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Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in North Carolina

2023 Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in North Carolina

30 Colleges
$16,579 Avg Salary
$10,100 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Cosmetology 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 Trade Schools in North Carolina to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 30 schools in North Carolina to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for trade school students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Cosmetology Schools in North Carolina

The colleges and universities below are the best for cosmetology majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Cosmetology Schools

Our analysis found Paul Mitchell the School Raleigh to be the best school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a degree in North Carolina. Located in the large city of Raleigh, Paul Mitchell the School Raleigh is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

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#2

Aveda Institute - Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC

Out of the 30 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Aveda Institute - Chapel Hill landed the # 2 spot on the list. Aveda Institute - Chapel Hill is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the small city of Chapel Hill.

Full Cosmetology at Aveda Institute - Chapel Hill Report

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The excellent programs at Elevate Salon Institute - Durham helped the school earn the #3 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.

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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Mitchell’s Academy - Raleigh is a great place for cosmetology students. Located in the medium-sized city of Raleigh, Mitchell's Academy is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

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Out of the 30 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Pinnacle Institute of Cosmetology landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Mooresville, Pinnacle Institute of Cosmetology is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

Full Cosmetology at Pinnacle Institute of Cosmetology Report

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Alexander Paul Institute of Hair Design landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best cosmetology programs. Located in the small city of Greenville, Alexander Paul Institute is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

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With a ranking of #7, Mitchell’s Academy - Wilson did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. Located in the town of Wilson, Mitchell's Academy is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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Empire Beauty School-Pineville came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in North Carolina ranking. Empire Beauty School-Pineville is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Charlotte.

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Empire Beauty School-West Greensboro 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 city of Greensboro, Empire Beauty School-West Greensboro is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

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Paul Mitchell the School Fayetteville landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best cosmetology programs. Paul Mitchell the School Fayetteville is a small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of Fayetteville.

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Best Cosmetology Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Cosmetology Schools 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 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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