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Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina

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2023 Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

7 Colleges
$2,615 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$16,507 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Cosmetology Associate Degree School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, cosmetology was ranked 4th in North Carolina. In fact, 2,549 were awarded in the state in 2021-2022.

With all the trade school programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Trade College Search has created the Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 7 schools in North Carolina to see which associate degree programs offered the best value experiences for cosmetology students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for cosmetology majors pursuing a associate degree.

Best North Carolina Schools for Affordable Quality for an Associate in Cosmetology

Our 2023 rankings named Central Carolina Community College the best value school in North Carolina for cosmetology students working on their associate degree. Located in the town of Sanford, Central Carolina Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Central Carolina Community College are $2,554 a year.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Central Carolina Community College

Out of the 7 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Piedmont Community College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Central Piedmont Community College is a large public school located in the city of Charlotte.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Central Piedmont Community College are $2,792 per year.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Central Piedmont Community College is ranked #2 for overall quality for cosmetology in North Carolina.

Full Cosmetology at Central Piedmont Community College Report

The excellent associate degree programs at Wake Technical Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value cosmetology schools in North Carolina. Located in the large suburb of Raleigh, Wake Technical Community College is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Wake Technical Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $2,768 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read More…

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina list. A-B Tech is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Asheville.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at A-B Tech are $2,832 a year. On average, cosmetology graduates from A-B Tech take out $14,650 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read More…

Out of the 7 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Fayetteville Technical Community College landed the # 5 spot on the list. FTCC is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Fayetteville.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at FTCC are $2,564 a year. While working on their Associate Degree, cosmetology majors at FTCC accumulate an average of around $20,615 in student debt.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Fayetteville Technical Community College

#6

Robeson Community College

Lumberton, NC

Robeson Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking. Located in the town of Lumberton, Robeson Community College is a public college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Robeson Community College are $2,563 per year.

Read More…

Southwestern Community College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree cosmetology programs. Southwestern Community College is a small public school located in the town of Sylva.

Southwestern Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $2,229 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read More…

Best Value Cosmetology Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value Cosmetology Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 4,283
South Carolina 1,516
Arkansas 1,191
Florida 10,801
West Virginia 377
Louisiana 3,726
Virginia 1,085
Alabama 821
Kentucky 1,003
Tennessee 2,270
Mississippi 872

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 7 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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