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2024 Best Cosmetology Schools

36 Colleges in the United States
124,611 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
$17,032 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. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 124,611 degrees in cosmetology during the 2021-2022 academic year.

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
46 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
$22,171 Median Starting Salary

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 roughly 46 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at CPTC in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the cosmetology major at Clover Park Technical College get $5,139 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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
128 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
19.5% 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 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were roughly 128 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Saint Paul College in the most recent year we have data available. Cosmetology degree recipients from Saint Paul College get an earnings boost of around $10,161 above the average earnings of cosmetology graduates.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Saint Paul College

3
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
102 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
$17,933 Median Starting Salary

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 colleges nationwide means Houston Community College is a great college overall.

There were roughly 102 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Houston Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, cosmetology degree recipients typically make around $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
47 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
$21,232 Median Starting Salary

Wake Technical Community College is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in cosmetology. Wake Technical Community College is a fairly large public college located in the 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 about 47 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Wake Technical Community College in the most recent data year. Cosmetology degree recipients from Wake Technical Community College get an earnings boost of approximately $4,200 over the average income of cosmetology majors.

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
172 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
55.2% Growth in Graduates

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

There were about 172 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Cerritos College in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the cosmetology major at Cerritos College earn $9,706 more than the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in cosmetology from Cerritos College

6
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
52 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
$20,071 Median Starting Salary

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 schools nationwide means JCCC is a great college overall.

There were roughly 52 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at JCCC in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the cosmetology program at Johnson County Community College get $3,039 more than the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

7
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
37.0% 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 colleges nationwide means CNM is a great college overall.

There were about 54 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at CNM in the most recent data year. Those cosmetology students who get their degree from Central New Mexico Community College make $3,581 more than the standard cosmetology graduate.

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

8
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
273 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
29.3% Growth in Graduates

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 273 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at San Jacinto College in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the cosmetology program make an average of $15,393 in the first couple years of working.

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

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
34 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
$18,217 Median Starting Salary

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

There were approximately 34 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at Central Piedmont Community College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the cosmetology program earn about $18,217 for their early career.

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

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Cosmetology Degrees Awarded
$24,225 Median Starting Salary

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

There were about 48 cosmetology students who graduated with this degree at WCTC in the most recent year we have data available. Those cosmetology students who get their degree from Waukesha County Technical College earn $7,193 more than the standard cosmetology graduate.

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

MajorAnnual Graduates
General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist50,210
Aesthetician/Esthetician & Skin Care Specialist40,040
Nail Technician/Specialist & Manicurist13,960
Barbering/Barber9,893
Facial Treatment Specialist/Facialist2,907
Other Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Arts2,184
Master Aesthetician/Esthetician1,729
Hair Styling/Stylist & Hair Design1,238
Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, & Nail Instructor1,230
Make-Up Artist/Specialist440

View All Cosmetology Focus Areas >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Culinary Arts22,075
Funeral & Mortuary Science2,186
Casino Operations and Services385
Other Personal & Culinary Services95

View All Cosmetology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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