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Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Michigan

2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Michigan

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

22 Colleges
$12,948 Avg Tuition & Fees*

Finding the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate School for You

Cosmetology is the most popular major in Michigan with 2,766 degrees and certificates handed out in 2021-2022.

Today's trade school students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Michigan ranking. This report analyzed 22 schools in Michigan 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.

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. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

Top 15% Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Northern Michigan University the best value school in Michigan for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Northern Michigan University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Marquette.

Northern Michigan University undergraduate students pay an average of $12,948 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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#2

Nuvo College of Cosmetology

Norton Shores, MI

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Nuvo College of Cosmetology. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Michigan list. Nuvo College of Cosmetology is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the midsize suburb of Norton Shores.

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#2

Protege Academy

Mt. Pleasant, MI

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Protege Academy. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Michigan list. Protege Academy is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the town of Mt. Pleasant.

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#2

Empire Beauty School-Michigan

Grand Rapids, MI

Out of the 22 schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, Empire Beauty School-Michigan landed the # 2 spot on the list. Empire Beauty School-Michigan is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Grand Rapids.

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#2

Protege Academy

East Lansing, MI

Out of the 22 schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, Protege Academy landed the # 2 spot on the list. Protege Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of East Lansing.

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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means David Pressley School of Cosmetology is a great value for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the suburb of Royal Oak, David Pressley School of Cosmetology is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan College of Beauty-Troy. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Michigan list. Located in the small city of Troy, Michigan College of Beauty-Troy is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Michigan College of Beauty-Monroe is a great value for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the suburb of Monroe, Michigan College of Beauty-Monroe is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

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#2

Douglas J Aveda Institute

East Lansing, MI

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Douglas J Aveda Institute. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Michigan list. Douglas J Aveda Institute is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of East Lansing.

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Out of the 22 schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, M J Murphy Beauty College of Mount Pleasant landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the town of Mount Pleasant, M J Murphy Beauty College of Mount Pleasant is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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Out of the 22 schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, Dorsey School of Beauty - Taylor landed the # 2 spot on the list. Dorsey School of Beauty - Taylor is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of Taylor.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Marketti Academy of Cosmetology. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Michigan list. Located in the large suburb of Waterford, Marketti Academy of Cosmetology is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

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Out of the 22 schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, Paul Mitchell the School Great Lakes landed the # 2 spot on the list. Paul Mitchell the School Great Lakes is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the small suburb of Port Huron.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Paul Mitchell the School Farmington Hills. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Michigan list. Located in the small city of Farmington Hills, Paul Mitchell the School Farmington Hills is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Bayshire Academy of Beauty Craft Inc is a great value for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the small city of Bay City, Bayshire Beauty Academy is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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#2

Paul Mitchell the School Michigan

Sterling Heights, MI

Out of the 22 schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, Paul Mitchell the School Michigan landed the # 2 spot on the list. Paul Mitchell the School Michigan is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Sterling Heights.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Paul Mitchell the School Grand Rapids. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Michigan list. Located in the city of Kentwood, Paul Mitchell the School Grand Rapids is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

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#2

Elevate Salon Institute

Royal Oak, MI

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Elevate Salon Institute. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Michigan list. Located in the suburb of Royal Oak, Elevate Salon Institute is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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Out of the 22 schools in Michigan that were part of this year’s ranking, P&A Scholars Beauty School landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Detroit, P&A Scholars is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

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#2

The Salon Professional Academy

Battle Creek, MI

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means The Salon Professional Academy is a great value for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. TSPA - Battle Creek is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Battle Creek.

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#2

L'esprit Academy

Canton, MI

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend L’esprit Academy. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Michigan list. Located in the suburb of Canton, L'esprit Academy is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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#2

Twin City Beauty College

Saint Joseph, MI

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Twin City Beauty College is a great value for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the suburb of Saint Joseph, Twin City Beauty College is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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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 Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Michigan award.

Rank College Location

Best Value Cosmetology Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Indiana 1,897
Wisconsin 1,320
Ohio 3,404
Illinois 3,922

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

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 22 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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