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Best Cosmetology Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region

2023 Best Cosmetology Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region

7 Colleges
$16,507 Avg Salary
$12,253 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Cosmetology Associate Degree School for You

Cosmetology is the most popular major in the United States with 34,706 degrees and certificates handed out in 2021-2022.

Today's trade school 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.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Trade College Search has created its Best Cosmetology Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 7 schools in the Southeast Region to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for trade school students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Cosmetology Associate Degree Colleges.

Top Southeast Region Trade Schools for an Associate in Cosmetology

Our analysis found Central Piedmont Community College to be the best school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a associate degree in the Southeast Region . Located in the city of Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College is a public school with a large student population.

Full Cosmetology at Central Piedmont Community College Report

The excellent associate degree programs at Central Carolina Community College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best cosmetology schools in the Southeast Region . Central Carolina Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Sanford.

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Out of the 7 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Wake Technical Community College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Wake Technical Community College is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Raleigh.

Full Cosmetology at Wake Technical Community College Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Cosmetology Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the small city of Asheville, A-B Tech is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Cosmetology majors at A-B Tech take out an average of $14,650 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Cosmetology at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Report

Out of the 7 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Fayetteville Technical Community College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the midsize city of Fayetteville, FTCC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

After completing their Associate Degree, cosmetology graduates from FTCC carry an average student debtload of $20,615.

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#6

Robeson Community College

Lumberton, NC

Robeson Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Robeson Community College is a small public school located in the town of Lumberton.

Full Cosmetology at Robeson Community College Report

Southwestern Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the town of Sylva, Southwestern Community College is a public school with a small student population.

Full Cosmetology at Southwestern Community College Report

Best Cosmetology Colleges by State

Explore the best cosmetology schools for a specific state in the Southeast region.

State Degrees Awarded
South Carolina 1,516
Georgia 4,283
Arkansas 1,191
North Carolina 2,549
Florida 10,801
West Virginia 377
Louisiana 3,726
Virginia 1,085
Alabama 821
Kentucky 1,003
Tennessee 2,270
Mississippi 872

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

Cosmetology Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist 50,210
Aesthetician/Esthetician & Skin Care Specialist 40,040
Nail Technician/Specialist & Manicurist 13,960
Barbering/Barber 9,893
Facial Treatment Specialist/Facialist 2,907
Other Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Arts 2,184
Master Aesthetician/Esthetician 1,729
Hair Styling/Stylist & Hair Design 1,238
Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, & Nail Instructor 1,230
Make-Up Artist/Specialist 440
Electrolysis/Electrology & Electrolysis Technician 354
Salon/Beauty Salon Management/Manager 336
Permanent Cosmetics/Makeup & Tattooing 90

Related Major Annual Graduates
Culinary Arts 22,075
Funeral & Mortuary Science 2,186
Casino Operations and Services 385
Other Personal & Culinary Services 95

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 7 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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