Veteran Trade Schools

VA-approved barber and cosmetology programs in Pennsylvania

Quick answer

Barber and cosmetology training in Pennsylvania is spread across 49 cities, with Philadelphia the largest at 8 locations.

VA's GI Bill® Comparison Tool lists 78 barber and cosmetology training locations in Pennsylvania with 86 approved programs: 75 with school programs and 3 with apprenticeship or on-the-job training. 5 have a VA caution flag.

Before you enroll, open the VA profile to confirm the exact program, and ask the School Certifying Official to confirm your start date. [VA: Choosing a GI Bill approved school]

78 locations, by city

Altoona Beauty School INC

Altoona, PA
VA profile for Altoona Beauty School INC (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program For-profit VA caution flag
  • Cosmetology

VA caution flag: School has an accreditation issue. This school's accreditation has been taken away and is under appeal, or the school has been placed on probation, because it didn't meet acceptable levels of quality. Learn more about this school's accreditation

Not accredited (accreditation is not required for VA approval of many trade programs)

Lehigh Valley Barber and Beauty Academy

Bethlehem, PA
VA profile for Lehigh Valley Barber and Beauty Academy (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program For-profit VA caution flag
  • Barbering
  • Cosmetology

VA caution flag: School has an accreditation issue. This school's accreditation has been taken away and is under appeal, or the school has been placed on probation, because it didn't meet acceptable levels of quality. Learn more about this school's accreditation

VA caution flag: School placed on Heightened Cash Monitoring. The Department of Education has placed this school on Heightened Cash Monitoring because of financial or federal compliance issues. Learn more about Heightened Cash Monitoring

GI Bill students (all programs): 21Accredited (hybrid)

Show all 78 locations

Bucks County School of Beauty Culture

Feasterville, PA
VA profile for Bucks County School of Beauty Culture (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program For-profit VA caution flag
  • Cosmetology

VA caution flag: School has an accreditation issue. This school's accreditation has been taken away and is under appeal, or the school has been placed on probation, because it didn't meet acceptable levels of quality. Learn more about this school's accreditation

GI Bill students (all programs): 1Accredited (hybrid)

Barber and Beauty Academy of Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, PA
VA profile for Barber and Beauty Academy of Pennsylvania (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program For-profit VA caution flag
  • Barbering
  • Cosmetology

VA caution flag: School has an accreditation issue. This school's accreditation has been taken away and is under appeal, or the school has been placed on probation, because it didn't meet acceptable levels of quality. Learn more about this school's accreditation

GI Bill students (all programs): 8Accredited

Source: VA GI Bill Comparison Tool program data, retrieved October 23, 2026. School details come from VA's data file dated October 8, 2026. The list is sorted by city, then name. It isn't a ranking.

Common questions

How many GI Bill-approved barber and cosmetology programs are in Pennsylvania?

VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool lists 86 approved programs at 78 locations in Pennsylvania as of October 23, 2026. That's about 5% of the 1,563 barber and cosmetology locations in VA's data nationally. By type: 62 for-profit schools, 12 public colleges and technical schools, 3 employers and apprenticeship sponsors, 1 private nonprofit school.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]

Which cities in Pennsylvania have barber and cosmetology programs?

By number of locations: Philadelphia (8), Pittsburgh (7), Altoona (3), Lancaster (3), Monroeville (3), Reading (3) and 43 more cities.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]

Are there paid barber and cosmetology apprenticeships in Pennsylvania that take the GI Bill?

Yes. 3 locations offer VA-approved on-the-job training in Pennsylvania (3 programs); 1 of them is a registered apprenticeship. With the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you're paid wages plus a monthly housing payment that steps down every six months.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool] [VA: On-the-job training and apprenticeships]

Do any barber and cosmetology schools in Pennsylvania have VA caution flags?

Yes. 5 locations have a VA caution flag. Each flag is shown on its listing in VA's wording. Read it before you enroll.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]

Other trades in Pennsylvania

← All Barber & Cosmetology programs · Does the GI Bill cover barber or cosmetology school?

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “GI Bill Comparison Tool”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
  2. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “GI Bill Comparison Tool data (ComparisonToolData.xlsx)”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
  3. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Choosing a GI Bill approved school”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.