Best Makeup Artist programs in California, ranked by enrollment
Apply makeup to performers to reflect period, setting, and situation of their.
117 schools in California run programs that feed this job, graduating 6,747 people a year. The job pays a median of $140,870 in California across about 830 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in California that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
1 programs in California that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in California (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own California page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 12.0401In California → | 6,747 | 100.0% | 117 | $17,113 | $10,000 |
Top 25 schools in California
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 86 of the 117 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Mitchell the School - Temecula Temecula, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 232 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $14,507 | 69% | $34,228 | — |
| 2 | Asian - American International Beauty College Westminster, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 217 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $9,647 | 90% | — | — |
| 3 | Los Angeles Trade Technical College Los Angeles, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 217 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | — | 35% | — | — |
| 4 | Riverside City College Riverside, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 179 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $13,431 | 37% | — | — |
| 5 | Cerritos College Norwalk, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 178 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $13,133 | 31% | — | — |
| 6 | Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 178 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | — | 36% | — | — |
| 7 | Milan Institute - Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 177 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $13,386 | 59% | $30,443 | — |
| 8 | Paul Mitchell the School - Costa Mesa Costa Mesa, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 162 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $16,464 | 82% | $12,448 | — |
| 9 | Citrus College Glendora, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 159 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | — | 41% | — | — |
| 10 | Golden West College Huntington Beach, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 152 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | — | 49% | — | — |
| 11 | Fullerton College Fullerton, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 149 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | — | 34% | — | — |
| 12 | Milan Institute - Visalia Visalia, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 124 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $15,635 | 51% | $30,328 | — |
| 13 | Butte College Oroville, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 123 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | — | 45% | — | — |
| 14 | Paul Mitchell the School - Fresno Fresno, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 119 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $10,762 | 84% | $20,849 | — |
| 15 | Milan Institute - Clovis Clovis, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 116 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $13,386 | 63% | $22,885 | — |
| 16 | Paul Mitchell the School - San Diego San Diego, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 110 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $16,464 | 99% | $25,671 | — |
| 17 | Paul Mitchell the School - Sherman Oaks Sherman Oaks, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 106 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $14,600 | 75% | $28,105 | — |
| 18 | San Jose City College San Jose, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 106 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $23,253 | 34% | — | — |
| 19 | Advance Beauty College Garden Grove, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 105 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $10,981 | 67% | $11,879 | — |
| 20 | Paul Mitchell the School - East Bay Pleasant Hill, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 91 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $17,858 | 78% | $31,098 | — |
| 21 | Salon Success Academy - Upland Upland, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 88 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $16,526 | 91% | $17,038 | — |
| 22 | American Beauty College West Covina, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 87 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $18,085 | 69% | $25,703 | — |
| 23 | Paul Mitchell the School - Modesto Modesto, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 85 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $20,060 | 80% | $18,062 | — |
| 24 | Career Academy of Beauty Garden Grove, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 82 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $15,921 | 92% | $20,675 | — |
| 25 | Coastline Beauty College Fountain Valley, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 82 | Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General | $8,495 | 87% | $14,231 | — |
All 117 schools in California
Every school in California with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Mitchell the School - Temecula | Temecula | Private for-profit | 232 | 1 |
| Asian - American International Beauty College | Westminster | Private for-profit | 217 | 1 |
| Los Angeles Trade Technical College | Los Angeles | Public | 217 | 1 |
| Riverside City College | Riverside | Public | 179 | 1 |
| Cerritos College | Norwalk | Public | 178 | 1 |
| Santa Monica College | Santa Monica | Public | 178 | 1 |
| Milan Institute - Bakersfield | Bakersfield | Private for-profit | 177 | 1 |
| Paul Mitchell the School - Costa Mesa | Costa Mesa | Private for-profit | 162 | 1 |
| Citrus College | Glendora | Public | 159 | 1 |
| Golden West College | Huntington Beach | Public | 152 | 1 |
| Fullerton College | Fullerton | Public | 149 | 1 |
| Milan Institute - Visalia | Visalia | Private for-profit | 124 | 1 |
| Butte College | Oroville | Public | 123 | 1 |
| Paul Mitchell the School - Fresno | Fresno | Private for-profit | 119 | 1 |
| Milan Institute - Clovis | Clovis | Private for-profit | 116 | 1 |
What makeup artists, theatrical and performance earn in California
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $97,150. California pays above the national figure.
Concentrated here: California employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in California
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance page.
How to become a Makeup Artist
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in California
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 3 majors mapped to Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance3 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 12.0401Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General
- 12.0406Make-Up Artist/Specialist
- 12.0411Permanent Cosmetics/Makeup and Tattooing
Common questions
Answers for people weighing makeup artists, theatrical and performance programs in California.
What degree do you need to become a Makeup Artist?+
Postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General, which awarded 6,747 degrees in California in 2024-25, 100.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Makeup Artist?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 programs to this occupation. The largest are Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services. Together they graduate about 6,747 people a year in California.
How much do makeup artists, theatrical and performance earn in California?+
The median is $140,870 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 45.0% above the U.S. median of $97,150. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for makeup artists, theatrical and performance growing?+
BLS projects a +8.1% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 1,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in California?+
117 institutions in California reported graduates from at least one of the 1 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do makeup artists, theatrical and performance work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Makeup Artist (MUA), Hair and Makeup Designer, Special Effects Makeup Artist (Special Effects MUA), TV and Film Makeup Artist (Television and Film Makeup Artist) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 39-5091.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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