How to Become a Nail Tech in San Antonio: Schools, Costs, Exams and Pay
We list 11 TDLR-licensed San Antonio-area schools and colleges (12 locations) with a Manicurist program; the practical exam is at PSI’s NW Parkway site.
The route, in short
- Complete a 600-hour Manicurist course at a TDLR-licensed school.
- When TDLR confirms you can test, apply for your license ($50) before your written exam.
- Pass PSI’s written exam (2 San Antonio-area centers or online), then the practical at PSI’s NW Parkway site. After you pass, a 60-day temporary license prints with your score report.
Illustrative photo.
The Sublime Professional Online Program
Gel, acrylic and Russian manicure, step by step, with Darya correcting photos of your own work. Access opens as soon as you pay.
Online and self-paced. Not a TDLR-licensed school, so it doesn’t count toward Texas’s 600 hours.
See the Online Program: $597 Try the Free Theory Class FirstSan Antonio at a Glance
- 2 written-exam centers in San Antonio; the practical is at the NW Parkway center
- We list 11 TDLR-licensed schools and colleges in the San Antonio area with a Manicurist program (see below)
- The 600-hour course runs about 15 weeks at 40 hours a week; longer part-time
- $181 in license and exam fees: TDLR $50 application, PSI $55 written and $76 practical
Nail Tech Schools in San Antonio
| School | Area | Notes (from the school’s site) | Price (as published) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bella Beauty AcademyHours not stated | San Antonio | About 4 months (per the school). Day and night schedules. | Not published — ask |
| Brazen Beauty Academy600 hours (16 credits) | San Antonio | 13 weeks (per the school). | $9,000 (as published: “Cost: $9,000”) |
| Institute of Modern Aesthetics600 hours | San Antonio | Some theory online (hybrid). | $10,875 (total) |
| Luxury Aesthetics600 hours | San Antonio | Some theory online (hybrid). Program length stated as 600 hours. | Not published — ask |
| Milan Institute of Cosmetology (Ingram Rd)600 hours | San Antonio (Ingram Rd) | English. | $10,190 (total cost) |
| Milan Institute of Cosmetology (South)600 hours | San Antonio (South) | $10,190 (total cost) | |
| Palo Alto College18 credit hours | San Antonio | FAFSA accepted, per the school. | From $109 per credit hour (Bexar County resident); special fees not included |
| Paul Mitchell The School San Antonio600 hours | San Antonio | Tuesday–Friday. | $7,630.96 (total program cost) |
| The Beauty Point Academy600 hours | San Antonio | Not published — ask | |
| Trendsetters Barber & Beauty CollegeHours not stated | San Antonio | Not published — ask |
License and exam fees: $181 (TDLR $50 application, PSI $55 written and $76 practical)
Schools and colleges licensed per TDLR records listing Manicurist programs on their own site, checked September 29, 2026 (10 of 12 listings); prices as published. Not ranked, recommended or complete. Confirm TDLR course approval and full price in writing.
Show all 12 listings
| School | Area | Notes (from the school’s site) | Price (as published) |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCAS600 hours | San Antonio | Day and night schedules. Financial aid, per the school. | $12,300.03 (total, as printed) |
| Vogue College of Cosmetology600 hours | San Antonio (Fredericksburg Rd) | Bilingual. Night classes. | $10,681 (grand total; tuition $9,181) |
Plenty of people want to know they love this work, and try their hand at it, before they sign up for school. That’s where Sublime fits: a self-paced online program in gel, acrylics and Russian manicure, with Darya correcting photos of your own work. It’s $597, or 3 interest-free payments of $199. It doesn’t count toward Texas’s 600 hours; it’s where your skill starts.
For costs elsewhere, see our national cost guide →
Your License Comes From School. Your Skill Can Start Today.
A private online program, not a TDLR-licensed school. Use it before or alongside school, not instead of it.
Gel, acrylic and Russian manicure, step by step · Darya corrects photos of your work · 6 months of access · A certificate of completion, not a state license.
Darya Shevchenko
Founder and lead educator. Owns her own salon; has won nail competitions in Russia, Spain and Dubai.
“I had been interested in nails for a long time but kept putting it off. Sublime gave me a structured way to start learning and improving my skills. It made the whole process feel much less overwhelming.”— Megan T.
3,500+ graduates across North America and 12 countries
What Nail Techs Earn in San Antonio
In the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro, manicurists and pedicurists earned this median pay as of May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS estimates about 420 manicurists and pedicurists work there as employees (May 2025).
That's what people already working in the area are paid, not what any school's graduates, ours included, can expect. Both figures cover employees only, not self-employed or booth-rental technicians. Our graduates still need a Texas license before they can work on clients.
For pay across other metros, see our full salary guide →
Where You Take the Exams in San Antonio
2 written-exam centers in San Antonio, or test remotely through PSI’s online-proctored option; in San Antonio, the practical is at the NW Parkway center.
Source: PSI Manicurist License Examination Candidate Information Bulletin, effective January 1, 2026.
San Antonio Nail Tech — FAQ
How much does nail tech school cost in San Antonio?
It depends on the school. Among the San Antonio schools we list, published Manicurist-program prices range from Paul Mitchell The School San Antonio’s $7,630.96 to UCAS’s $12,300.03, with other published prices in between — including Brazen Beauty Academy ($9,000), Institute of Modern Aesthetics ($10,875), Milan Institute of Cosmetology on Ingram Road ($10,190), Milan Institute of Cosmetology South ($10,190) and Vogue College of Cosmetology ($10,681), all as published on September 29, 2026. Palo Alto College charges $109 per credit hour for Bexar County residents instead of one program price. TDLR and PSI also charge $181 in license and exam fees; ask whether a school’s price already includes any of them, and get the full price in writing.
How many nail tech schools are in San Antonio?
We list 12 licensed locations (11 schools and colleges) in the San Antonio area that TDLR’s license records showed as licensed on September 29, 2026 and whose own website lists a Manicurist or nail program — see the full list above. We may have missed some, so it’s worth searching TDLR’s license records directly before you decide.
What do nail techs earn in San Antonio?
In the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro, BLS puts the median for manicurists and pedicurists at $15.02 an hour, about $31,250 a year (May 2025), and estimates about 420 of them work there as employees. Those numbers don’t include people who are self-employed or renting a booth, and they describe what people already working the job are paid — not what any school’s graduates, including ours, can expect to earn.
Where do I take the licensing exams in San Antonio?
PSI administers both exams, and the written exam has to be passed first, before you can sit for the practical. For the written, San Antonio has two PSI centers (on NW Parkway and on First Park 10 Blvd.), or you can test online with a remote proctor. The practical is hands-on and in person; in San Antonio it’s at the NW Parkway center, 5555 NW Parkway, Suite 135, San Antonio, TX 78249.
Nearby City Guides
Start Practicing Before School Starts
Sublime Professional is a private online academy, not approved by Texas or any other state. Our diploma is a certificate of completion, not a state license, and our hours don't count toward the 600 hours TDLR requires for a manicurist license.
