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Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Kentucky

2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Kentucky

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

10 Colleges
$4,560 Avg Tuition & Fees*

Finding the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, cosmetology was ranked 9th in Kentucky. In fact, 1,003 were awarded in the state in 2021-2022.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for trade school students. 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 Kentucky to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 10 schools in Kentucky 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.

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 Kentucky

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 analysis found Somerset Community College to be the best value school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a basic certificate in Kentucky. SCC is a medium-sized public school located in the remote town of Somerset.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SCC are $4,560 per year.

Full Cosmetology at Somerset Community College Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Empire Beauty School-Chenoweth. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Kentucky list. Located in the large suburb of Louisville, Empire Beauty School-Chenoweth is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Full Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-Chenoweth Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend PJ’s College of Cosmetology-Glasgow. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Kentucky list. Located in the town of Glasgow, PJ's College of Cosmetology-Glasgow is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

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

Read full report on Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Louisville

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Barrett and Company School of Hair Design. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Kentucky list. Barrett and Company School of Hair Design is a private for-profit school located in the fringe town of Nicholasville.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Barrett and Company School of Hair Design

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

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#2

Empire Beauty School-Dixie

Louisville, KY

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Empire Beauty School-Dixie. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Kentucky list. Empire Beauty School-Dixie is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of Louisville.

Full Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-Dixie Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Empire Beauty School-Elizabethtown. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Kentucky list. Empire Beauty School-Elizabethtown is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Elizabethtown.

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#2

Ideal Beauty Academy

Louisville, KY

Out of the 10 schools in Kentucky that were part of this year’s ranking, Ideal Beauty Academy landed the # 2 spot on the list. Ideal Beauty Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Louisville.

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Out of the 10 schools in Kentucky that were part of this year’s ranking, PJ’s College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Bowling Green, PJ's College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on Cosmetology at PJ’s College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green

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
Alabama 821
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

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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