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Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Kentucky

2023 Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Kentucky

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

13 Colleges
$4,560 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$17,041 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Cosmetology Undergraduate 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.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Kentucky ranking. Our analysis looked at 13 schools in Kentucky to see which undergraduate 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 Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Kentucky

Check out the cosmetology undergraduate certificate programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 10 Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools

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

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SCC are $4,560 a year. While working on their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology majors at SCC accumulate an average of around $10,870 in student debt.

Full Cosmetology at Somerset Community College Report

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 Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Kentucky list. Located in the suburb of Louisville, Paul Mitchell the School Louisville is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $109.

Read More…

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 Undergraduate 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

#2

Lindsey Institute of Cosmetology

Bowling Green, KY

The excellent undergraduate certificate programs at Lindsey Institute of Cosmetology helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value cosmetology schools in Kentucky. Located in the small city of Bowling Green, Lindsey Institute of Cosmetology is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology graduates from Lindsey Institute of Cosmetology carry an average student debtload of $9,746.

Full Cosmetology at Lindsey Institute of Cosmetology Report

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 Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Kentucky list. Barrett and Company School of Hair Design is a private for-profit school located in the town of Nicholasville.

While working on their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology majors at Barrett and Company School of Hair Design accumulate an average of around $9,833 in student debt.

Full Cosmetology at Barrett and Company School of Hair Design Report

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

After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology graduates from Summit Salon Academy Lexington carry an average student debtload of $7,959.

Read More…

#2

Empire Beauty School-Dixie

Louisville, KY

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

Cosmetology majors at Empire Beauty School-Dixie take out an average of $11,800 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $72.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-Dixie

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

On average, cosmetology graduates from Paul Mitchell the School Lexington take out $13,128 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $114.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Lexington

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend PJ’s College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Kentucky list. Located in the small city of Bowling Green, PJ's College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

While working on their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology majors at PJ's College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green accumulate an average of around $9,358 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $86.

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

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

While working on their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology majors at American College of Barbering accumulate an average of around $11,173 in student debt.

Read full report on Cosmetology at American College of Barbering

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
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 13 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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