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2024 Best Cosmetology Schools

36 Colleges in the United States
107,895 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
$17,007 Avg Early-Career Salary
Cosmetology is about average in terms of popularity for degree programs. That is, it ranks #226 out of the 395 majors across the country that we analyze each year. As such, the degree program isn't offered at every college in the United States, but there are schools that do have a program in the field that are top-notch when it comes to quality.

College Factual reviewed 36 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of cosmetology. Combined, these schools handed out 107,895 degrees in cosmetology to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Cosmetology School

Best Cosmetology Schools The cosmetology program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Cosmetology rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for cosmetology schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Cosmetology Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Cosmetology

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Cosmetology Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Cosmetology in the United States

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the cosmetology degree levels they offer.

10 Top Schools in Cosmetology

1
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
94 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
43.6% Growth in Graduates

Clover Park Technical College is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in cosmetology. Located in the city of Lakewood, CPTC is a public college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #389 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means CPTC is a great college overall.

There were about 94 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at CPTC in the most recent data year. Cosmetology degree recipients from Clover Park Technical College get an earnings boost of around $5,164 over the typical earnings of cosmetology graduates.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Clover Park Technical College

2
Saint Paul College crest
Saint Paul College
Saint Paul, MN
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
103 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
12.6% Growth in Graduates

Saint Paul College is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in cosmetology. Located in the large city of Saint Paul, Saint Paul College is a public college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 37th out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were about 103 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Saint Paul College in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the cosmetology degree program at Saint Paul College earn $10,186 more than the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Saint Paul College

3
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
130 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
4.6% Growth in Graduates

Houston Community College is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in cosmetology. Houston Community College is a fairly large public college located in the large city of Houston. A Best Colleges rank of #308 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Houston Community College is a great college overall.

There were about 130 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Houston Community College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, cosmetology degree recipients typically earn an average of $17,933 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Houston Community College

4
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
71 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
36.6% Growth in Graduates

Wake Technical Community College is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in cosmetology. Wake Technical Community College is a very large public college located in the large suburb of Raleigh. A Best Colleges rank of #693 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Wake Technical Community College is a great college overall.

There were roughly 71 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Wake Technical Community College in the most recent data year. Those cosmetology students who get their degree from Wake Technical Community College receive $4,225 more than the typical cosmetology grad.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Wake Technical Community College

5
Cerritos College crest
Cerritos College
Norwalk, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
77 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
20.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Norwalk, Cerritos College is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #375 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Cerritos College is a great college overall.

There were approximately 77 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Cerritos College in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the cosmetology degree program at Cerritos College make $9,731 above the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Cerritos College

6
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
61 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
32.8% Growth in Graduates

JCCC is a fairly large public college located in the medium-sized city of Overland Park. A Best Colleges rank of #607 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means JCCC is a great college overall.

There were roughly 61 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at JCCC in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the cosmetology program at Johnson County Community College earn $3,064 more than the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Johnson County Community College

7
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
34 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
20.6% Growth in Graduates

CNM is a large public college located in the large city of Albuquerque. A Best Colleges rank of #534 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means CNM is a great college overall.

There were about 34 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at CNM in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the cosmetology major at Central New Mexico Community College make $3,606 above the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Central New Mexico Community College

8
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
193 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
$15,393 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Pasadena, San Jacinto College is a public college with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #672 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means San Jacinto College is a great college overall.

There were about 193 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at San Jacinto College in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the cosmetology program earn an average of $15,393 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from San Jacinto Community College

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
34 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
58.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 19th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 34 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Central Piedmont Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the cosmetology program make about $18,217 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Central Piedmont Community College

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
41.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Pewaukee, WCTC is a public college with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #622 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means WCTC is a great college overall.

There were approximately 53 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at WCTC in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the cosmetology major at Waukesha County Technical College make $7,218 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Waukesha County Technical College

Cosmetology by Region

View the Best Cosmetology Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Cosmetology is one of 4 different types of Personal & Culinary Services programs to choose from.

Cosmetology Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist 46,395
Aesthetician/Esthetician & Skin Care Specialist 31,569
Nail Technician/Specialist & Manicurist 11,623
Barbering/Barber 8,381
Facial Treatment Specialist/Facialist 2,437
Other Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Arts 2,278
Master Aesthetician/Esthetician 1,620
Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, & Nail Instructor 1,382
Hair Styling/Stylist & Hair Design 1,029
Make-Up Artist/Specialist 566

View All Cosmetology Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Culinary Arts 19,806
Funeral & Mortuary Science 2,354
Casino Operations and Services 192
Other Personal & Culinary Services 81

View All Cosmetology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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