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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.

2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Wisconsin

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

Top 10 Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Chippewa Valley Technical College the best value school in Wisconsin for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. CVTC is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Eau Claire.

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

CVTC did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Wisconsin list.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Chippewa Valley Technical College

Out of the 20 schools in Wisconsin that were part of this year’s ranking, Waukesha County Technical College landed the # 2 spot on the list. WCTC is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Pewaukee.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at WCTC are $4,571 a year.

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 Wisconsin list. Located in the suburb of Kenosha, Gateway Technical College is a public school 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.

Read More…

#4

Mid-State Technical College

Wisconsin Rapids, WI

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Mid-State Technical College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Wisconsin list. Mid-State is a small public school located in the rural area of Wisconsin Rapids.

Mid-State undergraduate students pay an average of $4,760 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Mid-State Technical College

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College is a great value for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the rural area of Shell Lake, WITC is a public school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at WITC are $4,570 a year.

WITC also made our Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Wisconsin list, coming in at #5.

Full Cosmetology at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College Report

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

FVTC undergraduate students pay an average of $4,826 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

FVTC not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #2 on our Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Wisconsin list.

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 Wisconsin ranking. Located in the city of Milwaukee, MATC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MATC are $4,867 per year.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Milwaukee Area Technical College

With a ranking of #8, Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Janesville did quite well on this year’s best value schools for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the small city of Janesville, Tricoci JAN is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

Full Cosmetology at Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Janesville Report

The Institute of Beauty and Wellness came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Wisconsin ranking. The Institute of Beauty and Wellness is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Milwaukee.

Full Cosmetology at The Institute of Beauty and Wellness Report

With a ranking of #8, First Class Cosmetology School did quite well on this year’s best value schools for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. First Class Cosmetology School is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Beloit.

Read More…

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
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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