You don’t have to pay big bucks to get a haircut, facial, mani-pedi or massage. Cosmetology and massage school students need real-world experience to accumulate enough hours for licensing. That’s where school salons come in. A haircut (including shampoo) and blow dry can start as low as $10.
Or how about a spa pedicure with mask and scrub for $19, hair color for $38 or a 60-minute massage for $50? At most school salons the menu of services is comprehensive and cost a fraction of the usual retail price.
No worries about someone accidentally lopping off your long locks or dyeing your hair bright blue (unless that’s what you requested). All services are performed by students under the direct supervision of a licensed instructor.
The only trade-off may be some patience on your part, as some students, especially those early on in their training, may need a bit more time to refine their technique.
Here’s a list of beauty and massage schools across the Front Range offering their services to the public. Check each website for current pricing.
Get a hair cut or style for a fraction of the cost at a cosmetology school salon. Source: 123RF
Aurora
Avalon Institute
Location: 2231 S. Peoria St., Aurora, 80014
Phone: 303-752-1560
Services Offered: Hair, nails, skin
Booking: Call for an appointment or book online.
Empire Beauty School
Location: 16800 E. Mississippi Ave., Aurora, 80017
Phone: 720-823-3806
Services Offered: Hair, nails, skin
Booking: Call for an appointment.
Pickens Technical College
Location: 500 Airport Blvd., Aurora, 80011
Phone: 303-326-3012
Services Offered: Hair, skin, nails
Booking: Open Monday to Friday. Call for an appointment.
Denver
Aveda Institute Denver Salon and Spa
Location: 801 Kalamath St., Denver, 80204
Phone: 303-567-7500
Services offered: Hair, skin, massage
Booking: Open Monday to Saturday starting at 9 a.m. Call ahead to schedule an appointment.
Know before you go: Only the guests receiving services allowed on the clinic floor. Spa packages available.
Emily’s Salon & Barbershop
Run by cosmetology and barbering students under the supervision of licensed instructors at Emily Griffith Technical College.
Location: 1820 Lincoln St., Denver, 80203
Phone: 720-423-4798
Services Offered: Hair, skin, nails
Booking: Typical operating hours are 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. with intermittent breaks. Call ahead to schedule an appointment.
Know before you go: Not all services are available at all times, so be sure to ask when making your appointment. All prices subject to increase depending on hair length, thickness, and existing or previous chemical processes. Children should not be left unattended during your appointment. Cash, Visa and MasterCard accepted. No bills over $20.
Manicures and pedicures are a popular option at beauty school salons. Source: 123RF
Lakewood
Paul Mitchell The School
Location: 405 S. Teller St., Lakewood, 80226
Phone: 303-233-1733
Services Offered: Hair, skin, makeup
Booking: Open Monday to Friday. Call for an appointment or book online.
Know before you go: Choose between Phase One Clinic Classroom or Phase Two Clinic Classroom. Phase Two are part of an accelerated program with higher-level technical skills.
Littleton
Beautiful You Skincare Academy
Location: 8321 Sangre De Cristo Rd., Suite 300, Littleton, 80127
Phone: 303-268-9161
Services Offered: Facials, waxing
Booking: Book online.
Empire Beauty School
Location: 8996 W. Bowles Ave., Littleton, 80123
Phone: 720-823-3807
Services Offered: Hair, nails, skin
Booking: Call for an appointment.
Stacy James Institute
Location: 8555 W. Belleview Ave., F16, Littleton, 80123
Phone: 720-762-4676
Services Offered: Hair, nails, skin, tanning
Booking: Open Monday to Friday. Call for an appointment or book online.
Longmont
Berkana Institute of Massage Therapy
Location: 703 3rd Ave., Longmont, 80501
Services Offered: Massage
Booking: Open on select weeks, Monday through Thursday evenings, starting at 4 p.m. Sessions are booked online by appointment only. No walk-ins.
Know before you go: Offers 60-minute massages throughout the student terms in the Spring and Fall. Also 90-minute massages at the end of the student’s program. All of the student massages are $55 per hour. Tips are not accepted or expected.
IBMC College
Location: 2515 N. Main St., Longmont, 80501
Phone: 303-651-6819
Services Offered: Hair, skin, nails.
Booking: Call for an appointment.
Massage school students need to log practice hours to obtain a license. So you can save big bucks booking at a school clinic.
Loveland
Cheeks Beauty Academy
Location: 5010 Granite St., Loveland, 80538
Phone: 970-667-4122
Services Offered: Hair, skin, nails.
Booking: Appointments recommended. Walk-ins welcome.
Parker
Stacy James Institute
Location: 16534 Keystone Blvd., Parker, 80134
Phone: 303-810-1033
Services Offered: Hair, nails, skin, tanning
Booking: Open Monday to Friday. Call for an appointment or book online.
Thornton
Empire Beauty School
Location: 3811 E. 120th Ave., Thornton, 80233
Phone: 720-798-5322
Services Offered: Hair, nails, skin
Booking: Call for an appointment.
Windsor
Designing Beauty Academy
Location: 621 Innovation Circle, Unit A, Windsor, 80550
Phone: 970-460-0628
Services Offered: Hair, skin, nails
Booking: Call for an appointment.
Elizabeth Finfgeld says
Thank you for always sharing so many diverse ideas that help all of us to save money! I do feel that I should chime in regarding the multiple experiences I’ve had at Empire Beauty School in Littleton, which have been spread out throughout the years. I generally ask for a very basic cut (shoulder length with some layers), and regardless of who has worked on me, the length has always ended up being crooked and/or the layers very choppy. I generally shrug my shoulders and just fix it at home – after all, these are students who are in the very early stages of their career path.
Unfortunately, my mother – who has accompanied me on at least three different occasions – has received what can patently be called ‘hair cut hatchet jobs’. She generally requests a short layered style (a la Kris Jenner) and while two of the cuts she received were pretty bad but somewhat fixable (at home), the most recent one she got was so clearly cringeworthy that I asked THEM to fix it right there in the salon.
I was quite surprised that the instructor – who reviewed the cut and pointed out some areas that needed to be fixed – failed to double check that the student (who at that point looked like a deer caught in the headlights) actually followed through on those suggestions. Unfortunately, the haircut became infinitely worse, ultimately resulting in my mother wearing a hairband to partially camouflage the mess for several months straight.
Sure, what I’m sharing here may be a somewhat isolated incident, but I feel that it’s important for people to be prepared for the possibility that a student may indeed ‘accidentally lop off your locks’. My recommendation with beauty schools is to tread cautiously – and be sure that your haircutter is truly being directly supervised by a professor (who is physically present!) – unless you are more of a free spirit who is not especially worried about the outcome ;)
Dee says
Back in the day, I used a beauty school for a while. The secret I found was if you received a good haircut from a student to ask for them when you made future appointments. And if you really liked them, find out where they were going to work after graduation to keep going to them.
Laura says
Great advice!
Laura says
That’s unfortunate. I do think it depends on the school and the student. But agree you have to go in with lower expectations than a regular salon. I’ve only have a mani/pedi at a school (a pre-wedding party). It took longer than normal, but was terrific nonetheless. – LD