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Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Alabama

2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Alabama

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

3 Colleges
$4,920 Avg Tuition & Fees*

Finding the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, cosmetology was ranked 7th in Alabama. In fact, 821 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. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent.

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 Alabama to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 3 schools in Alabama to see which basic certificate 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 Basic Certificate Schools in Alabama

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Colleges.

Best Alabama Schools for Affordable Quality for an Award Taking Less Than 1 Year in Cosmetology

Our analysis found Lurleen B Wallace Community College to be the best value school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a basic certificate in Alabama. Lurleen B. Wallace Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Andalusia.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College are $4,920 a year.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Lurleen B. Wallace Community College is ranked #5 for overall quality for cosmetology in Alabama.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Lurleen B Wallace Community College

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Paul Mitchell the School Birmingham is a great value for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Paul Mitchell the School Birmingham is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Hoover.

Full Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Birmingham Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University Academy of Hair Design. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Alabama list. University Academy of Hair Design is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of Tuscaloosa.

Read full report on Cosmetology at University Academy of Hair Design

Best Value Cosmetology Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
South Carolina 1,516
Georgia 4,283
Arkansas 1,191
North Carolina 2,549
Florida 10,801
Louisiana 3,726
West Virginia 377
Virginia 1,085
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 3 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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