Cosmetology is a field full of creativity and a passion for helping other people feel and look their best—whether it’s their hair, face, or nails. Many cosmetologists love working in the beauty industry because they have the opportunity to express themselves and find themselves.

Our cosmetology program is offered at both of our campus locations in Boise and Twin Falls.

How Long Is the Cosmetology Program?

The Cosmetology program at Aveda Institute in Boise or Twin Falls is a 1,600-training hour course. To offer flexibility for our students, we offer both a full-time and part-time training schedule in this popular program. Getting from orientation to graduation takes 49 weeks (just a little under a year) on a full-time schedule or 76 weeks (about a year and a half) on a part-time schedule.

What You’ll Learn in Our Program

The Cosmetology programs at our campuses in Boise and Twin Falls are designed to help you become a licensed cosmetologist with a multitude of skills. Our graduates have learned the basics they need to pass the state licensing exam, as well as more advanced topics.

Our Cosmetology Curriculum

Over the course of this comprehensive program, you’ll learn a wide variety of beauty theory and skills, including:

• The History of Cosmetology, Theory, Anatomy
• Chemistry of Color
• Safety and Sanitation
• Manicures and Pedicures
• Makeup Application
• Waxing
• Business and Client Skills: Marketing, Networking, Self-Promotion, and Financial Planning

Eyelash Extension Option

Lash extensions have become all the rage in recent years, and we want our students to know how to apply them. All of our current and future students have the option of also enrolling in our Bella Lash Extension Certification Course. Students who can offer lash extensions to their clients have more opportunities to expand their business and earn more money, so it’s a wise investment for many of our students!

Our Hands-On Educational Approach

Learning in the classroom is essential for the first portion of any cosmetology program, but we want our students to spend most of their time on the salon floor. In fact, our students begin their Cosmetology experience with 260 hours of introductory material that is aimed at getting them ready to hit the salon floor as soon as possible. We feel that the best cosmetologists learn by doing, so our students have the opportunity to practice and perfect their services with real clients.

This can be intimidating for many of our students, so we make sure they have plenty of support. This instructional time includes weekly live model practice and other exercises to help cosmetologists gain confidence in their skills. Once they’ve got a handle on the basics, we have students perform services on the salon floor under the close supervision of licensed cosmetologists to help them feel more confident.

As our Cosmetology students progress, they also learn how to participate in events such as fashion and charity shows and photo shoots.

Extracurricular Opportunities

The world of cosmetology is huge, and even our comprehensive training program is just the start. This is why we bring industry experts, educators, and guest artists to hold seminars and extracurricular learning opportunities so our students can learn on the leading edge of the industry.

This is the opportunity our students crave to find themselves and be a part of something bigger!

The Business of Beauty

Being a cosmetologist isn’t just about cutting hair: it’s about building your own brand and business. Our cosmetology students can learn the business end of their beauty careers from our talented owner, Nate Shaw. Our leadership team own not only beauty schools but also a salon, and they can share the wealth of wisdom about what it takes to be successful in the beauty world.

Our program’s focus on practical salon time is also a real boost to our students’ future careers. We want our students to begin building their book of business well before graduation, so we encourage them to take the clients they’ve serviced with them wherever they go after graduation to give them a head start. Students can take advantage of this floor experience to find their stride and get in touch with what they love.

The Aveda Difference

There are many avenues to learn cosmetology, but training at our Aveda Institutes is a cut above. Here, we don’t only have a goal of preparing students for the state licensing exam. If you’re wondering the reasons to choose Aveda for your beauty training, learn more about the extras you won’t find in other beauty schools.

What the Aveda Brand Stands For

The Aveda brand is known worldwide for its commitment to environmental sustainability and inclusiveness. If these values are also important to you, you can help be the change by joining the industry with a firm foundation in practices that are kind to the body and the earth.

Training with Aveda Products

Many encounter the Aveda brand through use of Aveda’s high-performing products, which are cruelty-free and 100% vegan. After graduation, students have unique access to Aveda products that other beauty school graduates would not. Using Aveda products can also result in a more knowledgeable beauty professional—for instance, students are trained to use highly customjzed techniques when coloring hair with Aveda products, which demands a strong background in color theory.

Our Aveda Salon and Spa Network

Our graduates also automatically become part of the Aveda network, which is the huge family of Aveda professionals spanning the entire globe. The network is an important support system for graduates that can facilitate growth, continuing education, and even unique business opportunities. This network provides our students a place where they can be themselves and feel part of something greater!

Careers in Cosmetology

Becoming a licensed cosmetologist can give you opportunities to work on your own time and in your own way. With our full-time schedule, you can become a beauty professional in just under a year, which is much faster than completing a college degree.

Once you’ve passed the cosmetology licensing exam, you may be eligible to work in many different roles, including platform artist, cosmetology educator, beauty brand representative, beauty salesperson, industry writer or blogger, salon manager or owner, or Aveda Purefessional™.

How to Pay for Cosmetology School

We want to help our students make schooling an affordable option. We offer a variety of financial aid options to those who qualify to make it easier.

Turn Your Dreams into Reality

Cosmetology is a career that you can be excited and passionate about. If you’re interested in learning more, contact our Admissions team today!

Interested in related programs? Check out our esthetics program or nail tech program.

Cosmetology General Employment Disclosure