What PROTEGE ACADEMY INC. does

Protégé Academy Inc. is a privately held, NACCAS-accredited cosmetology school operating two physical campuses in Michigan — East Lansing (4960 Northwind Dr) and Mt. Pleasant (4884 Pickard/M20). Its core business is postsecondary vocational training leading to state licensure, with a portfolio of five programs: Cosmetology (1,500 clock hours), Manicuring (600 hours), Student Instructor (600 hours), Limited Specialist Manicuring Instructor (300 hours), and a Certified Lash Stylist track delivered through a partnership with Bella Lash.

The school monetizes through tuition (priced by program length and day/night attendance schedule, with specific dollar amounts undisclosed publicly) and through a secondary revenue stream of beauty services performed by supervised senior students. Service prices are posted publicly and span haircuts ($7–$30), color ($15–$75+), nails ($15–$35+), lashes ($35–$110), and spa services ($5–$50). Distribution is entirely on-campus across the two Michigan locations, with extended hours (Mon–Fri 8:30 am–9:45 pm, Sat 8:30 am–4:30 pm).

The customer base is prospective beauty professionals and walk-in service consumers, supplemented by veterans using GI Bill benefits. The school is NACCAS-accredited, participates in federal student aid via FAFSA, and is approved for veterans' educational benefits. Its go-to-market relies on website-driven inquiries, scheduled campus tours, and financial-aid-office outreach. The school discloses no headcount, no revenue, and no investor base; it operates as an independent, non-public company with no disclosed parent, subsidiaries, or funding rounds.

Name

PROTEGE ACADEMY INC.

Legal name

Protege Academy Inc.

Website

https://protegeacademy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Protégé Academy is a privately held, NACCAS-accredited cosmetology school operating two Michigan campuses in East Lansing and Mt. Pleasant, offering licensed training in cosmetology, manicuring, and instructor tracks alongside student-delivered beauty services.

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

Nail Technician Training & Certification (Nail-Focused) (HSALACAN), Esthetics & Skincare Training Programs (HSALANAB), Cosmetology (General) (EDAOALAA)

Keywords

• Cosmetology education
• Beauty school training
• Manicuring certification
• Instructor training programs
• Student salon services

Headquarters

HQ city

East Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Training Fees: Revenue generated from cosmetology, manicuring, and instructor training programs. Programs range from 300 to 1500 clock hours with tuition based on program length and attendance schedule (day vs. night classes).
2. Beauty Services: Revenue from providing beauty services to clients, performed by supervised senior students. Services include haircuts, coloring, texture services, nail services, lash services, and spa treatments at various price points.
3. Financial Aid Administration: School participates in federal student aid programs including grants and loans through FAFSA. Also accepts GI Bill benefits for veterans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Protégé Academy is a private cosmetology school offering state-licensed training programs in cosmetology (1,500 hours), manicuring (600 hours), student instructor (600 hours), limited specialist manicuring instructor (300 hours), and certified lash styling. Students attend in-person classes at two Michigan campuses (East Lansing and Mt. Pleasant), where they also perform supervised beauty services (hair, nails, lashes, skincare) to paying clients as part of their hands-on training. Federal financial aid, GI Bill benefits, and job placement assistance are available.

Product overview

Protégé Academy is a cosmetology school offering educational programs and commercial beauty services. The educational portfolio includes five core programs: Cosmetology (1,500 hours), Manicuring (600 hours), Student Instructor (600 hours), Limited Specialist Manicuring Instructor (300 hours), and Certified Lash Stylist (Bella Lash certification). The service portfolio complements the educational offerings with six service categories—Cutting Services, Texture Services, Color Services, Nail Services, Specialty Services, Lashing Services, and Spa Services—all performed by supervised senior students. The school operates in East Lansing and Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, with financial aid available for qualifying students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cosmetology Program

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Bella LashcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBella Lash provides the highest quality and most innovative eyelash extension products. Protege Academy students are trained using the Bella Lash Certification Course. The partnership enables students to become certified lash stylists while attending the academy.
• U.S. Department of EducationcoreOthersThe National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS) is recognized by the United States Department of Education as a national accrediting agency. This accreditation enables the school to participate in federal student aid programs.
• U.S. Department of Veterans AffairscoreOthersProtégé Academy participates in the Veterans Educational Benefits program (GI Bill). Veterans interested in using their educational benefits can speak with the Financial Aid Director.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Total Image Beauty Academy: Smaller accredited cosmetology school with a regional U.S. footprint offering similar core cosmetology and instructor programs. Comparable scale and program scope to Protégé Academy.
• PJ's College of Cosmetology: Mid-sized accredited cosmetology school with multiple Midwest campuses offering cosmetology, esthetics, and instructor training. Comparable in scale, NACCAS accreditation, and Midwest geographic positioning.

Direct peers

• Tricoci University of Beauty Culture: Multi-campus cosmetology and esthetics school in the Midwest. Operates accredited cosmetology, esthetics, and instructor programs with similar student service offerings and federal aid participation.
• Paul Mitchell Schools: National cosmetology school network with 100+ partner schools across the U.S. offering cosmetology, barbering, esthetics, and instructor programs. Highly comparable in program mix, NACCAS accreditation, and federal aid participation.
• Sassoon Academy: Internationally recognized hairdressing education brand offering accredited cutting and coloring programs. Comparable to Protégé's positioning of "internationally trained, trend-setting stylists" and advanced cutting/coloring technique focus.
• Bellus Academy: Accredited cosmetology, esthetics, and makeup school with multiple campuses. Comparable in offering cosmetology and advanced specialty certifications with strong placement support.
• Empire Beauty Schools: Largest U.S. cosmetology school chain with ~80+ campuses nationwide offering cosmetology, esthetics, and instructor training. Directly comparable as a multi-state NACCAS-accredited cosmetology institution with similar program structure and federal aid eligibility.
• Aveda Institutes: Network of accredited cosmetology and esthetics schools operated in partnership with Aveda, offering state-of-the-art facility training similar to Protégé's positioning. Comparable NACCAS-accredited programs with strong brand partnership.

Others

• Milady (Cengage Beauty Education): Leading provider of cosmetology curriculum, textbooks, and instructor resources used by NACCAS-accredited schools. Comparable as a key ecosystem enabler for the same accredited beauty school infrastructure Protégé operates within.

Broad incumbents

• Regis Corporation (Beauty Schools division): Parent company of a national portfolio of accredited cosmetology schools. Operates as a broad incumbent in the same accredited beauty education space with deeper capital resources and a larger enrollment base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 PROTEGE ACADEMY INC.