Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Cosmetology Schools in Tennessee

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Cosmetology Schools in Tennessee

26 Colleges
$15,846 Avg Salary
$11,267 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Cosmetology School for You

Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

The Best Cosmetology Schools in Tennessee ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 26 schools in Tennessee to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Cosmetology Schools in Tennessee

The following schools top our list of the Best Cosmetology Colleges.

Top 10 Best Cosmetology Schools

#1

Image Maker Beauty Institute

Hendersonville, TN

Our analysis found Image Maker Beauty Institute to be the best school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a degree in Tennessee. Located in the suburb of Hendersonville, Image Maker Beauty Institute is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

While working on their degree, cosmetology majors at Image Maker Beauty Institute accumulate an average of around $13,046 in student debt.

Full Cosmetology at Image Maker Beauty Institute Report

#2

Gould's Academy

Memphis, TN

The excellent programs at Gould’s Academy helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best cosmetology schools in Tennessee. Gould's Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Memphis.

Cosmetology majors at Gould's Academy take out an average of $10,083 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Cosmetology at Gould’s Academy Report

#3

Gould'S-Academy

Bartlett, TN

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Gould’S-Academy. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Cosmetology Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the suburb of Bartlett, <nil> is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Cosmetology majors at <nil> take out an average of $10,083 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Cosmetology at Gould’S-Academy Report

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means The Salon Professional Academy - Nashville is a great place for cosmetology students. TSPA - Nashville is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Nashville.

While working on their degree, cosmetology majors at TSPA - Nashville accumulate an average of around $12,500 in student debt.

Full Cosmetology at The Salon Professional Academy - Nashville Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Paul Mitchell the School Memphis. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the city of Bartlett, Paul Mitchell the School Memphis is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

On average, cosmetology graduates from Paul Mitchell the School Memphis take out $11,840 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $77, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Memphis Report

With a ranking of #6, Empire Beauty School-E Memphis did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. Located in the large city of Memphis, Empire Beauty School-E Memphis is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that cosmetology majors at Empire Beauty School-E Memphis take out is $13,502. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $77, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-E Memphis Report

Paul Mitchell the School Murfreesboro ranked #7 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the medium-sized city of Murfreesboro, Paul Mitchell the School Murfreesboro is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

Cosmetology majors at Paul Mitchell the School Murfreesboro take out an average of $15,829 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $76, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

Empire Beauty School-Jackson came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Schools in Tennessee ranking. Empire Beauty School-Jackson is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of Jackson.

The average amount in student loans that cosmetology majors at Empire Beauty School-Jackson take out is $14,477. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $65.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-Jackson

Empire Beauty School-S Memphis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Schools in Tennessee ranking. Empire Beauty School-S Memphis is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Memphis.

The average amount in student loans that cosmetology majors at Empire Beauty School-S Memphis take out is $14,506. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $73, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-S Memphis Report

#10

Franklin Academy

Cleveland, TN

Franklin Academy landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best cosmetology programs. Franklin Academy is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Cleveland.

Cosmetology majors at Franklin Academy take out an average of $8,824 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

Best Cosmetology Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 193
South Carolina 0
Arkansas 1
Alabama 110
Mississippi 26

One of 4 majors within the area of study, cosmetology has other similar majors worth exploring.

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

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Tiffany Bumgardner.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.