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Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in Wisconsin

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2023 Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in Wisconsin

26 Colleges
$20,370 Avg Salary
$10,526 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Cosmetology School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, cosmetology was ranked 4th in Wisconsin. In fact, 1,320 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for trade school students. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

The Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in Wisconsin ranking is one of many tools that Trade College Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 26 schools in Wisconsin to see which ones offered the best programs for trade school students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Cosmetology Schools in Wisconsin

Check out the cosmetology programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Cosmetology Schools

Our analysis found The Institute of Beauty and Wellness to be the best school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a degree in Wisconsin. The Institute of Beauty and Wellness is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Milwaukee.

Full Cosmetology at The Institute of Beauty and Wellness Report

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Aveda Institute - Madison is a great place for cosmetology students. Aveda Institute - Madison is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Madison.

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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means The Salon Professional Academy - Onalaska is a great place for cosmetology students. TSPA - Onalaska is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the small city of Onalaska.

Read full report on Cosmetology at The Salon Professional Academy - Onalaska

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Advanced College of Cosmetology. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in Wisconsin list. Advanced College of Cosmetology is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the town of Waupun.

Full Cosmetology at Advanced College of Cosmetology Report

Out of the 26 schools in Wisconsin that were part of this year’s ranking, The Salon Professional Academy - Appleton landed the # 5 spot on the list. TSPA - Appleton is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Appleton.

Read full report on Cosmetology at The Salon Professional Academy - Appleton

Paul Mitchell the School Milwaukee ranked #6 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in Wisconsin list. Located in the suburb of Pawaukee, Paul Mitchell the School Milwaukee is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Milwaukee

Chippewa Valley Technical College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best cosmetology programs. CVTC is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Eau Claire.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Chippewa Valley Technical College

With a ranking of #8, Empire Beauty School-Green Bay did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. Empire Beauty School-Green Bay is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized suburb of Ashwaubenon.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-Green Bay

Paul Mitchell the School Madison landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best cosmetology programs. Located in the city of Madison, Paul Mitchell the School Madison is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Madison

Waukesha County Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #10 on the list. WCTC is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Pewaukee.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Waukesha County Technical College

Best Cosmetology Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Cosmetology Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 2,766
Indiana 1,897
Ohio 3,404
Illinois 3,922

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

Cosmetology Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Cosmetology/Cosmetologist 46,395
Aesthetician/Esthetician & Skin Care Specialist 31,569
Nail Technician/Specialist & Manicurist 11,623
Barbering/Barber 8,381
Facial Treatment Specialist/Facialist 2,437
Other Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Arts 2,278
Master Aesthetician/Esthetician 1,620
Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, & Nail Instructor 1,382
Hair Styling/Stylist & Hair Design 1,029
Make-Up Artist/Specialist 566
Salon/Beauty Salon Management/Manager 291
Electrolysis/Electrology & Electrolysis Technician 253
Permanent Cosmetics/Makeup & Tattooing 71

Related Major Annual Graduates
Culinary Arts 19,784
Funeral & Mortuary Science 2,354
Casino Operations and Services 192
Other Personal & Culinary Services 81

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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