Find Trade Colleges

Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina

2023 Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina

18 Colleges

Finding the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, cosmetology was ranked 4th in North Carolina. In fact, 2,549 were awarded in the state in 2021-2022.

With all the trade school programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Trade College Search has created the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 18 schools in North Carolina to see which basic certificate programs offered the best educational experiences for trade school students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in North Carolina

The following schools top our list of the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Colleges.

Top 10 Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools

#1

Aveda Institute - Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC

Our 2023 rankings named Aveda Institute - Chapel Hill the best school in North Carolina for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Aveda Institute - Chapel Hill is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Chapel Hill.

Read More…

Request Information

The excellent basic certificate programs at Elevate Salon Institute - Durham helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best cosmetology schools in North Carolina. Elevate Salon Institute - Durham is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of Durham.

Full Cosmetology at Elevate Salon Institute - Durham Report

Request Information

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Alexander Paul Institute of Hair Design is a great place for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the small city of Greenville, Alexander Paul Institute is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Cosmetology at Alexander Paul Institute of Hair Design Report

Request Information
#4

Health and Style Institute

Greensboro, NC

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Health and Style Institute. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina list. Health and Style Institute is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Greensboro.

Full Cosmetology at Health and Style Institute Report

Request Information

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Central Carolina Community College is a great place for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the distant town of Sanford, Central Carolina Community College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Read More…

Request Information

Wake Technical Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina list. Located in the suburb of Raleigh, Wake Technical Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Wake Technical Community College

Request Information

Empire Beauty School-Concord came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina ranking. Empire Beauty School-Concord is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Concord.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-Concord

Request Information
#8

Leons Beauty School Inc

Greensboro, NC

Leons Beauty School Inc landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate cosmetology programs. Leons Beauty School Inc is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Greensboro.

Read More…

Request Information

With a ranking of #9, Empire Beauty School-West Greensboro did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the city of Greensboro, Empire Beauty School-West Greensboro is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-West Greensboro

Request Information

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate cosmetology programs. A-B Tech is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Asheville.

Full Cosmetology at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Report

Request Information

Best Cosmetology Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Cosmetology Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

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

Cosmetology is one of 4 different types of trade school programs to choose from.

Cosmetology Concentrations

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

Majors Similar 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 18 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.

Find Trade Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited trade schools across the U.S.