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Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Wisconsin

2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Wisconsin

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

20 Colleges
$4,739 Avg Tuition & Fees*

Finding the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate School for You

In 2021-2022, cosmetology students earned 1,320 degrees and certificates from a Wisconsin school, making the subject the 4th in the state.

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.

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 Wisconsin ranking. This report analyzed 20 schools in Wisconsin 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.

Top 10 Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools

Our analysis found Chippewa Valley Technical College to be the best value school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a basic certificate in Wisconsin. CVTC is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Eau Claire.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CVTC are $4,642 a year.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, CVTC is ranked #4 for overall quality for cosmetology in Wisconsin.

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The excellent basic certificate programs at Waukesha County Technical College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value cosmetology schools in Wisconsin. WCTC is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Pewaukee.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WCTC are $4,571 per year.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Gateway Technical College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Wisconsin list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Kenosha, Gateway Technical College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Gateway Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,766 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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#4

Mid-State Technical College

Wisconsin Rapids, WI

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 Wisconsin. Mid-State is a small public school located in the rural area of Wisconsin Rapids.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Mid-State are $4,760 a year.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Wisconsin list. Located in the rural area of Shell Lake, WITC is a public school with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WITC are $4,570 per year.

WITC not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Wisconsin list.

Full Cosmetology at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College Report

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Fox Valley Technical College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate cosmetology programs. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Appleton, FVTC is a public school with a large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at FVTC are $4,826 per year.

FVTC also took the #2 spot in our Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Wisconsin rankings.

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With a ranking of #7, Milwaukee Area Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the city of Milwaukee, MATC is a public school with a large student population.

MATC undergraduate students pay an average of $4,867 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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House of Heavilin Beauty College-Academy of Beauty Professionals landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate cosmetology programs. House of Heavilin Beauty College-Academy of Beauty Professionals is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Appleton.

Full Cosmetology at House of Heavilin Beauty College-Academy of Beauty Professionals Report

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The Institute of Beauty and Wellness landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate cosmetology programs. The Institute of Beauty and Wellness is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Milwaukee.

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First Class Cosmetology School landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate cosmetology programs. First Class Cosmetology School is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the small city of Beloit.

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Best Value Cosmetology Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 2,766
Indiana 1,897
Ohio 3,404
Illinois 3,922

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 20 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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