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2025 Best General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist Schools in California

4 Colleges in California
4,769 General Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #450 most popular degree program in the country. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

College Factual looked at 4 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 4,769 degrees in general cosmetology/cosmetologist annually.

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

Choosing a Great General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist School

Best General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist Schools in California Your choice of general cosmetology/cosmetologist school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist 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.

Pick Your General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist Degree Level

Associate Degrees in General Cosmetology

The general 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 General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist Schools in California. 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 General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist in California

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

Top California Schools in General Cosmetology

1
Golden West College crest
Golden West College
Huntington Beach, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In CA
55 General Cosmetology Degrees Awarded

It's difficult to beat Golden West College if you want to pursue a degree in general cosmetology/cosmetologist. Located in the large suburb of Huntington Beach, Golden West College is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #373 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Golden West College is a great college overall.

There were about 55 general cosmetology/cosmetologist students who graduated with this degree at Golden West College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general cosmetology/cosmetologist from Golden West College

2
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In CA
95 General Cosmetology Degrees Awarded

San Jose City College is a great option for students interested in a degree in general cosmetology/cosmetologist. San Jose City College is a medium-sized public college located in the large city of San Jose. This college ranks 123rd out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 95 general cosmetology/cosmetologist students who graduated with this degree at San Jose City College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general cosmetology/cosmetologist from San Jose City College

3
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In CA
71 General Cosmetology Degrees Awarded

Riverside City College is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in general cosmetology/cosmetologist. Located in the city of Riverside, Riverside City College is a public college with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #576 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Riverside City College is a great college overall.

There were approximately 71 general cosmetology/cosmetologist students who graduated with this degree at Riverside City College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general cosmetology/cosmetologist from Riverside City College

4
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In CA
100 General Cosmetology Degrees Awarded

Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in general cosmetology/cosmetologist. Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a large public college located in the large city of Los Angeles. This college ranks 140th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 100 general cosmetology/cosmetologist students who graduated with this degree at Los Angeles Trade Technical College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general cosmetology/cosmetologist from Los Angeles Trade Technical College

Best General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 831 76
Oregon 587 11
Hawaii 267 20

View All Rankings >

One of 12 majors within the Cosmetology area of study, General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Aesthetician/Esthetician & Skin Care Specialist 5,247
Nail Technician/Specialist & Manicurist 2,202
Barbering/Barber 1,455
Master Aesthetician/Esthetician 219
Facial Treatment Specialist/Facialist 106
Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, & Nail Instructor 65
Other Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Arts 48

View All General Cosmetology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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