2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate School for You
In 2020-2021, 107,895 degrees and certificates were awarded to cosmetology students, making the major the most popular in the country.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for trade school students. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Trade College Search has created the Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 114 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best value basic certificate programs for cosmetology students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. 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.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Featured schools near , edit
2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for cosmetology majors pursuing a basic certificate.
Top 25 Best Great Lakes Region Schools for Affordable Quality for an Award Taking Less Than 1 Year in Cosmetology
Our 2023 rankings named Chippewa Valley Technical College the best value school in the Great Lakes Region for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. CVTC is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Eau Claire.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CVTC are $6,683 per year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, CVTC also did well on our Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Cosmetology at Chippewa Valley Technical College Report
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Waukesha County Technical College is a great value for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. WCTC is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Pewaukee.
WCTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,603 in tuition and fees each year.
WCTC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Full Cosmetology at Waukesha County Technical College Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Gateway Technical College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the midsize suburb of Kenosha, Gateway Technical College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Gateway Technical College are $6,803 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, Gateway Technical College is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
The excellent basic certificate programs at Mid-State Technical College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value cosmetology schools in the Great Lakes Region . Mid-State is a small public school located in the rural area of Wisconsin Rapids.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Mid-State are $6,351 a year.
The excellent basic certificate programs at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value cosmetology schools in the Great Lakes Region . Located in the rural area of Shell Lake, WITC is a public school with a small student population.
WITC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,960 in tuition and fees each year.
In addition to its great value ranking, WITC is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Full Cosmetology at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College Report
Fox Valley Technical College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the midsize suburb of Appleton, FVTC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at FVTC are $6,861 per year.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, FVTC is ranked #5 for overall quality for cosmetology in the Great Lakes Region .
Read full report on Cosmetology at Fox Valley Technical College
Milwaukee Area Technical College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the city of Milwaukee, MATC is a public college with a large student population.
MATC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,908 in tuition and fees each year.
Northern Michigan University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the town of Marquette, Northern Michigan University is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Northern Michigan University are $18,828 a year.
Read full report on Cosmetology at Northern Michigan University
City Colleges of Chicago - Harry S Truman College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for cosmetology students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #9 on the list. Harry S Truman College is a small public school located in the large city of Chicago.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Harry S Truman College are $14,430 per year.
Read full report on Cosmetology at City Colleges of Chicago - Harry S Truman College
With a ranking of #10, Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Sterling did quite well on this year’s best value schools for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the town of Sterling, Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Sterling is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Read full report on Cosmetology at Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Sterling
With a ranking of #10, Paul Mitchell the School Farmington Hills did quite well on this year’s best value schools for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Paul Mitchell the School Farmington Hills is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the small city of Farmington Hills.
Full Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Farmington Hills Report
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Rockford ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Tricoci RFD is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Rockford.
Read full report on Cosmetology at Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Rockford
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Peoria did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for cosmetology students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #10 on the list. Tricoci PEO is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Peoria.
Debutantes School of Cosmetology and Nail Technology came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Debutantes School of Cosmetology and Nail Technology is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Dekalb.
G Skin & Beauty Institute did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for cosmetology students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Oakbrook, Naperville Skin Institute is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
Read full report on Cosmetology at G Skin & Beauty Institute
Summit Salon Academy - Anderson ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Summit Salon Academy Anderson is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Anderson.
Michigan College of Beauty-Troy came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Michigan College of Beauty-Troy is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the small city of Troy.
Paul Mitchell the School Lombard came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the suburb of Lombard, Paul Mitchell the School Lombard is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Read full report on Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Lombard
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Indianapolis landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate cosmetology programs. Located in the suburb of Indianapolis, Tricoci INE is a private for-profit school with a small student population.
Full Cosmetology at Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Indianapolis Report
Paul Mitchell the School Michigan came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the large suburb of Sterling Heights, Paul Mitchell the School Michigan is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
Paul Mitchell the School Grand Rapids ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Paul Mitchell the School Grand Rapids is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the small city of Kentwood.
Read full report on Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Grand Rapids
Aveda Institute - Madison came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Aveda Institute - Madison is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Madison.
Read full report on Cosmetology at Aveda Institute - Madison
University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Chicago, University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Full Cosmetology at University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology Report
With a ranking of #10, Twin City Beauty College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Twin City Beauty College is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Joseph.
PJ’s College of Cosmetology-Clarksville ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large suburb of Clarksville, PJ's College of Cosmetology-Clarksville is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
Best Cosmetology Colleges by State
Explore the best cosmetology schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 2,766 |
| Indiana | 1,897 |
| Wisconsin | 1,320 |
| Ohio | 3,404 |
| Illinois | 3,922 |
More Cosmetology Rankings in the Great Lakes Region
Cosmetology Related Majors for Cosmetology
Cosmetology is one of 4 different types of trade school programs to choose from.
Cosmetology Concentrations
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Culinary Arts | 19,784 |
| Funeral & Mortuary Science | 2,354 |
| Casino Operations and Services | 192 |
| Other Personal & Culinary Services | 81 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 114 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.
Featured Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |
TradeCollege.org provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. TradeCollege.org is a for-profit site, and the displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© TradeCollege.org – All Rights Reserved.