2023 Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate School for You
In 2020-2021, 107,895 people earned a degree or certificate in cosmetology, making the major the #229 most popular in the United States.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 960 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value undergraduate certificate programs for cosmetology students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. 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.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality for an Award Taking 1 to 4 Years in Cosmetology
Our analysis found Chippewa Valley Technical College to be the best value school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a undergraduate certificate in the United States. Located in the small city of Eau Claire, CVTC is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
CVTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,683 in tuition and fees each year. Cosmetology majors at CVTC take out an average of $13,131 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
In addition to its great value ranking, CVTC is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools list.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Waukesha County Technical College is a great value for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the large suburb of Pewaukee, WCTC is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WCTC are $6,603 per year. On average, cosmetology graduates from WCTC take out $10,445 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
WCTC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools list.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Madison Area Technical College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools list. Located in the large city of Madison, Madison College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Madison College are $6,769 per year. On average, cosmetology graduates from Madison College take out $11,492 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
In addition to its great value ranking, Madison College is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools list.
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The excellent undergraduate certificate programs at Johnson County Community College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value cosmetology schools in the United States. Located in the city of Overland Park, JCCC is a public school with a large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at JCCC are $5,352 per year. On average, cosmetology graduates from JCCC take out $10,622 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
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Out of the 960 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Paul College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Saint Paul College is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of Saint Paul.
Saint Paul College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,041 in tuition and fees each year. Cosmetology majors at Saint Paul College take out an average of $16,436 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Saint Paul College also is in the top 15% of our Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools ranking.
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Wharton County Junior College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools ranking. Located in the town of Wharton, Wharton County Junior College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Wharton County Junior College are $4,872 per year. On average, cosmetology graduates from Wharton County Junior College take out $7,881 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
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Clarendon College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for cosmetology students to get a undergraduate certificate. It came in at #7 on the list. Clarendon College is a small public school located in the remote area of Clarendon.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Clarendon College are $4,176 a year. The average amount in student loans that cosmetology majors at Clarendon College take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $11,147.
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Mid-State Technical College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools ranking. Located in the rural area of Wisconsin Rapids, Mid-State is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Mid-State are $6,351 a year. On average, cosmetology graduates from Mid-State take out $7,299 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Mid-State also is in the top 20% of our Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools ranking.
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With a ranking of #9, Gwinnett Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the large suburb of Lawrenceville, GTC is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
GTC undergraduate students pay an average of $5,636 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology graduates from GTC carry an average student debtload of $14,811.
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South Plains College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools list. Located in the town of Levelland, South Plains College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at South Plains College are $4,276 per year. After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology graduates from South Plains College carry an average student debtload of $14,574.
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Lake Area Technical Institute landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate cosmetology programs. Located in the town of Watertown, LATI is a public school with a small student population.
LATI undergraduate students pay an average of $6,718 in tuition and fees each year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, LATI also did well on our Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Athens Technical College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate cosmetology programs. Athens Technical College is a small public school located in the city of Athens.
Athens Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,462 in tuition and fees each year. Cosmetology majors at Athens Technical College take out an average of $11,341 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
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Ridgewater College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for cosmetology students to get a undergraduate certificate. It came in at #13 on the list. Ridgewater College is a small public school located in the town of Willmar.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Ridgewater College are $5,914 a year. The average amount in student loans that cosmetology majors at Ridgewater College take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $13,022.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Ridgewater College also did well on our Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Kansas City Kansas Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Kansas City, Kansas City Kansas Community College is a public school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Kansas City Kansas Community College are $6,510 per year. On average, cosmetology graduates from Kansas City Kansas Community College take out $12,706 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
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Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools ranking. WITC is a small public school located in the rural area of Shell Lake.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WITC are $6,960 a year. Cosmetology majors at WITC take out an average of $6,383 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, WITC also is in the top 20% of our Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools ranking.
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Arkansas State University - Newport ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools list. Located in the rural area of Newport, ASUN is a public school with a small student population.
ASUN undergraduate students pay an average of $4,320 in tuition and fees each year.
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San Jacinto Community College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools list. Located in the large suburb of Pasadena, San Jacinto College is a public college with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at San Jacinto College are $5,040 per year. While working on their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology majors at San Jacinto College accumulate an average of around $13,525 in student debt.
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Howard College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools list. Located in the distant town of Big Spring, Howard County Junior College is a public school with a small student population.
Howard County Junior College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,430 in tuition and fees each year.
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Wiregrass Georgia Technical College landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate cosmetology programs. Wiregrass Georgia Technical College is a small public school located in the suburb of Valdosta.
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,552 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology majors at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College accumulate an average of around $11,435 in student debt.
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West Georgia Technical College landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate cosmetology programs. West Georgia Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Waco.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at West Georgia Technical College are $5,452 per year. The average amount in student loans that cosmetology majors at West Georgia Technical College take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $9,959.
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Georgia Northwestern Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for cosmetology students to get a undergraduate certificate. It came in at #21 on the list. Georgia Northwestern Technical College is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Rome.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,462 in tuition and fees each year. Cosmetology majors at Georgia Northwestern Technical College take out an average of $7,255 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
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Gateway Technical College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools ranking. Gateway Technical College is a medium-sized public school located in the midsize suburb of Kenosha.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Gateway Technical College are $6,803 a year. After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology graduates from Gateway Technical College carry an average student debtload of $11,788.
Gateway Technical College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools list.
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Houston Community College landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate cosmetology programs. Houston Community College is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Houston.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Houston Community College are $5,460 per year. The average amount in student loans that cosmetology majors at Houston Community College take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $19,055.
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Pickens Technical College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools list. Located in the city of Aurora, Pickens Technical College is a public school with a fairly small student population.
Pickens Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,830 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology graduates from Pickens Technical College carry an average student debtload of $16,489.
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College of the Mainland landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate cosmetology programs. COM is a small public school located in the midsize suburb of Texas City.
COM undergraduate students pay an average of $3,873 in tuition and fees each year. Cosmetology majors at COM take out an average of $11,869 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
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Additional Award Winners
This section represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 960 different United States cosmetology schools we analyzed.
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great value schools for Cosmetology students seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
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Cosmetology by Region
View the Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
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| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Cosmetology Rankings
Majors Related to Cosmetology
One of 4 majors within the area of study, cosmetology has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related 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 25 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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