroom instruction, current technical and practical training, and industry centered communication and business classes. Our use of the Milady curriculum and talented and specialized Educators provide a progressive education that gives you the opportunity to develop the technical skill training needed in the industry."
Admission Requirements and Process
The catalog sets one list of requirements for every programme. Applicants must be 17 years of age or older, complete the school application and pay a $100 application fee, and provide their Social Security number or TIN and a valid, current, government-issued picture ID such as a California driver's licence, state ID card or passport.
For education, an applicant provides a copy of their high school diploma or GED, or a transcript showing high school completion, or documentation proving completion of homeschooling at secondary level as defined by state law, or evidence that a foreign diploma has been verified by an outside agency. Applicants must also have committed no acts or crimes constituting grounds for denial of licensure under Section 480 of the California Business and Professions Code.
School Information
Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
Attending an accredited school means its training has been reviewed against independent standards that protect students.
This school: the catalog states that "California Beauty College is accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS)". The college is approved to operate by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, its programmes lead to licensure through the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, and its federal record with the U.S. Department of Education is active.
- A reliable indicator of educational quality
- Reviewed against independent standards
- Recognized by employers and licensing boards
Accreditations
General Requirements
- AgeAt least 17 years old.
- EducationA high school diploma, GED, transcript showing completion, homeschool documentation as defined by state law, or a foreign credential verified by an outside agency.
- IdentificationA Social Security number or TIN, and a valid current government-issued picture ID such as a California driver's licence, state ID card or passport.
- ApplicationThe completed school application with the $100 application fee.
- Eligibility for licensureNo acts or crimes constituting grounds for denial of licensure under Section 480 of the California Business and Professions Code.
Application Process
- 1Get in touch or book a tourUse the contact form on calbeautycollege.edu, or call the college on 209-524-5184. The administration office takes questions, tours and enrolments Monday to Thursday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.
- 2ApplyComplete the school application and pay the $100 application fee.
- 3Bring your documentsYour Social Security number or TIN, a current government-issued picture ID, and proof of high school completion — diploma, GED, transcript, homeschool documentation or a verified foreign credential.
- 4Attend orientationOrientation is on the first day of class and is required for new, transfer and re-entry students. No clock hours are earned for it.
Program Schedule
The catalog publishes two schedules for Cosmetology. At 35 hours a week, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Monday to Friday, the 1,000 hours take 29 weeks. At 25 hours a week, finishing at 2:00 pm, they take 40 weeks.
What the day looks like. Scheduled classes run 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday. The published schedules include a half-hour lunch during which clock hours are not earned, and the manicuring programmes also carry two fifteen-minute breaks.
Curriculum
The catalog publishes nine units of instruction for this programme with an hour figure for each. They total exactly the 1,000 hours of the programme and are listed below as published.
Who teaches it. All instructors must be currently licensed by the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology and have a minimum of three years of experience, education and training, and the catalog commits to no fewer than one instructor per thirty students at all times. There is no internship or externship component.
Graduating. To graduate and receive a certificate of graduation a student must complete the clock hours for their programme, take all the exams in it, complete all the requisite operations in its course outline, and pass a school-administered final practical exam with a score of 75% or higher. A Proof of Training document, which is required to sit the state exam, is released once the student's ledger reaches a zero balance.
Required Courses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Units of instruction (hours) | |
| Health and Safety — hazardous substances, chemical safety, safety data sheets, health and safety law, and the Board-approved Health & Safety Course | 100 |
| Disinfection and Sanitation — procedures protecting consumers and the technician, and disinfection of establishment equipment | 100 |
| Chemical Hair Services — coloring, straightening, waving, bleaching, hair analysis, predisposition and strand tests, formula mixing, dye removers | 200 |
| Hairstyling Services — arranging, blow drying, cleansing, curling, dressing, shampooing, waving, nonchemical straightening and cutting with shears, razors, clippers and thinning shears | 200 |
| Skin Care — chemical and manual facials, massaging, stimulating, exfoliating, cleansing and beautifying the face, scalp, neck or body | 150 |
| Manicure and Pedicure — water and oil manicures, hand, arm, foot and ankle massage, nail analysis and artificial nail services | 100 |
| Hair Removal and Lash and Brow Beautification — tinting and perming lashes and brows, applying eyelashes, and removing superfluous hair | 50 |
| Acts and Regulations — taught from the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology Act and Regulations book | 50 |
| Business Development and Job Training — interview readiness, building a clientele, social media marketing, money management, resumes and customer service | 50 |
| Subtotal | 1,000 |
| Program Total | 1,000 |
Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid Information
What it costs. The catalog's Tuition & Fees table gives Cosmetology a total of $19,250.00, and lists the same figure again as the total charges for the current period of attendance and for the entire programme. The table's lines are:
- Tuition: $15,000.00
- Application fee: $100.00
- Registration fee: $100.00
- STRF assessment: $0.00
- CIMA with text: $450.00
- iPad: $500.00
- Lab fees: $800.00
- Kit: $2,300.00
What is included. Each programme price in the catalog is a single table covering the application fee, the registration fee, the California Student Tuition Recovery Fund assessment (listed at $0.00), the CIMA digital curriculum with text, an iPad, lab fees, the student kit and tuition. The catalog gives the same figure for the total charges for the current period of attendance and for the entire programme, so there is no second payment period to plan for.
Paying for it. The catalog does not describe federal grant or loan programmes for these courses, and prints no FAFSA school code. It does name the Veterans Education Department among the agencies the college shares records with, and California's Student Tuition Recovery Fund assessment appears on every programme at $0.00. Ask the college what funding it can offer before you enrol.
If you leave. A student who withdraws is entitled to the refund set out in the catalog's cancellation and refund policy, and California's Student Tuition Recovery Fund exists to relieve economic loss for California residents at qualifying institutions. Questions or complaints that the college has not resolved can go to the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education at 1747 N. Market Blvd., Suite 225, Sacramento, or on (888) 370-7589.
Career Outcomes
Licensing. The programme is designed to prepare students to pass the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology licensing examination and to take an entry-level position in the beauty field.
Published outcomes. The 2026 catalog publishes no completion, placement or licensure rates. California requires a School Performance Fact Sheet to be given to every applicant before an enrolment agreement is signed, so ask the college for the current sheet covering this programme.
What to expect as a California Beauty College student
The campus. California Beauty College is at 1115 15th Street in Modesto, in about 8,000 square feet with an adjacent parking area, three restrooms and two classrooms, and it is equipped to hold roughly 150 students at any one time. The college is open from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm and holds scheduled classes from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Monday to Friday; the administration office is open Monday to Thursday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, for questions, tours and enrolments.
Orientation. Student orientation is held on the first day of class and no clock hours are earned for it. It covers the instructional programme, course content, office policies, school facilities, campus security and satisfactory progress, and it is required of new students, transfer students and re-entry students alike.
Progress. Students must attend at least 67% of the scheduled sessions across the whole programme, measured as a cumulative average against the hours on the enrolment contract at the end of each evaluation period. For Cosmetology the evaluation points are 450 scheduled hours, at about 13 weeks, and 900 scheduled hours, at about 26 weeks. Evaluations are performed on scheduled hours, and the catalog notes the frequency ensures every student has had at least one evaluation by the midpoint of the course.
Coming back. A student who re-enters within 180 days of their last day of attendance returns in the same satisfactory progress status they left in. After 180 days the transcript is evaluated for how many hours will be credited, transfer of hours is at the administration's sole discretion, and a new $100 registration fee is payable. A student terminated for behaviour may not be eligible to re-enter.
No distance learning. The catalog is explicit: "California Beauty College is not offering distance education at this time." Every hour is earned on campus.
School Information
Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
Attending an accredited school means its training has been reviewed against independent standards that protect students.
This school: the catalog states that "California Beauty College is accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS)". The college is approved to operate by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, its programmes lead to licensure through the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, and its federal record with the U.S. Department of Education is active.
- A reliable indicator of educational quality
- Reviewed against independent standards
- Recognized by employers and licensing boards