What Is It Known For?
Paul Mitchell Schools, founded in 1980, is a well-known system of beauty education institutes. The schools are connected to the Paul Mitchell brand, which has been a leader in professional hair care for over four decades.
Each year, nearly 10,000 students graduate from more than 90 Paul Mitchell Schools across the country. These schools aim to prepare students for state board exams and help them find jobs in their chosen fields. The Paul Mitchell network extends beyond education, with over 50,000 salons in more than 80 countries worldwide.
Degrees & Certifications
Paul Mitchell Schools offer a range of programs to help students build careers in the beauty industry. These programs include:
- Cosmetology
- Barbering
- Esthetics
- Nails
- Makeup
They also have an Instructor Program. This course teaches potential trainers how to educate others in beauty skills. It covers teaching theory, evaluating students, and preparing them for state board exams.
Class Schedules
With numerous locations nationwide, class schedules at Paul Mitchell Schools can vary by institution. Most schools offer morning and afternoon sessions, with select schools having evening classes for those with busy days.
The schools also blend classroom instruction with online learning opportunities through an online portal and virtual classes. When it comes to practical training, cosmetology, and esthetics students often get hands-on practice through clinical experiences.
To get the most accurate information about class start dates and available sessions, it’s best to contact your local Paul Mitchell School directly.
Is It Legit?
Paul Mitchell Schools are indeed legitimate educational institutions. Most schools have earned accreditation from the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS), a respected authority in the field. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education recognizes most of these schools.
However, each school may have different credentials. For the most accurate accreditation information about a specific Paul Mitchell School you’re interested in, check their official website.
Acceptance Rate
Paul Mitchell Schools operate with an open admission policy. This means that their acceptance rate is at 100%.
How Much Does Tuition Cost?
Tuition at Paul Mitchell Schools varies based on location and program. On average, yearly costs include about $14,200 for base tuition and registration, plus $3,165 for books, supplies, and the Paul Mitchell Kit. However, these figures can fluctuate.
For a precise estimate, we recommend locating a Paul Mitchell School near you and using the specific school’s net price calculator.
Programs & Courses
Cosmetology and Barbering
- Barbering
- Cosmetology
- Nail Care
- Skin Care
Campus Locations
Annapolis - The Temple 2303 Forest Dr C, Annapolis, MD 21401
Arlington 309 Curtis Mathes Way #101, Arlington, TX 76018
Atlanta 887 West Marietta St NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
Ardmore 607 N Commerce St, Ardmore, OK 73401
Austin 9503 Research Blvd #310, Austin, TX 78759
Baton Rouge - Vanguard College of Cosmetology 12158 Coursey Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70816
Bedford 79-6 S River Rd, Bedford, NH 03110
Birmingham 1694 Montgomery Hwy #124, Hoover, AL 35216
Boise 1270 S Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709
Bourbonnais 1600 IL-50, Bourbonnais, IL 60914
Charleston 4952 Centre Pointe Dr #114, Charleston, SC 29418
Charlotte 1516 Elizabeth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28204
Chicago 1225 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60607
Cincinnati 11956 Lebanon Rd, Sharonville, OH 45241
Clear Lake 20807 Gulf Fwy, Webster, TX 77598
Cleveland 10735 Ravenna Rd, Twinsburg, OH 44087
Colorado Springs 118 W Colorado Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Columbia, MO 1101 Hutchens Dr, Columbia, MO 65203
Columbia 700 Gervais St D, Columbia, SC 29201
Columbus 3000 Morse Rd, Columbus, OH 43231
Costa Mesa 3309 Hyland Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Dallas 2389 Midway Rd, Carrollton, TX 75006
Denver 405 S Teller St, Lakewood, CO 80226
East Bay 100 Crescent Dr D, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Farmington Hills 27590 Orchard Lake Rd, Farmington Hills, MI 48334
Fayetteville 4156 N Steele Blvd, Fayetteville, AR 72703
Fayetteville, NC Cross Creek Mall, #505A, Fayetteville, NC 28303
Fort Lauderdale 8000 W Broward Blvd Suite 1101, Plantation, FL 33388
Fort Myers 9941 Interstate Commerce Dr, Fort Myers, FL 33913
Frederick - The Temple 22 W Church St, Frederick, MD 21701
Fresno 5091 N Fresno St #104, Fresno, CA 93710
Gastonia 284 E Garrison Blvd, Gastonia, NC 28054
Grand Rapids 2855 29th St SE, Kentwood, MI 49512
Great Lakes 2950 Lapeer Rd, Port Huron, MI 48060
Greenville 1215 Woodruff Rd, Greenville, SC 29607
Hackensack - Parisian Beauty Academy 21 Passaic St, Hackensack, NJ 07601
Honolulu 1123 11th Ave #102, Honolulu, HI 96816
Houston 10516 Katy Fwy A, Houston, TX 77043
Huntsville 3810 Sullivan St, Madison, AL 35758
Indianapolis 8751 US-31, Indianapolis, IN 46227
Jacksonville 4624 Town Crossing Dr #155, Jacksonville, FL 32246
Jersey Shore 712 NJ-70 Route 70, Brick Township, NJ 08723
Jessup 7351 Assateague Dr #370, Jessup, MD 20794
Knoxville 8380 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919
Las Vegas 9490 S Eastern Ave #100, Las Vegas, NV 89123
Lexington 3644 Boston Rd, Lexington, KY 40514
Lincoln 5601 S 59th St, Lincoln, NE 68516
Little Rock 4201 E McCain Blvd, North Little Rock, AR 72117
Lombard 106 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard, IL 60148
Louisville 156 N Hurstbourne Pkwy, Louisville, KY 40222
Madison 7021 Tree Ln, Madison, WI 53717
Memphis 3419 Plaza Ave, Memphis, TN 38111
Merrillville 7990 Broadway, Merrillville, IN 46410
Metairie - Vanguard College of Cosmetology 3321 Hessmer Ave, Metairie, LA 70002
Miami 8905 Dadeland Blvd, Kendall, FL 33156
Milwaukee 2000 Silvernail Rd, Pewaukee, WI 53072
Modesto 3100 McHenry Ave, Modesto, CA 95350
Monroeville - Bella Capelli Academy 151 Wyngate Dr, Monroeville, PA 15146
Murfreesboro 1720 Old Fort Pkwy, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
Nampa 16803 N Marketplace Blvd, Nampa, ID 83687
Nashville 235 E Main St Ste 200, Hendersonville, TN 37075
Newark 1420 Pulaski Hwy, Newark, DE 19702
Normal 1503 E College Ave, Normal, IL 61761
Norman - Imagine Paul Mitchell 3030 William Pereira, Norman, OK 73072
North Haven 97 Washington Ave #8, North Haven, CT 06473
North Tahoe 12047 Donner Pass Rd Suite A-1, Truckee, CA 96161
NYC - The Academy 187 New Dorp Ln, Staten Island, NY 10306
Orlando 1285 Oviedo Mall Boulevard, Oviedo, FL 32765
Overland Park 8731 W 95th St, Overland Park, KS 66212
Pasadena 825 E Green St, Pasadena, CA 91101
Phoenix 3423 W Bethany Home Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85017
Portland 234 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97205
Portsmouth 140 Congress Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801
Reno 1600 Holcomb Ave, Reno, NV 89502
Rexburg 557 Mariah Ave, Rexburg, ID 83440
Rockville - Hair Expressions 12450 Parklawn Dr, Rockville, MD 20852
Roswell 1003 Mansell Rd, Roswell, GA 30076
Raleigh 8551 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27612
Richland 71 Gage Blvd, Richland, WA 99352
Roanoke 658 Brandon Ave SW, Roanoke, VA 24015
Robinson - Bella Capelli Academy 2 Robinson Plaza Suite 100, Pittsburgh, PA 15205
Rhode Island 30 Chapel View Blvd #100, Cranston, RI 02920
Sacramento 2100 Arden Way #265, Sacramento, CA 95825
Sacramento at MTI College 5231 Madison Ave, Sacramento, CA 95841
San Antonio 18402 US-281, San Antonio, TX 78259
San Diego 410 A St, San Diego, CA 92101
San Francisco 1067 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Schenectady 411 State St, Schenectady, NY 12305
Sherman Oaks 15301 Ventura Blvd P2, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Slidell - Vanguard College of Cosmetology 740 Oak Harbor Blvd, Slidell, LA 70458
Springfield 3017 S Kansas Expy, Springfield, MO 65807
Spokane 15303 E Sprague Ave, Spokane Valley, WA 99037
St. Louis 30 Maryland Plaza #200, St. Louis, MO 63108
Tampa 7823 Citrus Park Town Center Mall, Tampa, FL 33625
Sterling Heights 40688 Van Dyke Ave, Sterling Heights, MI 48313
Temecula 27536 Ynez Rd, Suite E1, Temecula, CA 92591
Tinley Park 18454 W Creek Dr, Tinley Park, IL 60477
Toledo 5549 Monroe St, Sylvania, OH 43560
Tulsa 14002 E 21st St #1050, Tulsa, OK 74134
Tysons Corner 8041-L Tysons Corner Center, McLean, VA 22102
Virginia Beach - Rudy & Kelly Academy 1920 Centerville Turnpike #114, Virginia Beach, VA 23464
Wichita 3242 N Rock Rd #106, Wichita, KS 67226
Woodbridge 14445 Potomac Mills Rd, Woodbridge, VA 22192
Financial Aid Services
Students at the Paul Mitchell Schools can qualify for federal aid like Pell Grants and loans. The school also offers various scholarships for learners pursuing careers in specific fields.
Student Services
Experienced instructors assist students with hands-on learning. Future stylists practice with special technology, mannequins and live models. For additional support, they might use the Paul Mitchell Schools online portal for classroom resources.
Career Services
There are lots of job opportunities at the more than 100,000 Paul Mitchell salons worldwide. Future hairdressers, barbers and others can use the school’s web resources to help them secure the position of their dreams. The web portal provides students with career advice, and interview and resume tips.
Veteran and Military Services
The U.S. Office of Veterans Affairs offers tuition assistance to service members and their families. Paul Mitchell Schools also accept aid from the My Career Advancement Account Scholarship Program, which supports military spouses receiving education in a high-demand field.
Alumni Services
Graduates of Paul Mitchell Schools are part of a nationwide network of professionals with similar goals. Alumni can attend large events each year. There, they can learn from top experts, explore the latest in industry trends, and make connections with likeminded people.
Reviews
Based on local Google reviews for Paul Mitchell The School Arlington (Arlington, TX), the school maintains an excellent overall reputation, driven by high customer satisfaction with the student stylists and the value provided. With a strong average rating of 4.5 stars from over 1,300 reviews, the feedback is overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the students’ talent, passion, and customer service.
Overall Score: 4.5/5 Stars
Common Praises
Talented and Attentive Student Stylists: The most frequent praise is directed at individual “Future Professionals” (students). They are consistently described as attentive to detail, polite, personable, and passionate. Clients express delight that the students executed their desired cut, color, or style exactly, often exceeding expectations. Several students are frequently mentioned and praised by name for their talent.
Great Value and Affordable Pricing: Multiple reviewers mention the “Great price” or “Reasonable price” for the services, making the school an excellent option for high-quality hair care on a budget.
Effective Skill and Communication: Students are repeatedly praised for communicating well, asking many questions to ensure they understood the client’s vision, and handling complex hair types (like very thick hair) effectively. Students received high praise for technical skills, such as precise trimming techniques.
Supportive Instructors and Professional Environment: Reviewers often note the professional atmosphere and mention that the instructors are proactive, helpful, and closely guide the students throughout the service, ensuring quality and a positive learning experience.
Excellent Non-Styling Services: Specific praise is given to services like hair washes and head massages, which some reviewers describe as “SUPREME.” Spa services, like manicures and pedicures, also receive positive feedback.
Common Criticisms
Inconsistent Results and Lack of Experience (Expected): As this is a school, there are occasional instances where the student lacked the education needed for a specific cut or the final result did not perfectly match the client’s inspiration photo. This is an inherent, though infrequent, risk of a student salon.
Administrative and Communication Issues: Isolated complaints centered on administrative delays, such as waiting for a reply from a floor manager, or minor confusion about the school’s various service areas.
Service Flaws and Instructor Oversight: A few isolated issues were noted, such as a coloring product being left on too long due to the lead instructor not assisting immediately, or a client being prevented from combining two chemical services (relaxer and color rinse) in one visit, which they were able to do at other locations.
Time Commitment: One reviewer noted that services “will take longer than usual,” which is an understandable trade-off for the lower price and the educational nature of the setting.
Momentum
The most recent reviews (from the last few weeks) overwhelmingly continue the trend of high satisfaction, with new clients praising the quality of cuts, colors, and the students’ professionalism. The school owner is highly attentive and responsive to all feedback, consistently posting immediate acknowledgments, thanks, and apologies for negative experiences, often promising further follow-up. This demonstrates a strong commitment to customer service and continuous improvement.