2021 Best Cosmetology Trade Schools
Finding the Best Cosmetology School for You
In 2018-2019, 103,674 degrees and certificates were awarded to cosmetology students, making the major the most popular in the country.
With all the trade school programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. 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, Trade College Search has created the Best Cosmetology Trade Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 925 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best programs for trade school students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2021 Best Cosmetology Schools in the United States
Check out the cosmetology programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 25 Top Trade Schools in Cosmetology
Our analysis found Dermal Science International Aesthetics and Nail Academy to be the best school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. DSI Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of Reston.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Medspa Academies. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Trade Schools list. Located in the large suburb of South Jordan, National Institute of Medical Aesthetics is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Universal Spa Training Academy. It ranked #3 on our 2021 Best Cosmetology Trade Schools list. Universal Spa Training Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Downers Grove.
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The excellent programs at Gary Manuel Aveda Institute helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best cosmetology schools in the United States. Located in the city of Seattle, GMAI is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Cinta Aveda Institute is a great place for cosmetology students. Located in the city of San Francisco, Cinta Aveda Institute is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
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San Francisco Institute of Esthetics & Cosmetology Inc did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of San Francisco, SFIEC is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
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With a ranking of #7, Aveda Institute-Des Moines did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. Aveda Institute-Des Moines is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of West Des Moines.
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With a ranking of #8, Atelier Esthetique Institute of Esthetics did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. Atelier Esthetique Institute of Esthetics is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of New York.
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The Salon Professional Academy-Fargo did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Fargo, The Salon Professional Academy-Fargo is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
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Elizabeth Grady School of Esthetics and Massage Therapy came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Trade Schools ranking. Elizabeth Grady School of Esthetics and Massage Therapy is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Medford.
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Evergreen Beauty and Barber College-Everett landed the #11 spot in the 2021 rankings for the best cosmetology programs. Evergreen Beauty and Barber College-Everett is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of Everett.
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Minnesota School of Cosmetology-Woodbury Campus landed the #12 spot in the 2021 rankings for the best cosmetology programs. Minnesota School of Cosmetology-Woodbury Campus is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of WOODBURY.
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University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the city of Chicago, University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
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Josef’s West Academy did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #14 on the list. Josef's West Academy is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Fargo.
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Penrose Academy ranked #15 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Trade Schools list. Located in the large city of Scottsdale, Penrose Academy is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
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With a ranking of #16, Minnesota School of Cosmetology-Plymouth Campus did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. Located in the city of Plymouth, Minnesota School of Cosmetology-Plymouth Campus is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
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New York Institute of Beauty ranked #17 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Trade Schools list. New York Institute of Beauty is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Islandia.
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With a ranking of #18, Avenue Five Institute did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. Avenue Five Institute is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Austin.
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College of International Esthetics Inc came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Trade Schools ranking. Located in the large suburb of Arvada, College of International Esthetics Inc is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
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Stewart School ranked #20 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Trade Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Sioux Falls, Stewart School is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
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International Institute of Cosmetology did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #21 on the list. International Institute of Cosmetology is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Wethersfield.
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Paul Mitchell the School-Portsmouth came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Trade Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of Portsmouth, Paul Mitchell the School-Portsmouth is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
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Josef’s School of Hair Design Inc-Grand Forks landed the #23 spot in the 2021 rankings for the best cosmetology programs. Josef's School of Hair Design Inc-Grand Forks is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Grand Forks.
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New York School of Esthetics & Day Spa ranked #24 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Trade Schools list. Located in the small city of white plains, New York School of Esthetics & Day Spa is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
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Paul Mitchell the School-Overland Park did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #25 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Overland Park, Paul Mitchell the School-Overland Park is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
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Remaining Award Winners
This section shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Cosmetology Trade Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 925 different United States cosmetology schools we analyzed.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Cosmetology students that almost earned our Best Cosmetology Trade Schools award.
Cosmetology by Region
View the Best Cosmetology Trade Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
Cosmetology Related Rankings by Major
One of 3 majors within the trade school area of study, cosmetology has other similar majors worth exploring.
Cosmetology Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist | 52,002 |
| Aesthetician/Esthetician & Skin Care Specialist | 23,657 |
| Nail Technician/Specialist & Manicurist | 10,042 |
| Barbering/Barber | 8,937 |
| Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, & Nail Instructor | 1,881 |
| Facial Treatment Specialist/Facialist | 1,732 |
| Other Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Arts | 1,563 |
| Make-Up Artist/Specialist | 1,409 |
| Master Aesthetician/Esthetician | 1,142 |
| Hair Styling/Stylist & Hair Design | 773 |
| Salon/Beauty Salon Management/Manager | 247 |
| Electrolysis/Electrology & Electrolysis Technician | 239 |
| Permanent Cosmetics/Makeup & Tattooing | 50 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Cosmetology
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Culinary Arts | 26,643 |
| Funeral & Mortuary Science | 1,965 |
| Other Personal & Culinary Services | 320 |
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.
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