Academy of Beauty Arts

What Academy of Beauty Arts does

The Academy of Beauty Professionals is a privately held, NACCAS-accredited cosmetology school operating four stand-alone campuses in Appleton, Green Bay, and Madison, Wisconsin, and Raymore, Missouri. It offers state-licensed training in four program verticals — cosmetology, barbering, esthetics, and nail technology — serving career-focused individuals seeking entry into or advancement within the beauty industry. Students begin hands-on client work by their second week in professional salon/spa environments, and tuition is supported by federal financial aid and third-party financing options.

The company's core instructional asset is "The Edge," a proprietary competency-based curriculum methodology designed to structure learning around individual student styles. The revenue model is direct-to-consumer tuition, distributed across multi-month program enrollments at each campus. Lead generation runs through the company's website (including a Net Price Calculator and inquiry forms), blog content, and an organic social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Pinterest; admissions is handled by a dedicated in-house team reachable via per-campus phone lines. The business reports 2024 combined outcomes of a 79.91% graduation rate, 74.87% placement rate, and 90.45% licensure rate across its Wisconsin and Missouri schools.

The institution traces its lineage to Martin's Beauty Shop, founded in 1940 in Manitowoc, Wisconsin by Martin and Mary Kwitek. John Martin founded the first cosmetology school in 1981 (Martin's School of Hair Design), secured NACCAS national accreditation in 1986, sold the schools to Regis Corporation in 2005, and subsequently re-established the Wisconsin campuses as the Academy of Beauty Professionals in 2015, with the Missouri Raymore campus added in March 2021. The business is family-owned, with David Martin Kwitek serving as Owner and President and John Martin as Founder and Best Practices Coach.

Name

Academy of Beauty Arts

Legal name

Academy of Beauty Professionals

Website

https://academyofbeautyprofessionals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Academy of Beauty Professionals is a privately held, NACCAS-accredited cosmetology school operating four campuses in Wisconsin and Missouri that delivers licensed programs in cosmetology, barbering, esthetics, and nail technology to career-focused beauty industry aspirants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cosmetology and Beauty Education

NAICS

Cosmetology and Barber Schools (611511), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Cosmetology Schools & Programs (HSALANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Barber Training, Apprenticeship & Education (HSALABAI), Nail Technology (Manicure/Pedicure) Training Programs (HSALANAC), Makeup Artistry Training Programs (HSALANAE)

Keywords

• Cosmetology education
• Beauty school programs
• Barbering training
• Esthetics instruction
• Nail technology courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Raymore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Educational Tuition Services: Revenue generated through tuition fees for cosmetology, barbering, esthetics, and nail technology programs. Financial aid and financing options available to eligible students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Academy of Beauty Professionals is a private cosmetology school that delivers state-licensure education in cosmetology, barbering, esthetics, and nail technology across four campuses in Wisconsin and Missouri. Students pay tuition to attend multi-week programs that combine classroom theory with hands-on training in on-site salon/spa environments, using the proprietary 'The Edge' competency-based curriculum. Federal financial aid and third-party financing are available to qualifying students.

Product overview

Academy of Beauty Professionals offers four distinct beauty education programs: Cosmetology, Barbering, Esthetics, and Nail Technology. The institution operates multiple campuses in Wisconsin (Appleton, Green Bay, Madison) and Missouri (Raymore), providing hands-on training in professional salon/spa environments. Students can start hands-on work by their second week of class. The school uses a competency-based methodology called 'The Edge' and offers financing options and financial aid to qualifying students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cosmetology Program A comprehensive program covering hair, nails, and skincare, teaching essential technical skills for becoming a confident and creative beauty professional. Includes training in cutting, coloring, styling, skincare, makeup, and manicure applications. Designed for individuals seeking state licensure and careers in the beauty industry.
• Barbering Program A comprehensive barbering program that can be completed in 29 weeks, covering haircutting, styling, facial grooming, coloring, and business management skills. Designed for students pursuing barbering careers and state licensure.
• Esthetics Program Program teaching the science of healthy skin and applications to enhance facial features. Students begin hands-on learning in a spa atmosphere by their second week, covering facials, body treatments, hair removal, and makeup applications. Designed for individuals pursuing esthetician careers and licensure.
• Nail Technology Program A three-segment nail technology course including theory, practical, and professional studies. Combines hands-on training on real clients with salon/spa atmosphere experience, teaching acrylic nails, gel polish, and nail art techniques. Designed for students pursuing nail technician careers and licensure.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduation rate: 79.91%
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• 60+ Non-profit Organizations (Day Maker Program)coreOthersCommunity partnership program providing complimentary hair, skin, and nail services to local non-profit organizations. Active across Appleton, Green Bay, Madison, WI and Raymore, MO locations. Program originated under Martin's College of Cosmetology in 2003.
• National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (NACCAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational accreditation body for cosmetology arts and sciences education. Accreditation obtained in 1986, enabling access to federal financial aid for students.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Tricoci University of Beauty Culture: Multi-campus cosmetology and esthetics school operator primarily in the Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin). Directly competes with ABP in the Wisconsin market and offers a comparable curriculum in cosmetology, esthetics, and nail technology. Strong direct competitor for Wisconsin-based students.
• Aveda Institutes: Cosmetology and esthiology schools operated in affiliation with the Aveda brand (Estée Lauder). Offer comparable curriculum in cosmetology, esthetics, and nail programs, with strong brand prestige in the salon/spa industry. Direct competitor for students seeking premium beauty education.
• Paul Mitchell Schools: A national network of cosmetology and barbering schools operating under the Paul Mitchell brand. Offers comparable cosmetology, barbering, and esthetics programs with similar NACCAS accreditation and federal financial aid eligibility. Direct competitor for career-focused beauty students, particularly attractive to brand-conscious enrollees.

Broad incumbents

• Regis Corporation: Large salon operator and former owner of beauty schools (purchased Martin's schools in 2005). While primarily a salon franchise company (Supercuts, etc.), its prior ownership of cosmetology education makes it a broad peer for understanding the educational-to-salon vertical in the beauty industry.
• Empire Beauty Schools: One of the largest cosmetology school chains in the US with dozens of campuses nationwide. Empire was briefly the parent entity of ABP's predecessor schools (Martin's College of Cosmetology) from 2007-2015, making it the most historically connected peer. Comparable in offering (cosmetology, esthetics, nail programs) and accreditation (NACCAS), but at vastly greater scale.

Others

• Pivot Point International: Provider of cosmetology education content, curriculum, and lab equipment to cosmetology schools worldwide. While not operating its own schools at ABP's scale, Pivot Point is thematically comparable as a content/curriculum provider in beauty education and could be relevant as a potential partnership or acquisition target.
• Milady (Cengage Group): Leading publisher of cosmetology curriculum, textbooks, and state board exam prep materials used by virtually all cosmetology schools. While not a direct competitor, Milady is an enabling partner/comparable to the curriculum/content aspect of ABP's 'The Edge' methodology.

Emerging players

• Total Image Beauty Academy: Smaller, regionally focused cosmetology school. Comparable to ABP in operating a single or limited number of campuses offering cosmetology and related programs. Represents a smaller emerging competitor profile in the regional beauty education space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcUyK2zRtlSHADLo3Wx665Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/academyofbeautyprofessionals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/academy-of-beauty-professionals-wi
• Instagraminstagram.com/abpwi
• Pinterestpinterest.com/abpwi

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Academy of Beauty Arts