| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private career college (legal name Central State Beauty Academy, Inc., a privately held Oklahoma corporation); campus-based, with some coursework online |
| Campus | 1, in Oklahoma City, OK |
| Credentials | Associate of Occupational Studies and Associate of Science degrees in health care; clock-hour programs in cosmetology, barbering, esthetics and massage |
| Program length | 600 clock hours (Esthetician) to 114–116 quarter credits (Nursing AS, 1,795 clock hours; Radiology Technology, 116 quarter credits) |
| Accreditation | ACCSC (institutional); CAAHEP (Surgical Technologist); JRCERT (Radiology Technology, initial, June 2026) |
| Nursing board status | Practical Nursing: Full Approval w/ Warning; Nursing AS: Provisional Approval (Oklahoma Board of Nursing, September 2026) |
| Federal aid | Yes: Pell Grants and Direct Loans |
| Students | 467 in 2025-26, 93% women (school figure) |
| Founded | 1975, as Central State Beauty Academy |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Central Oklahoma College: a beauty academy that added health-care degrees
Central Oklahoma College is a private career college in Oklahoma City; its legal name is Central State Beauty Academy, Inc., a privately held Oklahoma corporation. It opened in 1975 as Central State Beauty Academy, licensed by the Oklahoma State Board of Cosmetology, and in October 2014 became Central State Beauty And Wellness College, licensed by the Oklahoma Board of Private Vocational Schools. In April 2017 it moved to a custom-built campus on Serenita Avenue, and it now operates as Central Oklahoma College.
Practical Nursing was added in 2019, and the Associate of Science in Nursing and Radiology Technology programs took their first students in 2024. Four of its eight programs are in cosmetology, barbering, esthetics and massage; the other four are health-care degrees. The school reports 467 students in 2025-26, 93% of them women.
Eight programs: four in beauty and wellness, four in health care
All eight programs are taught at the one campus. Prices are from the school’s Cost of Attendance sheet effective 1 July 2024, the newest price list we could check; see the cost section below.
| Program | Credential | Length | Schedule | Prepares for | Tuition and fees (effective 1 July 2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing | A.O.S. | 92.5 quarter credits; as little as 11.5 months | – | NCLEX-PN (LPN licence) | $32,720 |
| Nursing (RN) | A.S. | 114 quarter credits; 1,795 clock hours | – | NCLEX-RN | Not on 2024 sheet |
| Surgical Technologist | A.O.S. | 1,580 clock hours; 60 weeks | – | Certified Surgical Technologist (NBSTSA) | $32,965 |
| Radiology Technology | A.O.S. | 116 quarter credits | Distance delivery option | Radiography certification (the school’s page does not name the exam) | Not on 2024 sheet |
| Basic Cosmetology | Certificate | 1,250 clock hours | Day or night | Oklahoma cosmetology licence | $21,520 |
| Barber | Certificate | 1,250 clock hours | Day | Oklahoma barber licence | $21,520 |
| Esthetician | – | 600 clock hours | Morning or afternoon/night | Oklahoma facialist licence | $11,030 |
| Massage Therapy | – | 750 clock hours | Day or night | MBLEx; Oklahoma massage licence | $14,130 day, $14,620 night |
Some coursework is delivered online through Canvas, and the catalog’s attendance policy covers synchronous, asynchronous and hybrid courses. The college also runs courses that are not eligible for federal aid and are not listed above: a 40-hour laser hair reduction course, a 1,000-hour Master Instructor course leading to an Oklahoma instructor licence, and non-credit continuing-education classes such as dermaplaning, chemical peels, hydrafacial and cosmetology/barber crossover.
What the main programs cover
Practical Nursing
The Practical Nursing AOS is 92.5 quarter credits, which the college says can be completed in as little as 11.5 months, and it prepares graduates for the NCLEX-PN exam for an LPN licence. Applicants take an entrance assessment and an interview, pass a drug test, and provide either a background check or a pre-determination letter from the Oklahoma Board of Nursing. Before clinicals start, students must show their immunizations and CPR certification. Ask admissions for the course outline and the clinical schedule before you apply.
Nursing (Associate of Science, RN)
The Associate of Science in Nursing prepares students for the NCLEX-RN. According to the catalog it is 114 quarter credits and 1,795 clock hours, including four clinical courses of 80, 100, 60 and 64 hours and a 64-hour nursing externship. Entry steps match practical nursing: an entrance assessment, an interview, a drug test and a background check or board pre-determination letter. The first students started in May 2024; of the 28 who started by May 2025, 62% were still enrolled, the school reports.
Surgical Technologist
The surgical technologist AOS is 1,580 clock hours, described by the college as a 60-week program that can be finished in as little as 15 months. It is accredited by CAAHEP on the recommendation of ARC/STSA, and graduates take the Certified Surgical Technologist exam from the NBSTSA, with the first attempt included in tuition. Admission takes an entrance assessment and an interview, and the clinical part requires a background check, drug test, immunizations and CPR. Of the cohort that started in 2022-23, 58% graduated and all 21 eligible graduates were employed.
Radiology Technology
Radiology Technology is a 116-quarter-credit AOS in radiography. JRCERT, the accreditor for radiography programs, granted initial accreditation for three years at its June 2026 meeting, with the next site visit expected around early 2029, and its letter mentions a distance delivery option. The school’s catalog still describes the program as seeking accreditation; that wording is out of date. Entry and clinical requirements are the same as for surgical technology. Of the 15 students who started between April 2024 and May 2025, 93% were retained.
Cosmetology and Barber
Both programs are 1,250 clock hours (59 quarter credits) and are approved by the Oklahoma State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering. Cosmetology runs on a day or a night schedule; Barber runs during the day. Students practise in the campus student clinic, Central Park Salon & Spa, and graduates take the state licence exam, with the college paying the first-attempt exam registration. The college also runs non-credit crossover classes between cosmetology and barbering, and a 1,000-hour Master Instructor course that leads to an Oklahoma instructor licence.
Esthetician and Massage Therapy
Esthetician is 600 clock hours (24 quarter credits), taught in a morning section or an afternoon/night section, and leads to Oklahoma’s facialist licence. Massage Therapy is 750 clock hours (44 quarter credits) on day or evening schedules and prepares students for the MBLEx, the national massage licensing exam run by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards, and for an Oklahoma massage licence. The college also offers non-credit classes in dermaplaning, chemical peels and hydrafacial, and continuing-education classes for massage therapists.
Cost: tuition from the July 2024 cost sheet
The school charges one price per program, with no in-state or out-of-state rates, and only Massage Therapy has separate day and night tuition. Its financial aid page says books and supplies are included in tuition. The current catalog lists a tuition and course-cost addendum, which we could not check, so the figures here are from the school’s Cost of Attendance sheet effective 1 July 2024. The 2024 sheet does not cover the Nursing AS or Radiology Technology programs. Request the current catalog addendum before you enroll.
| Program (effective 1 July 2024) | Tuition and fees | Estimated total cost, living off campus | Estimated total cost, living with parents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barber | $21,520 | $37,580 | $32,190 |
| Basic Cosmetology, day | $21,520 | $37,580 | $32,190 |
| Basic Cosmetology, night | $21,520 | $47,800 | $38,980 |
| Esthetician, morning | $11,030 | $19,790 | $16,850 |
| Esthetician, afternoon/night | $11,030 | $21,250 | $17,820 |
| Massage Therapy, day | $14,130 | $24,350 | $20,920 |
| Massage Therapy, night | $14,620 | $32,140 | $26,260 |
| Practical Nursing | $32,720 | $48,780 | $43,390 |
| Surgical Technologist | $32,965 | $50,485 | $44,605 |
The catalog also lists a $25 re-registration fee, a $50 state exam registration fee and an $80 licence fee for barber, cosmetology and esthetician graduates (the college pays the first-attempt exam registration), and a $50 yearly massage licence.
Central Oklahoma College takes federal student aid: Pell Grants and Direct Loans (subsidized, unsubsidized and PLUS). Veterans’ benefits are approved through the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs State Approving Agency, and students called to military service can take up to 180 days’ leave of absence. The catalog also lists approval by the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Niche puts the average net price at $18,871 a year.
The college’s scholarships include the Harold L. Fisher Memorial (for Oklahoma high school seniors), High School Graduate, GED, COC Graduate (for returning alumni), Folds of Honor, Closed School and Oklahoma Successful Adulthood (for former foster youth) awards. The scholarship page gives no amounts.
Admission: diploma or GED, a readiness check and an interview
Applicants must be past compulsory school age and have a high school diploma or an equivalent: a GED, HiSET or TASC, an associate degree, or 60 semester or 72 quarter credits. Ability-to-benefit admission is not accepted. Everyone completes an online readiness assessment, a tour, an admissions interview and an application, and the registration fee is due by the start date. Applicants to the AOS and AS degrees who need to show English proficiency need a TOEFL iBT score of 100, with at least 25 in each section.
The health programs add an entrance assessment, and their clinicals require a background check (or, for nursing, a board pre-determination letter), a drug test, immunizations and CPR. Transfer credit is accepted for courses graded B or better taken within the last five years, up to 75% of a program’s credits. Cosmetology, Esthetician and Massage Therapy run day and night schedules and Barber runs in the day; ask admissions about class schedules for the health programs.
Accreditation, nursing board status and results
Central Oklahoma College is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), which CHEA lists as its accreditor. It is licensed by the Oklahoma Board of Private Vocational Schools, and the Barber, Cosmetology and Esthetician programs are approved by the Oklahoma State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering.
The Surgical Technologist AOS is accredited by CAAHEP. The Radiology Technology AOS received initial JRCERT accreditation for three years at the commission’s June 2026 meeting.
The Oklahoma Board of Nursing approves both nursing programs, at different levels. On its practical nursing list revised 23 September 2026, the Practical Nursing program is at “Full Approval w/ Warning”.
On the board’s associate degree list of the same date, the Nursing AS has “Provisional Approval”. No graduates have taken the NCLEX-RN yet: the board’s pass-rate list shows no results for any year and no candidates in 2025.
The Practical Nursing program’s first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate fell to 75.00% in 2025, below the Oklahoma rate of 86.98%, according to the Oklahoma Board of Nursing.
| Year | Central Oklahoma College, first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate | Oklahoma, all programs |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 86.11% | – |
| 2024 | 86.84% | 89.45% |
| 2025 | 75.00% (44 candidates) | 86.98% |
Surgical Technologist graduates had a 95.2% first-time pass rate on the Certified Surgical Technologist exam (20 of 21 graduates, August 2023 to July 2024), from the ARC/STSA 2026 annual report on the school’s consumer information page. We found no published exam results for the Radiology Technology program, whose first students started in April 2024.
The school’s 2025-26 Student Right to Know reports graduation and employment rates by program and shift, calculated by ACCSC’s method for cohorts that started in 2022 to 2024. Graduation ranges from 30% to 89% and employment from 56% to 100%. The graduation rate counts graduates against students who started, minus those unable to graduate; the employment rate counts graduates employed against graduates eligible for work.
| Program (shift) | Starting cohort | Starts | Graduated | Employed (of eligible graduates) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barber (day) | Oct 2022 to Sep 2023 | 31 | 52% | 93% (14 of 15) |
| Cosmetology (day) | Oct 2022 to Sep 2023 | 51 | 69% | 84% (26 of 31) |
| Cosmetology (evening) | Jan to Dec 2022 | 25 | 56% | 92% (12 of 13) |
| Esthetician (day) | Jun 2023 to May 2024 | 99 | 89% | 71% (62 of 87) |
| Esthetician (evening) | Jan to Dec 2023 | 141 | 84% | 56% (61 of 109) |
| Massage Therapy (day) | Jun 2023 to May 2024 | 28 | 75% | 85% (17 of 20) |
| Massage Therapy (evening) | Oct 2022 to Sep 2023 | 10 | 30% | 100% (3 of 3) |
| Practical Nursing | Oct 2022 to Sep 2023 | 44 | 68% | 97% (28 of 29) |
| Surgical Technologist | Jul 2022 to Jun 2023 | 36 | 58% | 100% (21 of 21) |
Before you enroll
- The Practical Nursing program is on the Oklahoma Board of Nursing’s list at “Full Approval w/ Warning” (September 2026), and its 2025 first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate was 75.00%, against 86.98% statewide. Ask the school what the warning requires and what it is doing about it.
- The Nursing AS (RN) program has only provisional board approval, and no graduate has taken the NCLEX-RN yet, so there is no pass rate to judge it by.
- The newest prices we could check date from July 2024, and that cost sheet does not cover the Nursing AS or Radiology Technology programs. Get the current catalog addendum in writing before you sign.
- Results vary widely by program and shift. Only 30% of the 2022-23 evening Massage Therapy cohort and 52% of the 2022-23 day Barber cohort graduated, and 56% of eligible evening Esthetician graduates were employed.
- Radiology Technology is new: its first students started in April 2024, and its JRCERT accreditation, granted in June 2026, is initial accreditation for three years.
One campus on Serenita Avenue in Oklahoma City
The college has had a single campus at 14820 Serenita Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73134, since April 2017, after earlier sites in southwest Oklahoma City and, from 1991, on NW Expressway. The catalog describes three buildings with 35,000 square feet in all. The campus includes Central Park Salon & Spa, the student clinic where beauty students practise.
Externships, housing and career help
The Nursing AS includes a 64-hour externship, and the health programs include clinical placements. There is no student housing; the catalog lists housing assistance among student resources but gives no details. Career services offer employment advice, contacts with industry partners, and résumé and interview classes, and the catalog says employment is not guaranteed.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health
- Practical Nursing (A.O.S.)
- Nursing (Associate of Science, RN)
- Surgical Technologist (A.O.S.)
- Radiology Technology (A.O.S.)
Beauty and Wellness
- Basic Cosmetology (day or night)
- Barber
- Esthetician (morning or afternoon/night)
- Massage Therapy (day or night)
Campus Locations
Oklahoma City, OK 14820 Serenita Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73134