2023 Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in North Carolina
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 2023 rankings named Paul Mitchell the School Raleigh the best school in North Carolina for cosmetology students. Located in the city of Raleigh, Paul Mitchell the School Raleigh is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
The excellent programs at Aveda Institute - Chapel Hill helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best cosmetology schools in North Carolina. Aveda Institute - Chapel Hill is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Chapel Hill.
Read full report on Cosmetology at Aveda Institute - Chapel Hill
Out of the 30 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Elevate Salon Institute - Durham landed the # 3 spot on the list. Elevate Salon Institute - Durham is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of Durham.
Read full report on Cosmetology at Elevate Salon Institute - Durham
The excellent programs at Mitchell’s Academy - Raleigh helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best cosmetology schools in North Carolina. Located in the medium-sized city of Raleigh, Mitchell's Academy is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Read full report on Cosmetology at Mitchell’s Academy - Raleigh
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 suburb of Mooresville, Pinnacle Institute of Cosmetology is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Full Cosmetology at Pinnacle Institute of Cosmetology Report
Alexander Paul Institute of Hair Design did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the 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
Mitchell’s Academy - Wilson landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best cosmetology programs. Located in the fringe town of Wilson, Mitchell's Academy is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
Read full report on Cosmetology at Mitchell’s Academy - Wilson
Empire Beauty School-Pineville landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best cosmetology programs. Empire Beauty School-Pineville is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Charlotte.
Empire Beauty School-West Greensboro landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best cosmetology programs. Located in the large 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
Paul Mitchell the School Fayetteville ranked #10 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in North Carolina list. Paul Mitchell the School Fayetteville is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Fayetteville.
Read full report on Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Fayetteville
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 Related Rankings by Major
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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