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Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in California

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2023 Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in California

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

6 Colleges
$1,255 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$16,507 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Cosmetology Associate Degree School for You

Cosmetology is the #190 most popular major in California with 196 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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 Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 6 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for cosmetology students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in California

Check out the cosmetology associate degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Best California Schools for Affordable Quality for an Associate in Cosmetology

#1

Cerritos College

Norwalk, CA

Our analysis found Cerritos College to be the best value school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a associate degree in California. Cerritos College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Norwalk.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cerritos College are $1,346 per year.

Cerritos College also claimed a spot on our Best Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in California list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

Full Cosmetology at Cerritos College Report

#2

Riverside City College

Riverside, CA

The excellent associate degree programs at Riverside City College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value cosmetology schools in California. Located in the city of Riverside, Riverside City College is a public college with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Riverside City College are $1,420 a year.

Full Cosmetology at Riverside City College Report

#3

Citrus College

Glendora, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Citrus College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in California list. Citrus College is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Glendora.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Citrus College are $1,196 per year.

Read More…

#4

Golden West College

Huntington Beach, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Golden West College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of Huntington Beach, Golden West College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Golden West College are $1,186 a year.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Golden West College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Los Angeles Trade Technical College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in California list. Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Los Angeles Trade Technical College are $1,238 per year.

Read More…

#6

San Diego City College

San Diego, CA

San Diego City College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in the city of San Diego, San Diego City College is a public school with a large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at San Diego City College are $1,144 per year.

Full Cosmetology at San Diego City College Report

Best Value Cosmetology Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Value Cosmetology Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 152
Oregon 11
Hawaii 20

Cosmetology is one of 4 different types of programs to choose from.

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 6 schools only.

  • 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.

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