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Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in Virginia

2023 Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in Virginia

15 Colleges
$19,301 Avg Salary
$9,969 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Cosmetology School for You

Cosmetology is one of the most popular subjects to study in Virginia. With 1,085 degrees and certificates handed out in 2021-2022, it ranked 6th out of all the majors we track in the state.

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.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Trade College Search has created its Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in Virginia ranking. Our analysis looked at 15 schools in Virginia to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for trade school students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Cosmetology Schools in Virginia

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

Top 10 Best Cosmetology Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Institute of Advanced Medical Esthetics the best school in Virginia for cosmetology students. Institute of Advanced Medical Esthetics is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Ashland.

Full Cosmetology at Institute of Advanced Medical Esthetics Report

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dermal Science International Aesthetics and Nail Academy. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in Virginia list. Located in the small city of Reston, DSI Academy is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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#3

Avi Career Training

Great Falls, VA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Avi Career Training. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in Virginia list. Avi Career Training is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Great Falls.

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#4

The Chrysm Insitute of Esthetics

Virginia Beach, VA

The excellent programs at The Chrysm Insitute of Esthetics helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best cosmetology schools in Virginia. The Chrysm Institute is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Virginia Beach.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Paul Mitchell the School Mclean. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in Virginia list. Paul Mitchell the School Mclean is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of McLean.

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Paul Mitchell the School Woodbridge came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in Virginia ranking. Paul Mitchell the School Woodbridge is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Woodbridge.

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With a ranking of #7, Paul Mitchell the School Roanoke did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. Located in the medium-sized city of Roanoke, Paul Mitchell the School Roanoke is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Full Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Roanoke Report

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Virginia School of Hair Design did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Hampton, Virginia School of Hair Design is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

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Rudy & Kelly Academy - A Paul Mitchell Partner School did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #9 on the list. Rudy & Kelly Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Virginia Beach.

Full Cosmetology at Rudy & Kelly Academy - A Paul Mitchell Partner School Report

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#10

Luckes Beauty Academy

Newport News, VA

With a ranking of #10, Luckes Beauty Academy did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. Luckes Beauty Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Newport News.

Full Cosmetology at Luckes Beauty Academy Report

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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
North Carolina 2,549
Florida 10,801
West Virginia 377
Louisiana 3,726
Tennessee 2,270
Alabama 821
Kentucky 1,003
Mississippi 872

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

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 15 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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