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Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in California

2023 Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in California

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

6 Colleges
$1,259 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$16,507 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Cosmetology Associate Degree School for You

In 2021-2022, cosmetology students earned 10,294 degrees and certificates from a California school, making the subject the 2nd in the state.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which trade school program is right 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.

The Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Trade College Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 6 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for cosmetology students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

Best California Schools for Affordable Quality for an Associate in Cosmetology

#1

Cerritos College

Norwalk, CA

Our analysis found Cerritos College to be the best value school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a associate degree in California. Cerritos College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Norwalk.

Cerritos College undergraduate students pay an average of $1,364 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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#2

Riverside City College

Riverside, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Riverside City College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Riverside, Riverside City College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Riverside City College undergraduate students pay an average of $1,420 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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#3

Citrus College

Glendora, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Citrus College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in California list. Citrus College is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Glendora.

Citrus College undergraduate students pay an average of $1,198 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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#4

Golden West College

Huntington Beach, CA

The excellent associate degree programs at Golden West College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value cosmetology schools in California. Located in the large suburb of Huntington Beach, Golden West College is a public college with a large student population.

Golden West College undergraduate students pay an average of $1,190 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Los Angeles Trade Technical College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a public college with a large student population.

Los Angeles Trade Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $1,238 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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#6

San Diego City College

San Diego, CA

San Diego City College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in the city of San Diego, San Diego City College is a public school with a large student population.

San Diego City College undergraduate students pay an average of $1,144 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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Best Value Cosmetology Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Value Cosmetology Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 2,041
Oregon 1,020
Nevada 1,575
Hawaii 183

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

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 6 schools only.

  • 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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