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Best Value Cosmetology Schools in Minnesota

2023 Best Value Cosmetology Schools in Minnesota

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

10 Colleges
$5,978 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$23,129 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Cosmetology School for You

In 2020-2021, 23 degrees and certificates were awarded to cosmetology students who went to a Minnesota college or university. This makes it the #196 most popular major in the state.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Cosmetology Schools in Minnesota to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 10 schools in Minnesota to see which programs offered the best value experiences for cosmetology students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

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

Top 10 Best Cosmetology Schools

#1

Saint Paul College

Saint Paul, MN
$6,041 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Saint Paul College the best value school in Minnesota for cosmetology students. Saint Paul College is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of Saint Paul.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Saint Paul College are $6,041 a year. While working on their degree, cosmetology majors at Saint Paul College accumulate an average of around $13,098 in student debt.

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#2

Ridgewater College

Willmar, MN
$5,914 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Ridgewater College is a great value for cosmetology students. Ridgewater College is a small public school located in the remote town of Willmar.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ridgewater College are $5,914 per year. While working on their degree, cosmetology majors at Ridgewater College accumulate an average of around $9,500 in student debt.

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Out of the 10 schools in Minnesota that were part of this year’s ranking, Nova Academy of Cosmetology landed the # 3 spot on the list. Nova Academy of Cosmetology is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Rochester.

The average amount in student loans that cosmetology majors at Nova Academy of Cosmetology take out is $10,200. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $88, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#3

Hastings Beauty School

Hastings, MN

Out of the 10 schools in Minnesota that were part of this year’s ranking, Hastings Beauty School landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the town of Hastings, Hastings Beauty School is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Cosmetology majors at Hastings Beauty School take out an average of $10,846 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#3

Model College of Hair Design

Saint Cloud, MN

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Model College of Hair Design. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Schools in Minnesota list. Located in the city of Saint Cloud, Model College of Hair Design is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, cosmetology graduates from Model College of Hair Design take out $8,780 in student loans while working on their degree.

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The excellent programs at Empire Beauty School-Bloomington helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best cosmetology schools in Minnesota. Located in the small city of Bloomington, Empire Beauty School-Bloomington is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

While working on their degree, cosmetology majors at Empire Beauty School-Bloomington accumulate an average of around $14,194 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $80, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#3

Aveda Institute - Minneapolis

Minneapolis, MN

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Aveda Institute - Minneapolis. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Schools in Minnesota list. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, Aveda Institute - Minneapolis is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

After completing their degree, cosmetology graduates from Aveda Institute - Minneapolis carry an average student debtload of $10,194. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $102, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#3

PCI Academy-Plymouth

Plymouth, MN

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend PCI Academy-Plymouth. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Schools in Minnesota list. PCI Academy-Plymouth is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Plymouth.

Cosmetology majors at PCI Academy-Plymouth take out an average of $12,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $87.

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Out of the 10 schools in Minnesota that were part of this year’s ranking, Empire Beauty School-Spring Lake Park landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Spring Lake Park, Empire Beauty School-Spring Lake Park is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

After completing their degree, cosmetology graduates from Empire Beauty School-Spring Lake Park carry an average student debtload of $14,561. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $73.

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Out of the 10 schools in Minnesota that were part of this year’s ranking, Minnesota School of Cosmetology-Woodbury Campus landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of WOODBURY, Minnesota School of Cosmetology-Woodbury Campus is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

After completing their degree, cosmetology graduates from Minnesota School of Cosmetology-Woodbury Campus carry an average student debtload of $10,988. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $86, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Cosmetology at Minnesota School of Cosmetology-Woodbury Campus Report

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Best Value Cosmetology Colleges in the Plains States Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Kansas 51
Iowa 6

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

Majors Similar to Cosmetology

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 10 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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