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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 2023 rankings named Somerset Community College the best value school in Kentucky for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. SCC is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Somerset.

SCC undergraduate students pay an average of $4,560 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Somerset Community College

The excellent basic certificate programs at Empire Beauty School-Chenoweth helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value cosmetology schools in Kentucky. Located in the suburb of Louisville, Empire Beauty School-Chenoweth is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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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.

Full Cosmetology at PJ’s College of Cosmetology-Glasgow Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Paul Mitchell the School Louisville. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Kentucky list. Located in the suburb of Louisville, Paul Mitchell the School Louisville is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Louisville

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Barrett and Company School of Hair Design is a great value for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Barrett and Company School of Hair Design is a private for-profit school located in the fringe town of Nicholasville.

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

Full Cosmetology at Summit Salon Academy - Lexington Report

#2

Empire Beauty School-Dixie

Louisville, KY

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

Read full report on Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-Dixie

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

Read full report on Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-Elizabethtown

#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.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Ideal Beauty Academy

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 fairly small student population.

Full Cosmetology at PJ’s College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green Report

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