If you live in central or south Los Angeles, the cosmetology school choice often comes down to LA Trade Tech (LATTC) — one of the oldest community college beauty programs in the city — or a private school like Beyond. Here's the honest comparison.
Beyond posted a higher 2025 California State Board cosmetology pass rate than LATTC — 80% versus 62% — and finishes the same 1,000-hour curriculum in roughly a third of the time. LATTC's tuition is significantly lower at sticker price, and they have a well-established multi-program pathway covering cosmetology, esthetician, and barbering on one campus.
Source: California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology quarterly school pass-rate reports.
Both programs teach 1,000 hours — the California state minimum since SB 803 took effect in 2022. The difference is the calendar.
Same hours. Very different timeline. If you can commit to 2 years on a community college academic calendar, LATTC works. If you want to be licensed and earning in a year or less, Beyond's full time track gets you there in roughly 8 months.
Beyond cosmetology: $17,560 total — tuition, registration, kit, books, and state STRF fee. We publish the full number on our cosmetology program page.
LATTC cosmetology: California resident tuition is $46 per unit. Total tuition for the program runs roughly $1,400 to $2,500, plus kit and books (LATTC publishes specific kit costs on their program fees page — figure $750 to $1,500 for the bundle). 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.
LATTC's cosmetology program starts at the beginning of fall and spring semesters. If your timing doesn't line up, you wait. The day program is Monday through Thursday 12:30 to 7 PM. The evening program is Monday through Friday 4:30 to 9:50 PM.
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 start in the next 30 to 60 days, that's typically possible.
One thing worth noting: if you specifically need evening cosmetology classes, Beyond isn't currently an option. LATTC's evening cosmetology track is one of the few real options for that specific need — at the cost of 2 years to license. (At Beyond, evening tracks are available for esthetician and nail tech, not cosmetology.)
LATTC runs strictly sequential cosmetology prereqs: COS 111 → 112 → 121/131 and up. You can't take a class without completing the one before it. If you fail or withdraw from any course, you wait a semester to retake before the next one unlocks. Plus the full LACCD college application process up front — placement assessment, counselor appointment, orientation — typically 4 to 8 weeks before you can register for COS 111.
LATTC runs a real esthetician program — 600 hours over 1 year (2 semesters) covering makeup, hair removal, facials, anatomy, and spa work. Beyond's esthetician program is also 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, and our esthetician curriculum is built on Dermalogica products and protocols.
LATTC is at 400 West Washington Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles. Beyond is at 13640 Imperial Highway in Santa Fe Springs — about 17 miles southeast, off the 5 or 605. For students living in central or downtown LA, LATTC is closer. For students in the southeast LA + OC corridor (Whittier, Norwalk, Downey, Cerritos, La Mirada, Pico Rivera, La Habra, Compton, Long Beach), Beyond is typically a shorter commute.
LATTC 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 LATTC information in this post is based on public sources at the time of writing. Confirm anything decision-critical — current tuition, semester start dates, prerequisites — directly with LATTC's cosmetology pathway team before enrolling.
Beyond is 17 miles southeast of LATTC, easy off the 5 or 605. 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.
