Cosmo Beauty Academy

Founded in 2015, the academy was started and is led by people from the beauty industry. It added a barbering program in 2018, and its classrooms and salon floor were upgraded in 2020. The school says it has graduated more than 700 students and has a 4.8-star rating from 89 Google reviews.

Classes are kept small so students get hands-on time and direct feedback from instructors, who bring salon and spa experience into the room. Students begin working on real clients with professional tools early in training. The salon floor and the barbering classroom are fully equipped.

Scheduling is flexible. Cosmetology, esthetics, and barbering include morning sessions, and the Saddle Brook campus offers morning schedules for students with family commitments. Classes are taught in English and Spanish, and admissions staff speak English, Spanish, and Korean.

Coursework is built around New Jersey State Board requirements and prepares students for the state exam. Cosmetology, esthetics and nail technology can also be taken in evening or part-time schedules. Former students keep alumni privileges, which include refresher classes when new techniques appear. Advanced students can complete paid, supervised practical training at approved partner salons and barbershops, with up to 20% of clinical hours spent at a partner site. Career placement help puts students in contact with salons, spas and barbershops that are recruiting. The school notes that employment results depend on each student's effort, the local job market and ongoing professional development. Campuses in Miami, Dallas and Las Vegas are in the planning stage, and no opening dates have been announced.

The school builds its training around state licensing requirements and emphasizes hands-on practice, with small classes and early work on real clients.

A modern, fully equipped salon floor and a separate barbering classroom.