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Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Plains States Region

2023 Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Plains States Region

69 Colleges
$19,906 Avg Salary
$9,377 Avg Student Debt

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.

With all the trade school programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

The Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Plains States Region ranking is one of many tools that Trade College Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 69 schools in the Plains States 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 Plains States Region

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

Top 10 Best Cosmetology Schools

#1

Hastings Beauty School

Hastings, MN

Our analysis found Hastings Beauty School to be the best school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a degree in the Plains States Region . Hastings Beauty School is a small private for-profit school located in the fringe town of Hastings.

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#2

The Hair Academy

Bismarck, ND

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means The Hair Academy is a great place for cosmetology students. The Hair Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of Bismarck.

Full Cosmetology at The Hair Academy Report

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The excellent programs at The Salon Professional Academy - Fargo helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best cosmetology schools in the Plains States Region . TSPA - Fargo is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of Fargo.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Capitol School of Hairstyling and Esthetics. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the city of Omaha, Capitol School of Hairstyling and Esthetics is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

Full Cosmetology at Capitol School of Hairstyling and Esthetics Report

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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Minnesota School of Cosmetology-Woodbury Campus is a great place for cosmetology students. Minnesota School of Cosmetology-Woodbury Campus is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of WOODBURY.

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Paul Mitchell the School St Louis ranked #6 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Plains States Region list. Paul Mitchell the School St Louis is a small private for-profit school located in the city of St. Louis.

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#7

Aveda Institute - Des Moines

West Des Moines, IA

Aveda Institute - Des Moines did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for cosmetology students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the small city of West Des Moines, Aveda Institute - Des Moines is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

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#8

Aveda Institute - Minneapolis

Minneapolis, MN

Aveda Institute - Minneapolis came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Aveda Institute - Minneapolis is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Minneapolis.

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#9

PCI Academy-Plymouth

Plymouth, MN

With a ranking of #9, PCI Academy-Plymouth did quite well on this year’s best schools for cosmetology students. Located in the city of Plymouth, PCI Academy-Plymouth is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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#10

Nova Academy of Cosmetology

Rochester, MN

Nova Academy of Cosmetology ranked #10 on this year’s Best Cosmetology Trade Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the medium-sized city of Rochester, Nova Academy of Cosmetology is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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Additional Noteworthy Schools

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 Plains States Region award.

Rank College Location
11 Stewart School Sioux Falls, SD
12 Mitsu Sato Hair Academy Overland Park, KS
13 Paul Mitchell the School Overland Park Overland Park, KS

Best Cosmetology Colleges by State

Explore the best cosmetology schools for a specific state in the Plains States region.

State Degrees Awarded
Kansas 1,184
Missouri 1,382
Minnesota 1,054
South Dakota 209
Iowa 685
North Dakota 203
Nebraska 441

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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