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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.
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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 analysis found Avenue Five Institute to be the best school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a degree in the Southwest Region . Located in the city of Austin, Avenue Five Institute is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Out of the 140 schools in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Avenue Five Institute - South Austin Campus landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the city of Austin, Avenue Five Institute - South Austin Campus is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
The excellent programs at Penrose Academy helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best cosmetology schools in the Southwest Region . Penrose Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Scottsdale.
Out of the 140 schools in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Studio Academy of Beauty landed the # 4 spot on the list. Studio Academy of Beauty is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Chandler.
The excellent programs at Paul Mitchell the School Austin helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best cosmetology schools in the Southwest Region . Located in the large city of Austin, Paul Mitchell the School Austin is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Read full report on Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Austin
Tint School of Makeup and Cosmetology-Irving 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 large city of Irving, Tint School of Makeup and Cosmetology-Irving is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
Read full report on Cosmetology at Tint School of Makeup and Cosmetology-Irving
Aveda Institute - Tucson did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #7 on the list. Aveda Institute - Tucson is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Tucson.
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 small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of Tempe.
Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy-Plano landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best cosmetology programs. Located in the city of Plano, Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy-Plano is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Pure Aesthetics came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in the city of Tucson, Pure Aesthetics is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
With a ranking of #11, The Salon Professional Academy - Lewisville did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. TSPA - Lewisville is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Lewisville.
Paul Mitchell the School Webster came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in the large suburb of Webster, Paul Mitchell the School Webster is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
DuVall’s School of Cosmetology landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best cosmetology programs. DuVall's School of Cosmetology is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Bedford.
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 fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of Lubbock.
Read full report on Cosmetology at Texas College of Cosmetology-Lubbock
Empire Beauty School-Avondale ranked #15 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the midsize suburb of Avondale, Empire Beauty School-Avondale is a private for-profit college with a small student population.
Read full report on Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-Avondale
Paul Mitchell the School Tulsa ranked #16 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the city of Tulsa, Paul Mitchell the School Tulsa is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
Read full report on Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Tulsa
Paul Mitchell the School Arlington ranked #17 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the city of Arlington, Paul Mitchell the School Arlington is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Read full report on Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Arlington
With a ranking of #18, Charles and Sues School of Hair Design did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. Located in the small city of Bryan, Charles and Sues School of Hair Design is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Full Cosmetology at Charles and Sues School of Hair Design Report
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.
Exposito School of Hair Design did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #20 on the list. Exposito School of Hair Design is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Amarillo.
Read full report on Cosmetology at Exposito School of Hair Design
With a ranking of #21, Aveda Institute - San Antonio did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. Aveda Institute - San Antonio is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of San Antonio.
Honorable Mentions
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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