5 Best Beauty Schools in Los Angeles (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

By Fenris Morrow, Expert in Professional Services · ✓ Data verified July 2026 · 8 min read

Beauty schools in Los Angeles usually mean picking a short course, not a four-year degree, and that makes the choice feel higher stakes than it should. Between the five schools on this page there are 679 real Google reviews, and every single one rates 4.7 or above, with two schools sitting at a perfect 5.0. So the real question isn't which school is good. It's which specialty and format actually match what you want to learn.

Short answer: Infinite Glow Academy in East LA leads with 230 reviews at a perfect 5.0, built around nail, lash, and makeup courses. La Voute Beauty Academy also holds a 5.0 across 67 reviews, taught hands-on by a single instructor. GenesisCal Beauty Studio, ZMS The Academy, and Hollywood Makeup School round out the list at 4.7 to 4.9, each with a different specialty from state-board cosmetology tracks to brow and lash certification.

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1. Infinite Glow Academy
2. GenesisCal Beauty Stud…
3. ZMS The Academy
4. La Voute Beauty Academ…
5. Hollywood Makeup Schoo…
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Five LA beauty schools, side by side

#	Business	Rating	Reviews	Best for
1	Infinite Glow Academy	5.0 ★	230	Nail and lash courses	View ›
2	GenesisCal Beauty Studio	4.8 ★	197	Beginner acrylic and nail technique	View ›
3	ZMS The Academy	4.7 ★	117	Full vocational license track	View ›
4	La Voute Beauty Academy	5.0 ★	67	Small-class nail training	View ›
5	Hollywood Makeup School And Permanent Makeup Academy	4.9 ★	68	Brow and lash specialty certification	View ›

5 Best Beauty Schools in Los Angeles (2026)

The schools, one by one

#1 Overall🕑 Open 2 days/wk

Infinite Glow Academy

5.0230 Google reviews

Infinite Glow Academy runs beauty courses out of East Los Angeles alongside a retail arm selling makeup, lash, and nail supplies, positioning itself as a destination for both professional products and hands-on training. Students describe short, intensive courses, including a five-week acrylic nail program and lash certification, taught by a small number of named instructors. Reviewers consistently mention starting with no prior experience and leaving with a specific, marketable skill.

What people praise

Highest review count on this page at 230, with a 5.0 average
Multiple students describe going from zero experience to job-ready
Named instructor gets repeat individual praise across reviews
Combines training with its own product line

Worth knowing

Limited public hours listed, so scheduling a visit or enrollment call takes planning

Reputation scorecardrank in Los Angeles

Rating5 / 5

Review volume230 · 98th

Confidencehigh

Recency6 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown99% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: It tops this list on both volume and rating, and the review pattern (specific instructor names, specific skills gained) reads as genuine student feedback rather than generic praise.

Website +1626-373-4548 Directions

212 S Atlantic Blvd #101, East Los Angeles, CA 90022

#2🕑 Open 7 days

GenesisCal Beauty Studio

4.8197 Google reviews

GenesisCal Beauty Studio operates as a beauty school in downtown Los Angeles focused on acrylic nail and related technique courses. Reviewers describe a supportive, detail-oriented teaching style, with named instructors credited for making complex techniques click for total beginners. Several reviewers who completed the beginner course mention returning for the advanced track afterward.

What people praise

Reviewers describe instructors as detailed and patient with beginners
Students report returning for advanced-level courses after finishing beginner tracks
Consistently described as a fun, welcoming learning environment

Worth knowing

Smaller review base than Infinite Glow, so the track record is a bit thinner

Reputation scorecardrank in Los Angeles

Rating4.8 / 5

Review volume197 · 93th

Confidencemoderate

Recency9 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown91% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: A strong second choice specifically for nail technique, with a teaching style reviewers describe as genuinely built for people starting from nothing.

Website +1213-247-9360 Directions

1605 W Olympic Blvd #520, Los Angeles, CA 90015

#3🕑 Open 4 days/wk↩ Responds to reviews

ZMS The Academy

4.7117 Google reviews

ZMS The Academy, based in Boyle Heights, is a state-approved vocational school offering full licensing programs across barbering, cosmetology, esthetics, nail technology, and electrology, not just short specialty courses. Reviewers include career-changers driving in from as far as Bakersfield, and at least one already-licensed esthetician who said she wished she'd trained here originally. The school also offers financial aid and flexible scheduling.

What people praise

Full state-approved licensing programs across multiple beauty disciplines
Financial aid and flexible class options available
Named instructors praised for hands-on, real-world prep, not just exam cramming

Worth knowing

One detailed review described a specific esthetician cohort as under-structured, with a newer instructor and delayed promised kit deliveries

Reputation scorecardrank in Los Angeles

Rating4.7 / 5

Review volume117 · 83th

Confidencemoderate

Recency2 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown91% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: If you want a genuine state licensing path rather than a short specialty course, this is the clearest fit here, though the one detailed complaint about instructor experience in a specific program is worth asking about directly.

Website +1323-372-6132 Directions

2318 E Cesar E Chavez Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90033

#4🕑 Open 5 days/wk

La Voute Beauty Academy

5.067 Google reviews

La Voute Beauty Academy is a small nail and hair-extension focused beauty school in Los Angeles, run largely as a one-on-one or small-group operation by a single lead instructor. Reviewers describe five-week nail programs, Gel X sessions, and a business-strategy add-on aimed at students who want to open their own studio afterward, not just learn a technique.

What people praise

Perfect 5.0 rating with zero negative reviews in the review set
Small class sizes mean more individual instructor attention
Business-strategy course included for students planning their own studio

Worth knowing

Limited public hours, concentrated on a handful of days per week

Reputation scorecardrank in Los Angeles

Rating5 / 5

Review volume67 · 68th

Confidenceearly

Recency12 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown100% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The smallest, most personal setup on this page, and the review pattern backs that up: detailed, specific, and consistently five stars.

Website +1323-836-5089 Directions

4111 City Terrace Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90063

#5🕑 Open 7 days

Hollywood Makeup School And Permanent Makeup Academy

4.968 Google reviews

Hollywood Makeup School And Permanent Makeup Academy offers specialty certification courses in brow lamination, lash lift, brow tinting and mapping, microblading, lip blushing, and eyelash extensions. Reviewers, including at least one already-licensed cosmetologist, describe the classes as thorough and hands-on rather than a quick certificate mill, with continued access to a private Facebook group and video library after the course ends. Payment plans are available for students who can't pay the full course fee upfront.

What people praise

Specialty certifications not commonly offered elsewhere on this list, like permanent makeup and brow lamination
Payment plans available through installments
Continued access to a private learning group after the course ends

Worth knowing

One reviewer described a class cancellation with slow follow-up on a refund request

Reputation scorecardrank in Los Angeles

Rating4.9 / 5

Review volume68 · 73th

Confidenceearly

Recency9 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown97% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The clear pick if you want a specific specialty certification like lash or brow work rather than a broader nail or cosmetology track, though the one refund complaint is worth clarifying with the school before you pay a deposit.

+1323-932-9100 Directions

5450 W Pico Blvd Ste 104, Los Angeles, CA 90019

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How we score these schools

Rating is the live Google average score. Review volume measures how many students have actually left feedback, weighed against the other schools here. Confidence blends the rating with that volume, since a perfect score from a small handful of reviews carries less weight than one backed by hundreds. Recency checks how recently students are still reviewing. No school can pay to change any of these numbers.

How much does beauty school cost in Los Angeles? (2026)

Course cost varies enormously by specialty and format, from a short five-week nail course to a full state-licensing vocational program spanning cosmetology or esthetics. We don’t have a trustworthy, current, per-school price list for this page, so contact each school directly for current tuition, kit fees, and any available payment plans or financial aid.

Beauty schools across Los Angeles

These five schools spread across East Los Angeles, downtown, Boyle Heights, and the Pico-Robertson area, so a beauty school near me search in Los Angeles will turn up different neighborhoods depending on the specialty you want. Full vocational licensing programs like ZMS tend to require more regular attendance, while shorter specialty courses may fit around an existing job.

What to ask before you enroll in a beauty school

Is the program a short specialty course or a full state-licensing track?
What is included in the course fee, and what costs extra, like kits or supplies?
Is the school state-approved or accredited for the license you’re pursuing?
How many students are in a typical class, and how much hands-on instructor time do you get?
What is the refund or rescheduling policy if a class is cancelled?
Do graduates get any continued access to resources or a community after the course ends?

Frequently asked questions

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from public Google data. A business can pay to be a Featured Partner (badge plus top placement), but that never changes another business’s score or position.

How did you choose these beauty schools?

We pulled real Google Business Profile data for beauty schools in Los Angeles, then ranked them on rating, review volume, and recency.

How often is this updated?

This page was last verified in July 2026 and we refresh it as new review data comes in.

Which of these schools has the most reviews?

Infinite Glow Academy leads with 230 reviews at a perfect 5.0 average.

Which school offers full state-licensing programs rather than short courses?

ZMS The Academy offers state-approved vocational programs across barbering, cosmetology, esthetics, nail technology, and electrology, with financial aid available.

The bottom line

If you want a broad, state-licensed career path, ZMS is the safe default. If you already know you want a specific specialty like nails, lashes, or brows, Infinite Glow and La Voute both back up their top ratings with detailed, specific student reviews, so start there instead.

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