Find Trade Colleges

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

28 Colleges
$2,610 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 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.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Trade College Search has created its Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina ranking. Our analysis looked at 28 schools in North Carolina 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.

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.

2023 Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for cosmetology majors pursuing a undergraduate certificate.

Top 10 Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Central Piedmont Community College the best value school in North Carolina for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Central Piedmont Community College is a large public school located in the large city of Charlotte.

Central Piedmont Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $2,792 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Central Piedmont Community College also took the #2 spot in our Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina rankings.

Read More…

Out of the 28 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Carolina Community College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the town of Sanford, Central Carolina Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Central Carolina Community College are $2,554 per year.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Central Carolina Community College

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Wake Technical Community College is a great value for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the suburb of Raleigh, Wake Technical Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Wake Technical Community College are $2,768 a year. After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology graduates from Wake Technical Community College carry an average student debtload of $10,497.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, Wake Technical Community College also did well on our Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Read More…

Out of the 28 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College landed the # 4 spot on the list. A-B Tech is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Asheville.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at A-B Tech are $2,832 a year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, A-B Tech also is in the top 20% of our Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina ranking.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cleveland Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina list. 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.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Cleveland Community College

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina list. 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.

Read More…

Southwestern Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina ranking. Southwestern Community College is a small public school located in the town of Sylva.

Southwestern Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $2,229 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Southwestern Community College

#8

Robeson Community College

Lumberton, NC

With a ranking of #8, Robeson Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the distant town of Lumberton, Robeson Community College is a public college with a small student population.

Robeson Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $2,563 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Robeson Community College

#9

Carteret Community College

Morehead City, NC

Carteret Community College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate cosmetology programs. Carteret Community College is a small public school located in the distant town of Morehead City.

Carteret Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $2,610 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Read More…

Mitchell’s Academy - Raleigh ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in North Carolina list. Located in the medium-sized city of Raleigh, Mitchell's Academy is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that cosmetology majors at Mitchell's Academy take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $5,789.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Mitchell’s Academy - Raleigh

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
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 28 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.

Featured Schools

Find Trade Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited trade schools across the U.S.