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2023 Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region
Finding the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate 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.
The Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking is one of many tools that Trade College Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 175 schools in the Southeast Region to see which ones offered the best basic certificate programs for trade school students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region
Check out the cosmetology basic certificate programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 25 Top Southeast Region Trade Schools for an Award Taking Less Than 1 Year in Cosmetology
Our 2023 rankings named Institute of Advanced Medical Esthetics the best school in the Southeast Region for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Institute of Advanced Medical Esthetics is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Ashland.
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Out of the 175 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Dermal Science International Aesthetics and Nail Academy landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Reston, DSI Academy is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
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The excellent basic certificate programs at Avi Career Training helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best cosmetology schools in the Southeast Region . Avi Career Training is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Great Falls.
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The excellent basic certificate programs at Gould’s Academy helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best cosmetology schools in the Southeast Region . Gould's Academy is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Memphis.
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The excellent basic certificate programs at The Chrysm Insitute of Esthetics helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best cosmetology schools in the Southeast Region . The Chrysm Institute is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Virginia Beach.
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Florida Academy landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate cosmetology programs. Located in the city of Fort Myers, Florida Academy is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
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Aveda Institute - Chapel Hill ranked #8 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, Aveda Institute - Chapel Hill is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
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Elevate Salon Institute - Durham came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the large city of Durham, Elevate Salon Institute - Durham is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
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Summit Salon Academy - Tampa landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate cosmetology programs. Summit Salon Academy Tampa is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Tampa.
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With a ranking of #11, American Institute of Beauty did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. American Institute of Beauty is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Largo.
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With a ranking of #12, Boca Beauty Academy did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Boca Beauty Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Boca Raton.
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Aveda Institute - Tallahassee ranked #13 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the medium-sized city of Tallahassee, Aveda Institute - Tallahassee is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
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My Le’s Beauty College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. My Le's Beauty College is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Gretna.
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Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute, Covington landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate cosmetology programs. Located in the small suburb of Covington, Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute, Covington is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
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Aveda Institute - South Florida came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Aveda Institute - South Florida is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Davie.
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Arkansas Beauty School - Little Rock ranked #17 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the city of Little Rock, Arkansas Beauty School - Little Rock is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
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Empire Beauty School-E Memphis ranked #18 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the city of Memphis, Empire Beauty School-E Memphis is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
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Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-Goose Creek came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the suburb of Goose Creek, Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
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Elaine Sterling Institute landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate cosmetology programs. Located in the large city of Atlanta, Elaine Sterling Institute is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
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Boca Beauty Academy - Parkland landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate cosmetology programs. Boca Beauty Academy - Parkland is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Parkland.
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Paul Mitchell the School Murfreesboro came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Murfreesboro, Paul Mitchell the School Murfreesboro is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
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Parisian Spa Institute came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the city of Jacksonville, Parisian Spa Institute is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
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Palm Beach Academy of Health & Beauty ranked #24 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region list. Palm Beach Academy of Health & Beauty is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Lake Park.
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PJ’s College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. PJ's College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the small city of Bowling Green.
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Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-Spartanburg | Spartanburg, SC |
| 28 | Career Academy of Hair Design | Springdale, AR |
| 29 | Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-Columbia | Columbia, SC |
| 30 | Franklin Academy | Cleveland, TN |
| 31 | Hollywood Institute of Beauty Careers-Casselberry | Casselberry, FL |
| 32 | Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy - Lakeland | Lakeland, FL |
| 33 | Hollywood Institute of Beauty Careers | Hollywood, FL |
| 34 | Hollywood Institute - Margate | Margate, FL |
| 35 | Artistic Nails and Beauty Academy - Tampa | Tampa, FL |
Best Cosmetology Colleges by State
Explore the best cosmetology colleges 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 |
Rankings in Majors Related to Cosmetology
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 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Cosmetology
| 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 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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