For students living in Norwalk, Cerritos, Bellflower, La Mirada, or the surrounding cities, the cosmetology school choice often comes down to Cerritos College or a private school like Beyond. The two programs are closer in pass rate than any other pair in this region — but they differ significantly on schedule, start dates, and time-to-license. Here's the honest comparison.
Beyond and Cerritos College posted nearly identical 2025 California State Board cosmetology pass rates — 80% versus 79%. They're within a single point of each other. The decision between them comes down to schedule and start date availability, not pass rate.
Cerritos's tuition is significantly lower. Beyond is faster, runs monthly start dates, and isn't subject to community college enrollment cohort closures.
Source: California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology quarterly school pass-rate reports.
Both programs are 1,000 hours — the California state minimum since SB 803 took effect in 2022. But the calendar around those hours is very different.
Same hours. Roughly the same pass rate. The difference is when you start and how fast you finish.
Beyond cosmetology: $17,560 total — tuition, registration, kit, books, and state STRF fee. We publish the full number on our cosmetology program page.
Cerritos College cosmetology: California resident tuition is $46 per unit. Total tuition for the program runs roughly $1,400 to $2,500, plus kit and books in the $500 to $1,500 range. Total out-of-pocket: typically $2,000 to $4,500.
That's a $13,000 to $15,000 sticker gap. Both schools participate in federal financial aid — Pell Grants (up to $7,395 for 2025–26) and federal student loans can be applied at either. Beyond's FAFSA school code is 041482. More on financial aid at Beyond.
This is where the two programs diverge most clearly.
Cerritos runs cohort-based start dates. You start when their next cohort opens, not when you're ready. The Cerritos cosmetology department's cohort calendar has closed sessions for new students at the time of writing, and incoming students are placed on a waitlist for the next available start.
Beyond's cosmetology program runs daytime only — Tuesday through Saturday 8:30 AM to 3 PM for full time or Tuesday through Saturday 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM for part time — with monthly start dates. If you want to begin in the next 30 to 60 days, that's typically possible at Beyond.
One prereq worth knowing about: Cerritos requires English C1000 (college-level composition) with a C or better, or placement at that level. If you don't have it, you'll need to take a full semester of English before you can enter the cosmetology cohort sequence — on top of the wait for the next open cohort. Beyond doesn't require college-level English coursework. We require a high school diploma or GED.
If you're considering esthetician (skin care) instead of cosmetology, both schools run real programs. Cerritos's esthetician program is 600 hours over an 18-week semester. Beyond's esthetician program is 600 hours, available in day or night tracks — Beyond is one of the few schools in the LA + OC area with an evening esthetician option for working adults. Our esthetician curriculum is built on Dermalogica products and protocols.
Cerritos College is at 11110 Alondra Boulevard in Norwalk. Beyond is at 13640 Imperial Highway in Santa Fe Springs — about 5 miles away. Most students who'd consider Cerritos can reach Beyond in 10 to 15 minutes. We pull regularly from Norwalk, Cerritos, La Mirada, Bellflower, Downey, and the surrounding cities.
Cerritos College may be the better fit if:
Beyond may be the better fit if:
One note on accuracy: schools update tuition, program hours, and start dates throughout the year. The Cerritos College information in this post is based on public sources at the time of writing. Confirm anything decision-critical — current tuition, start dates, waitlist status, prerequisites — directly with Cerritos College's cosmetology department before enrolling.
Beyond is 5 miles from the Cerritos College campus. Call (562) 404-6193 or schedule a tour. Want to test the State Board content before committing? Our cosmetology practice exam is free and online.
For the bigger picture across all the LA + OC community college beauty programs, see our main comparison of community college vs. private cosmetology school in LA + OC.
