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Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Arkansas

2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Arkansas

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

10 Colleges
$5,820 Avg Tuition & Fees*

Finding the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, cosmetology was ranked 5th in Arkansas. In fact, 1,191 were awarded in the state in 2021-2022.

Today's trade school students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country.

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 Arkansas to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 10 schools in Arkansas 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 10 Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools

Our analysis found University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College to be the best value school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a basic certificate in Arkansas. Located in the city of North Little Rock, UA Pulaski Tech is a public school with a small student population.

UA Pulaski Tech undergraduate students pay an average of $5,820 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

UA Pulaski Tech did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Arkansas list.

Full Cosmetology at University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College Report

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#2

Academy of Salon and Spa

Fort Smith, AR

Out of the 10 schools in Arkansas that were part of this year’s ranking, Academy of Salon and Spa landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the city of Fort Smith, Academy of Salon & Spa is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Cosmetology at Academy of Salon and Spa Report

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#2

Searcy Beauty College

Searcy, AR

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

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The excellent basic certificate programs at Arkansas Beauty School - Little Rock helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value cosmetology schools in Arkansas. Located in the medium-sized city of Little Rock, Arkansas Beauty School - Little Rock is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

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#2

Hot Springs Beauty College

Hot Springs, AR

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Hot Springs Beauty College is a great value for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Hot Springs Beauty College is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Hot Springs.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The Salon Professional Academy - North Little Rock. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Arkansas list. TSPA - North Little Rock is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the rural area of Sherwood.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arkansas College of Barbering and Hair Design. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Arkansas list. Arkansas College of Barbering and Hair Design is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the small city of North Little Rock.

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#2

Arkansas Beauty College

Russellville, AR

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Arkansas Beauty College is a great value for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the town of Russellville, Arkansas Beauty College 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 Arthur’s Beauty College Inc - Jacksonville is a great value for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the large suburb of Jacksonville, Arthur's Beauty College Inc - Jacksonville 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 Career Academy of Hair Design is a great value for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Career Academy of Hair Design is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Springdale.

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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
North Carolina 2,549
Florida 10,801
West Virginia 377
Louisiana 3,726
Virginia 1,085
Tennessee 2,270
Alabama 821
Kentucky 1,003
Mississippi 872

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 10 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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