| Fact | Bellus Academy |
|---|---|
| Type | Private, for-profit beauty school; campus and hybrid programs, no fully online programs |
| Campuses | 4 in 2 states: Chula Vista, El Cajon and Poway in the San Diego area, CA; Manhattan, KS |
| Credentials | Diplomas leading to state licenses: cosmetology, barbering (California only), esthetics, nails |
| Program length | 10 weeks (Kansas Nail Technology, day) to 66 weeks (Kansas Cosmetology 102, evening) |
| Accreditation | NACCAS; California campuses approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education |
| Federal aid | Yes; GI Bill approved in California and Kansas |
| Ownership | Poway Academy of Hair Design, Inc. (Poway and Manhattan) and Beauty Boutique, Inc. (El Cajon and Chula Vista) |
| Prices | 2026 totals: California $11,185 to $28,678; Kansas $5,941 to $30,199 |
| Facts checked | 12 October 2026 |
A beauty school in the San Diego area and Manhattan, Kansas
Bellus Academy is a private, for-profit beauty school with three campuses in the San Diego area, in Chula Vista, El Cajon and Poway, and one in Manhattan, Kansas. The Poway campus was formerly called Poway Academy of Hair Design. Manhattan was Manhattan American Academy until it joined Bellus on 1 January 2011, which the school calls the first expansion of the Bellus brand, and it is still run as an additional location of Poway. Every program leads to a state license in cosmetology, esthetics or nail care, and two of the California campuses also teach barbering. The Kansas programs have more hours, so the same subject can take much longer in Kansas: Esthetics is 600 hours in California and 1,000 in Kansas.
Bellus programs by state and campus
| Program | Credential and hours | Length | Delivery | Campuses | License | 2026 total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetology Foundation | Diploma; 1,000 hrs | 29 wks day; 40 wks night | Campus or hybrid | Chula Vista, El Cajon, Poway | California cosmetologist | $19,151 |
| Advanced Cosmetology | Diploma; 1,500 hrs | 43 wks day; 60 wks night | Campus or hybrid | Chula Vista, El Cajon, Poway | California cosmetologist | $28,678 |
| Barbering Foundation | Diploma; 1,000 hrs | 29 wks day; 40 wks night | Campus or hybrid | Chula Vista, Poway | California barber | $18,779 |
| Barbering Cosmetology | Diploma; 1,400 hrs | 40 wks day; 56 wks night | Campus or hybrid | Chula Vista, Poway | California barber and/or cosmetologist | $27,033 |
| Esthetics (California) | Diploma; 600 hrs | 20 wks day; 24 wks night | Campus or hybrid | Chula Vista, El Cajon, Poway | California esthetician | $11,185 |
| Esthetics 103 | Diploma; 900 hrs | 30 wks day; 36 wks night | Campus or hybrid | Chula Vista, El Cajon, Poway | California esthetician | $16,843 |
| Spa Nail Technician | Diploma; 600 hrs | 20 wks day; 24 wks night | Campus only | Chula Vista, El Cajon, Poway | California manicurist | $11,228 |
| Cosmetology (Kansas) | Diploma; 1,500 hrs | 43 wks day; 60 wks night | Campus or hybrid | Manhattan | Kansas cosmetology | $24,046 |
| Cosmetology 102 | Diploma; 1,650 hrs | 48 wks day; 66 wks night | Campus or hybrid | Manhattan | Kansas cosmetology | $30,199 |
| Esthetics (Kansas) | Diploma; 1,000 hrs | 29 wks day; 40 wks night | Campus or hybrid | Manhattan | Kansas esthetician | $18,375 |
| Esthetics 102 | Diploma; 1,150 hrs | 33 wks day; 46 wks night | Campus or hybrid | Manhattan | Kansas esthetician | $22,622 |
| Nail Technology | Diploma; 350 hrs | 10 wks day; 14 wks night | Campus only | Manhattan | Kansas nail technician | $5,941 |
Hours, lengths and approvals come from the 2026 catalogs, such as the Poway catalog (effective 3 August 2026 to 31 December 2027); totals are from the 1 January 2026 fee schedules and include tuition, fees and the kit. The catalogs call these awards diplomas because each leads to a state license. Several programs in the catalogs are approved but not currently offered: Advanced Barbering and Master Makeup Artistry at Poway, Massage Therapy at Poway and Manhattan, and Barbering and Makeup Artistry at Manhattan.
What the main programs cover
Cosmetology Foundation and Advanced Cosmetology (California)
Both California cosmetology programs lead to the state board’s cosmetologist exam, which has been a written exam only since 1 January 2022. Cosmetology Foundation is the shorter 1,000-hour route, about seven months by day; Advanced Cosmetology adds 500 hours and takes about 10 months by day or 15 by night. In the hybrid versions, theory is delivered online through Pivot Point LAB, both live and self-paced, while practical work stays on campus in the student salon. Applicants must be 18.
Cosmetology and Cosmetology 102 (Kansas)
Manhattan’s Cosmetology program is 1,500 hours, about 10 months by day. Cosmetology 102 adds 150 hours of Make-up Designory curriculum covering bridal, theatrical and airbrush makeup, plus a Make-up Designory kit, for 1,650 hours: about 11 months by day or 16.5 by night. Kansas students must hold a Kansas apprentice license while enrolled. Students may start at 16, but must be 17 to sit the Kansas cosmetology exam. Day classes run 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Barbering Foundation and Barbering Cosmetology
Barbering is taught at Chula Vista and Poway only. Barbering Foundation’s modules cover shear and clipper cutting, men’s facials, beard design, shave services, chemical services, California barbering law, sanitation and business. Barbering Cosmetology, which replaced an 1,800-hour version on 2 February 2024, is 1,400 hours and prepares students for the barber license, the cosmetologist license or both. Night students take 40 weeks for Barbering Foundation and 56 for Barbering Cosmetology. El Cajon has no barbering program.
Esthetics programs
The esthetics programs are much longer in Kansas: 600 hours for California’s Esthetics and 900 for Esthetics 103, against 1,000 hours for Kansas Esthetics and 1,150 for Esthetics 102. California’s standard program therefore takes 20 weeks by day, while the Kansas version takes 29. All four can be taken in a hybrid format, with theory online. Hybrid applicants complete a distance education questionnaire first, and Kansas esthetics students need an apprentice license while enrolled.
Spa Nail Technician and Nail Technology
The nail programs are the only ones at Bellus with no hybrid version: all hours are on campus, and Kansas Nail Technology is the school’s shortest program. California’s Spa Nail Technician is 600 hours over 20 weeks by day or 24 by night and leads to the state manicurist license. Kansas Nail Technology at Manhattan is 350 hours over 10 weeks by day or 14 by night. Manhattan’s Esthetics Nail Technology program is approved but not currently offered.
Cost: one price list for California, one for Kansas
Bellus charges one price per program in each state: one price list covers all three California campuses and another covers Manhattan. Day and night classes cost the same, and there are no in-state or out-of-state rates. The totals below are from the fee schedules dated 1 January 2026, which are the only ones in the catalogs running to the end of 2027, and include tuition, program fees and the kit.
California: according to the 1 January 2026 California fee schedule, totals are $11,185 for Esthetics, $11,228 for Spa Nail Technician, $16,843 for Esthetics 103, $18,779 for Barbering Foundation, $19,151 for Cosmetology Foundation, $27,033 for Barbering Cosmetology and $28,678 for Advanced Cosmetology, of which $23,625 is tuition.
Kansas: the 1 January 2026 Manhattan fee schedule lists $5,941 for Nail Technology, $18,375 for Esthetics, $22,622 for Esthetics 102, $24,046 for Cosmetology and $30,199 for Cosmetology 102, whose kit alone is $5,449.
Students who need more time get up to 7.5% of the program’s hours free; after that, extra hours are charged at the hourly rate, $14.60 to $15.75 in California and $11.00 to $15.50 in Kansas. Kit and fee amounts can change if a student opts out of items.
Financial aid, GI Bill and scholarships
The California campuses take federal student aid: in their latest annual reports to the state bureau (2024 for Poway and El Cajon, 2023 for Chula Vista), 81% to 88% of students had federal loans, and the three-year loan default rate was 0. Students there can also use Cal Grant and Vocational Rehabilitation; the school is not on California’s WIOA training list. Both states’ veterans approving agencies approve Bellus for GI Bill use. The scholarships page names High School, Military, Alumni, Twilight (El Cajon) and Midwest Advanced Artist (Manhattan) scholarships; only the last shows an amount, $2,500, on the Cosmetology 102 page.
Admissions and class times
- California: age 18 and a high school diploma or equivalent (GED, state proficiency exam, an associate degree transcript or state-recognized home schooling), with English at high school graduate level. The California campuses offer no English-as-a-second-language instruction and do not enroll international students. A shadow day is encouraged.
- Kansas: age 16 or older (17 to sit the Kansas cosmetology exam), a diploma or equivalent, and a Kansas apprentice license for cosmetology, esthetics and nail students.
- Hybrid programs: applicants complete a distance education questionnaire.
Admission is open to applicants who meet these requirements. Day classes in California run Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with 9:00 to 3:30 and 8:30 to 4:30 options; evening classes run Monday to Friday, 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. In Kansas, day classes run 9:00 to 4:30 or 8:30 to 4:30 and evening classes 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Externships at partner salons and spas are optional: the Poway catalog allows them only after 60% of the program, at most 8 hours in a 40-hour week, with externships and community events capped at 10% of total hours.
NACCAS accreditation and the 2025 BPPE fines
All four campuses are accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS), according to the school’s 2026 catalogs and its consumer disclosures page. The 2024 annual reports of the California campuses (2023 for Chula Vista) show no final disciplinary action by an accreditor. California campuses are also approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) and the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology; Manhattan is approved by the Kansas Board of Cosmetology, the Kansas Board of Barbering and the Kansas Board of Regents.
In late 2025 BPPE cited two campuses for failing to collect, maintain and report the data required for their School Performance Fact Sheets, the state’s standard disclosure of completion and job-placement rates:
- Poway, 25 November 2025: a Class A violation (no 2022 data and missing 2023 data points), found at an unannounced inspection on 27 March 2025, with a $2,501 fine and an order of abatement, per the BPPE citation.
- El Cajon, 30 December 2025: the same type of violation for its 2022 and 2023 fact sheets, found at an inspection on 16 April 2025, with a $2,501 fine, per the BPPE citation.
We found nothing showing whether the fines were paid or appealed, and no citation for Chula Vista.
Completion, placement and licensure rates
Bellus publishes NACCAS outcome reports for the 2024 cohort, dated 1 January 2026, such as the Poway and Manhattan report. Completion counts students who finished within 150% of the program’s length; placement counts graduates working in the field, out of those available for work; licensure counts graduates who passed the state exam, out of those who took it, including those who passed on a later attempt, so it is not a first-time pass rate.
| Campus | Completion | Placement | Licensure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poway and Manhattan (one combined report) | 88.8% | 72.1% | 94.9% |
| El Cajon | 88.1% | 64.8% | 100% |
| Chula Vista | 83.5% | 66.7% | 100% |
California’s own measure is stricter, counting only students who finish on schedule. In the 2024 School Performance Fact Sheets the California campuses filed with BPPE, such as Poway’s, on-time completion for Advanced Cosmetology was roughly 33% to 43%, depending on the campus. We found no published Kansas board exam pass rates for Manhattan.
Before you enroll
- The NACCAS completion rates Bellus publishes allow 150% of the scheduled time. Counted on schedule, as California requires, Advanced Cosmetology completion was roughly 33% to 43% in 2024, and hours beyond the 7.5% overtime allowance are charged by the hour.
- BPPE fined the Poway and El Cajon campuses $2,501 each in late 2025 for not keeping the data behind their performance fact sheets, the same disclosures that report completion and placement.
- Hybrid means theory online and practical hours on campus; there are no fully online programs, and the nail programs have no hybrid option.
- Programs differ by state and campus. Barbering is taught only at Chula Vista and Poway, and Manhattan’s barbering programs are not currently offered. Kansas programs need more hours than their California counterparts (1,000 hours of esthetics against 600), and Kansas students need an apprentice license while enrolled.
- Evening programs take longer: Advanced Cosmetology is 60 weeks at night against 43 by day, and Cosmetology 102 is 66 weeks at night.
Bellus Academy’s four campuses
- San Diego (Chula Vista), CA: 970 Broadway, Suite 110, Chula Vista, CA 91911
- San Diego (El Cajon), CA: 1073 E Main St, El Cajon, CA 92021
- San Diego (Poway), CA: 13266 Poway Rd, Poway, CA 92064
- Manhattan, KS: 1130 Westloop Pl, Manhattan, KS 66502
El Cajon and Chula Vista share a catalog but each reports its own outcomes and state data. Poway and Manhattan share one NACCAS report because Manhattan is an additional location of Poway. El Cajon’s second site at 1055 E Main St is part of the El Cajon campus, not a separate campus.
Housing and career help
Bellus has no student housing; the school may help students research off-campus housing, and its catalogs estimate rents of $2,200 to $2,900 a month near Poway and $800 to $1,400 near Manhattan, from Zillow listings in April 2026. Career services include résumé and portfolio help, interview practice, job referrals and follow-up with graduates, and there is an alumni association. The catalogs state that the school cannot guarantee employment.
What students say
Niche, the only review site we checked, has fewer than 25 reviews of each Bellus campus, the minimum we need for a summary, so we do not give a rating or review themes here.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Cosmetology
- Cosmetology Foundation (California)
- Advanced Cosmetology (California)
- Cosmetology (Kansas)
- Cosmetology 102 (Kansas)
Barbering
- Barbering Foundation (Chula Vista and Poway)
- Barbering Cosmetology (Chula Vista and Poway)
Esthetics
- Esthetics (California and Kansas)
- Esthetics 103 (California)
- Esthetics 102 (Kansas)
Nail Technology
- Spa Nail Technician (California)
- Nail Technology (Kansas)
Campus Locations
San Diego (Chula Vista), CA 970 Broadway, Suite 110, Chula Vista, CA 91911
San Diego (El Cajon), CA 1073 E Main St, El Cajon, CA 92021
San Diego (Poway), CA 13266 Poway Rd, Poway, CA 92064
Manhattan, KS 1130 Westloop Pl, Manhattan, KS 66502