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2023 Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Southwest Region
Finding the Best Cosmetology School for You
In 2021-2022, 124,611 degrees and certificates were awarded to cosmetology students, making the major the most popular in the country.
There are so many trade school programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 140 schools in the Southwest Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for trade school students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Cosmetology Schools in the Southwest Region
Check out the cosmetology programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 15% Best Cosmetology Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Avenue Five Institute the best school in the Southwest Region for cosmetology students. Located in the large city of Austin, Avenue Five Institute is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Avenue Five Institute - South Austin Campus. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the city of Austin, Avenue Five Institute - South Austin Campus is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Full Cosmetology at Avenue Five Institute - South Austin Campus Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Penrose Academy. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. Penrose Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Scottsdale.
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The excellent programs at Studio Academy of Beauty helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best cosmetology schools in the Southwest Region . Studio Academy of Beauty is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Chandler.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Paul Mitchell the School Austin. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the city of Austin, Paul Mitchell the School Austin is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
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Tint School of Makeup and Cosmetology-Irving ranked #6 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the large city of Irving, Tint School of Makeup and Cosmetology-Irving is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Full Cosmetology at Tint School of Makeup and Cosmetology-Irving Report
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With a ranking of #7, Aveda Institute - Tucson did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. Aveda Institute - Tucson is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of Tucson.
Full Cosmetology at Aveda Institute - Tucson Report
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Aveda Institute - Phoenix did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #8 on the list. Aveda Institute - Phoenix is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of Tempe.
Full Cosmetology at Aveda Institute - Phoenix Report
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With a ranking of #9, Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy-Plano did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. Located in the city of Plano, Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy-Plano is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Full Cosmetology at Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy-Plano Report
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Pure Aesthetics ranked #10 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the large city of Tucson, Pure Aesthetics is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
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The Salon Professional Academy - Lewisville came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. TSPA - Lewisville is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Lewisville.
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Paul Mitchell the School Webster did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #12 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Webster, Paul Mitchell the School Webster is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
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With a ranking of #13, DuVall’s School of Cosmetology did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. DuVall's School of Cosmetology is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Bedford.
Read full report on Cosmetology at DuVall’s School of Cosmetology
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Texas College of Cosmetology-Lubbock did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #14 on the list. Texas College of Cosmetology-Lubbock is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Lubbock.
Full Cosmetology at Texas College of Cosmetology-Lubbock Report
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Empire Beauty School-Avondale did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in the suburb of Avondale, Empire Beauty School-Avondale is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
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With a ranking of #16, Paul Mitchell the School Tulsa did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. Located in the city of Tulsa, Paul Mitchell the School Tulsa is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
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With a ranking of #17, Paul Mitchell the School Arlington did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. Located in the large city of Arlington, Paul Mitchell the School Arlington is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
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Charles and Sues School of Hair Design did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #18 on the list. Located in the small city of Bryan, Charles and Sues School of Hair Design is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
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Diamonds Cosmetology College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Diamonds Cosmetology College is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of Sherman.
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Exposito School of Hair Design ranked #20 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. Exposito School of Hair Design is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Amarillo.
Full Cosmetology at Exposito School of Hair Design Report
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Aveda Institute - San Antonio did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #21 on the list. Aveda Institute - San Antonio is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of San Antonio.
Full Cosmetology at Aveda Institute - San Antonio Report
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These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Southwest Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Baldwin Beauty School - South Austin | Austin, TX |
| 23 | Metro Technology Centers | Oklahoma City, OK |
| 24 | Total Transformation Institute of Cosmetology | San Marcos, TX |
| 25 | Paul Mitchell the School Phoenix | Phoenix, AZ |
| 26 | International Beauty College | Garland, TX |
| 27 | Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy-Albuquerque | Albuquerque, NM |
| 28 | TONI&GUY Hairdressing Academy | Scottsdale, AZ |
Best Cosmetology Colleges by State
Explore the best cosmetology colleges for a specific state in the Southwest region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Arizona | 2,673 |
| Texas | 10,777 |
| Oklahoma | 1,553 |
| New Mexico | 956 |
Rankings in Majors Related to Cosmetology
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 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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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