2023 Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate 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.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 88 schools in California to see which undergraduate certificate 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.
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.
Top 25 Best California Schools for Affordable Quality for an Award Taking 1 to 4 Years in Cosmetology
Our 2023 rankings named Cerritos College the best value school in California for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Cerritos College is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Norwalk.
Cerritos College undergraduate students pay an average of $1,346 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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The excellent undergraduate certificate programs at Citrus College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value cosmetology schools in California. Citrus College is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Glendora.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Citrus College are $1,196 a year.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Riverside City College is a great value for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the large city of Riverside, Riverside City College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Riverside City College undergraduate students pay an average of $1,420 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, cosmetology graduates from Riverside City College take out $15,743 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a great value for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Los Angeles.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Los Angeles Trade Technical College are $1,238 a year. Cosmetology majors at Los Angeles Trade Technical College take out an average of $12,193 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Golden West College is a great value for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the large suburb of Huntington Beach, Golden West College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Golden West College undergraduate students pay an average of $1,186 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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San Diego City College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in the large city of San Diego, San Diego City College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at San Diego City College are $1,144 a year. Cosmetology majors at San Diego City College take out an average of $13,037 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
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Academy of Esthetics and Cosmetology landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate cosmetology programs. Located in the large suburb of San Fernando, Academy of Esthetics and Cosmetology is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
While working on their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology majors at Academy of Esthetics and Cosmetology accumulate an average of around $8,424 in student debt.
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Blake Austin 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. Located in the suburb of Vacaville, Blake Austin College is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
Cosmetology majors at Blake Austin College take out an average of $10,663 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $67, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #7, Alhambra Beauty College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Alhambra Beauty College is a private for-profit school located in the suburb of Alhambra.
After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology graduates from Alhambra Beauty College carry an average student debtload of $8,767.
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Hoss Lee Academy ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in the large suburb of Roseville, Hoss Lee Academy is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
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Advance Beauty College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in the large suburb of Garden Grove, Advance Beauty College is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that cosmetology majors at Advance Beauty College take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $11,025.
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Salon Success Academy - Upland ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Salon Success Academy - Upland is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Upland.
After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology graduates from Salon Success Academy - Upland carry an average student debtload of $12,714. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $46.
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Paul Mitchell the School Fresno landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate cosmetology programs. Paul Mitchell the School Fresno is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Fresno.
This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $43, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #7, Coachella Valley Beauty College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the suburb of La Quinta, CV Beauty College is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology graduates from CV Beauty College carry an average student debtload of $6,279.
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J D Academy of Salon and Spa came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. J D Academy of Salon and Spa is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Danville.
After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology graduates from J D Academy of Salon and Spa carry an average student debtload of $10,057. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $70.
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ZMS The Academy 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. Located in the city of Los Angeles, ZMS The Academy is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
The average amount in student loans that cosmetology majors at ZMS The Academy take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $11,106.
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The Salon Professional Academy - San Jose ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. TSPA - San Jose is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of San Jose.
While working on their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology majors at TSPA - San Jose accumulate an average of around $11,502 in student debt.
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Milan Institute-Merced 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. Milan Institute-Merced is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Merced.
Cosmetology majors at Milan Institute-Merced take out an average of $11,203 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $41.
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Federico Beauty Institute ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Located in the large suburb of Sacramento, Federico Beauty Institute is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
On average, cosmetology graduates from Federico Beauty Institute take out $9,723 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $68, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Asian-American International Beauty 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. Asian-American International Beauty College is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Westminster.
On average, cosmetology graduates from Asian-American International Beauty College take out $11,543 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
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San Francisco Institute of Esthetics & Cosmetology Inc came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Located in the large city of San Francisco, SFIEC is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology graduates from SFIEC carry an average student debtload of $12,708. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $95.
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With a ranking of #7, North Adrian’s College of Beauty Inc did quite well on this year’s best value schools for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the midsize city of Modesto, North Adrian's College of Beauty is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
On average, cosmetology graduates from North Adrian's College of Beauty take out $12,783 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
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Paul Mitchell the School San Diego came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California ranking. Paul Mitchell the School San Diego is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of San Diego.
Cosmetology majors at Paul Mitchell the School San Diego take out an average of $13,340 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $87.
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Milan Institute of Cosmetology-Fairfield ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in California list. Milan Institute of Cosmetology-Fairfield is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Fairfield.
On average, cosmetology graduates from Milan Institute of Cosmetology-Fairfield take out $11,056 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $57, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #7, International College of Cosmetology did quite well on this year’s best value schools for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. International College of Cosmetology is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Oakland.
On average, cosmetology graduates from International College of Cosmetology take out $8,737 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.
Request InformationBest 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 |
More Cosmetology Rankings in California
Cosmetology Related Majors for Cosmetology
Cosmetology is one of 4 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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 88 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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