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Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Minnesota

2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Minnesota

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

8 Colleges
$6,216 Avg Tuition & Fees*

Finding the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate School for You

In 2021-2022, cosmetology students earned 1,054 degrees and certificates from a Minnesota school, making the subject the 3rd in the state.

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.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Trade College Search has created its Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Minnesota ranking. This report analyzed 8 schools in Minnesota 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.

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.

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

#1

Saint Paul College

Saint Paul, MN

Our 2023 rankings named Saint Paul College the best value school in Minnesota for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the city of Saint Paul, Saint Paul College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Saint Paul College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,318 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

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#2

Ridgewater College

Willmar, MN

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ridgewater College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Minnesota list. Located in the remote town of Willmar, Ridgewater College is a public college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ridgewater College are $6,114 per year.

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#3

Aveda Institute - Minneapolis

Minneapolis, MN

Out of the 8 schools in Minnesota that were part of this year’s ranking, Aveda Institute - Minneapolis landed the # 3 spot on the list. Aveda Institute - Minneapolis is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of Minneapolis.

Full Cosmetology at Aveda Institute - Minneapolis Report

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#3

PCI Academy-Plymouth

Plymouth, MN

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend PCI Academy-Plymouth. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Minnesota list. Located in the city of Plymouth, PCI Academy-Plymouth is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

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The excellent basic certificate programs at Minnesota School of Cosmetology-Woodbury Campus helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value cosmetology schools in Minnesota. Minnesota School of Cosmetology-Woodbury Campus is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of WOODBURY.

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#3

Model College of Hair Design

Saint Cloud, MN

The excellent basic certificate programs at Model College of Hair Design helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value cosmetology schools in Minnesota. Model College of Hair Design is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of Saint Cloud.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Nova Academy of Cosmetology. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Basic Certificate Schools in Minnesota list. Located in the medium-sized city of Rochester, Nova Academy of Cosmetology is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

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The excellent basic certificate programs at Empire Beauty School-Bloomington helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value cosmetology schools in Minnesota. Empire Beauty School-Bloomington is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Bloomington.

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Best Value Cosmetology Colleges in the Plains States Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Kansas 1,184
Missouri 1,382
South Dakota 209
Iowa 685
North Dakota 203
Nebraska 441

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 8 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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