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2024 Best Cosmetology Schools in the Southwest Region

11 Colleges in the Southwest Region
15,959 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
$16,270 Avg Early-Career Salary
When it comes to popularity, cosmetology sits in the middle of the road, ranking #226 out of 395 majors in the country. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.

College Factual reviewed 11 schools in the Southwest Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of cosmetology. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 15,959 degrees in cosmetology during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Cosmetology School

Best Cosmetology Schools in the Southwest Region Your choice of cosmetology school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Cosmetology School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Cosmetology Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Cosmetology

The cosmetology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Cosmetology Schools in the Southwest Region. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Cosmetology in the Southwest Region

The schools below may not offer all types of cosmetology degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Southwest Region Schools in Cosmetology

1
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
130 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
4.6% Growth in Graduates

Houston Community College is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in cosmetology. Located in the large city of Houston, Houston Community College is a public college with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #308 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Houston Community College is a great college overall.

There were approximately 130 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Houston Community College in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the cosmetology program report average early career wages of $17,933.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Houston Community College

2
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
34 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
20.6% Growth in Graduates

Central New Mexico Community College is a good decision for students interested in a degree in cosmetology. Located in the city of Albuquerque, CNM is a public college with a large student population. 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. Cosmetology degree recipients from Central New Mexico Community College get an earnings boost of about $4,343 over the typical earnings of cosmetology graduates.

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

3
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
193 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
$15,393 Median Starting Salary

San Jacinto Community College is a good option for students interested in a degree in cosmetology. San Jacinto College is a fairly large public college located in the suburb of Pasadena. A Best Colleges rank of #672 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means San Jacinto College is a great college overall.

There were approximately 193 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at San Jacinto College in the most recent data year. After graduating, cosmetology degree recipients generally make an average of $15,393 in their early careers.

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

4
North Harris Montgomery crest
Lone Star College System
The Woodlands, TX
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
83 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
48.2% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in cosmetology has to check out Lone Star College System. North Harris Montgomery is a fairly large public college located in the city of The Woodlands. This college ranks 41st out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 83 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at North Harris Montgomery in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the cosmetology degree program at Lone Star College System get $2,456 more than the typical graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Lone Star College System

5
Weatherford College crest
Weatherford College
Weatherford, TX
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
47 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
38.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Weatherford, Weatherford College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population. This college ranks 63rd out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 47 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Weatherford College in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the cosmetology program state that they receive average early career income of $15,572.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Weatherford College

6
Lee College crest
Lee College
Baytown, TX
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
66 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
28.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Baytown, Lee College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #89 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Lee College is a great college overall.

There were roughly 66 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Lee College in the most recent data year. Cosmetology degree recipients from Lee College receive an earnings boost of about $2,730 over the typical income of cosmetology graduates.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Lee College

7
Howard County Junior College crest
Howard College
Big Spring, TX
Undergraduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
43 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
41.9% Growth in Graduates

Howard County Junior College is a small public college located in the town of Big Spring. This college ranks 96th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 43 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Howard County Junior College in the most recent year we have data available. Cosmetology degree recipients from Howard College receive an earnings boost of about $5,033 over the typical earnings of cosmetology graduates.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Howard College

8
COM crest
College of the Mainland
Texas City, TX
Undergraduate Certificate Highest Degree Type
75 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
48.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Texas City, COM is a public college with a small student population. This college ranks 101st out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 75 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at COM in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the cosmetology program earn an average of $12,723 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from College of the Mainland

9
Navarro College crest
Navarro College
Corsicana, TX
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
46 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
$12,220 Median Starting Salary

Navarro College is a moderately-sized public college located in the town of Corsicana. This college ranks 81st out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 46 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Navarro College in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the cosmetology program make an average of $12,220 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Navarro College

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
$15,441 Median Starting Salary
$14,750 Median Student Debt

Located in the large suburb of Webster, Remington College - Houston Southeast Campus is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

There were about 7 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Remington College - Houston Southeast Campus in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, cosmetology degree recipients typically make around $15,441 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Remington College - Houston Southeast Campus

Best Cosmetology Colleges by State

Explore the best cosmetology schools for a specific state in the Southwest Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Texas 317 159
Arizona 287 14
New Mexico 219 34

View All Rankings >

One of 4 majors within the Personal & Culinary Services area of study, Cosmetology has other similar majors worth exploring.

Cosmetology Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist 7,879
Aesthetician/Esthetician & Skin Care Specialist 4,466
Barbering/Barber 1,213
Nail Technician/Specialist & Manicurist 1,142
Facial Treatment Specialist/Facialist 632
Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, & Nail Instructor 330
Hair Styling/Stylist & Hair Design 176
Other Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Arts 75
Make-Up Artist/Specialist 45
Salon/Beauty Salon Management/Manager 1

View All Cosmetology Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Culinary Arts 2,247
Funeral & Mortuary Science 439
Other Personal & Culinary Services 6

View All Cosmetology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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