College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Best Cosmetology Schools in North Carolina

5 Colleges in North Carolina
2,824 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
$17,300 Avg Early-Career Salary
Cosmetology isn't the most popular major in the world, but it's not the least popular either. To be more precise it ranks #226 in popularity out of 395 majors in the country. So, you may have to do some digging around to find quality schools that offer the degree program. This list can help with that.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools in North Carolina to determine which ones were the best for cosmetology students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,824 degrees in cosmetology annually.

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

Choosing a Great Cosmetology School

Best Cosmetology Schools in North Carolina 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. For our Best Overall Cosmetology School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that 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 the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Cosmetology Schools in North Carolina list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Cosmetology in North Carolina

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the cosmetology degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top North Carolina Schools in Cosmetology

1
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
$24,101 Median Starting Salary

Central Carolina Community College is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in cosmetology. Central Carolina Community College is a medium-sized public college located in the distant town of Sanford. This college ranks 44th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were about 48 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Central Carolina Community College in the most recent data year. Cosmetology degree recipients from Central Carolina Community College get an earnings boost of around $6,801 above the typical income of cosmetology majors.

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

2
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NC
34 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded

It is difficult to beat Central Piedmont Community College if you want to pursue a degree in cosmetology. Located in the city of Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #572 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Central Piedmont Community College is a great college overall.

There were about 34 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Central Piedmont Community College in the most recent data year.

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

3
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NC
58 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded

Every student pursuing a degree in cosmetology needs to look into Fayetteville Technical Community College. Located in the city of Fayetteville, FTCC is a public college with a large student population. This college ranks 42nd out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were approximately 58 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at FTCC in the most recent year we have data available.

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

4
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
47 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
$23,286 Median Starting Salary

Wake Technical Community College is a great option for students pursuing a degree in cosmetology. Wake Technical Community College is a fairly large public college located in the large suburb of Raleigh. A Best Colleges rank of #461 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Wake Technical Community College is a great college overall.

There were about 47 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Wake Technical Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the cosmetology major at Wake Technical Community College make $5,986 more than the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

5
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
100 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
31.0% Growth in Graduates

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is a medium-sized public college located in the suburb of Salisbury. This college ranks 50th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were approximately 100 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Cosmetology degree recipients from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College get an earnings boost of around $5,278 over the typical income of cosmetology graduates.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

Best Cosmetology Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Cosmetology Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
South Carolina 248 0
Mississippi 234 26
Arkansas 234 1
Alabama 233 110

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 1,713
Aesthetician/Esthetician & Skin Care Specialist 750
Barbering/Barber 113
Nail Technician/Specialist & Manicurist 104
Salon/Beauty Salon Management/Manager 42
Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, & Nail Instructor 37
Make-Up Artist/Specialist 32
Other Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Arts 24
Hair Styling/Stylist & Hair Design 9

View All Cosmetology Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Cosmetology

Related Major Annual Graduates
Culinary Arts 733
Funeral & Mortuary Science 106

View All Cosmetology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options