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Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in North Carolina

2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in North Carolina

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

18 Colleges
$2,587 Avg Tuition & Fees*

Finding the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, cosmetology was ranked 4th in North Carolina. In fact, 2,549 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. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country.

The Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in North Carolina ranking is one of many tools that Trade College Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 18 schools in North Carolina 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.

Top 10 Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Central Carolina Community College the best value school in North Carolina for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the distant town of Sanford, Central Carolina Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Central Carolina Community College are $2,554 a year.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Wake Technical Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in North Carolina list. Located in the large suburb of Raleigh, Wake Technical Community College is a public school with a very large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Wake Technical Community College are $2,768 per year.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in North Carolina list. A-B Tech is a medium-sized public school located in the small city of Asheville.

A-B Tech undergraduate students pay an average of $2,832 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Cleveland Community College is a great value for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Cleveland Community College is a small public school located in the town of Shelby.

Cleveland Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $2,602 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Fayetteville Technical Community College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in North Carolina list. FTCC is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Fayetteville.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at FTCC are $2,564 a year.

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With a ranking of #6, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute did quite well on this year’s best value schools for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Hudson, CCCTI is a public college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CCCTI are $2,537 per year.

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Southwestern Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in North Carolina list. Southwestern Community College is a small public school located in the town of Sylva.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southwestern Community College are $2,229 per year.

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#8

Carteret Community College

Morehead City, NC

Carteret Community College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate cosmetology programs. Carteret Community College is a small public school located in the town of Morehead City.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Carteret Community College are $2,610 per year.

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#9

College of Wilmington

Wilmington, NC

College of Wilmington landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate cosmetology programs. College of Wilmington is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Wilmington.

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Paul Mitchell the School Gastonia came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in North Carolina ranking. Located in the small city of Gastonia, Paul Mitchell the School Gastonia is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

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Best Value Cosmetology Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
South Carolina 1,516
Georgia 4,283
Arkansas 1,191
Florida 10,801
West Virginia 377
Louisiana 3,726
Virginia 1,085
Alabama 821
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 18 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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