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Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia

2023 Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

11 Colleges
$0 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$17,041 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate School for You

Cosmetology is one of the most popular subjects to study in Virginia. With 1,085 degrees and certificates handed out in 2021-2022, it ranked 6th out of all the majors we track in the state.

Today's trade school students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent.

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 Virginia ranking. This report analyzed 11 schools in Virginia to see which ones offered the best value undergraduate certificate programs for cosmetology students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Colleges.

Top 15% Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools

Our 2023 rankings named Staunton School of Cosmetology the best value school in Virginia for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Staunton School of Cosmetology is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of Staunton.

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Our analysis found Paul Mitchell the School Mclean to be the best value school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a undergraduate certificate in Virginia. Paul Mitchell the School Mclean is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of McLean.

After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology graduates from Paul Mitchell the School Mclean carry an average student debtload of $11,987. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $94.

Full Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Mclean Report

Our 2023 rankings named Empire Beauty School-Richmond the best value school in Virginia for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Empire Beauty School-Richmond is a small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Richmond.

Cosmetology majors at Empire Beauty School-Richmond take out an average of $11,517 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $80.

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Our analysis found Rudy & Kelly Academy - A Paul Mitchell Partner School to be the best value school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a undergraduate certificate in Virginia. Rudy & Kelly Academy is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Virginia Beach.

While working on their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology majors at Rudy & Kelly Academy accumulate an average of around $12,525 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $115.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Rudy & Kelly Academy - A Paul Mitchell Partner School

Our analysis found Paul Mitchell the School Woodbridge to be the best value school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a undergraduate certificate in Virginia. Paul Mitchell the School Woodbridge is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Woodbridge.

Cosmetology majors at Paul Mitchell the School Woodbridge take out an average of $11,987 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $94.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Woodbridge

Our analysis found Sylvain Melloul International Hair Academy to be the best value school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a undergraduate certificate in Virginia. Sylvain Melloul Int'l Hair Academy is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg.

The average amount in student loans that cosmetology majors at Sylvain Melloul Int'l Hair Academy take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $8,846.

Full Cosmetology at Sylvain Melloul International Hair Academy Report

#1

Luckes Beauty Academy

Newport News, VA

Our 2023 rankings named Luckes Beauty Academy the best value school in Virginia for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Luckes Beauty Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of Newport News.

Full Cosmetology at Luckes Beauty Academy Report

Our analysis found Empire Beauty School-Midlothian to be the best value school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a undergraduate certificate in Virginia. Empire Beauty School-Midlothian is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Midlothian.

Cosmetology majors at Empire Beauty School-Midlothian take out an average of $11,517 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $80.

Full Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-Midlothian Report

Our 2023 rankings named Paul Mitchell the School Roanoke the best value school in Virginia for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the midsize city of Roanoke, Paul Mitchell the School Roanoke is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Cosmetology majors at Paul Mitchell the School Roanoke take out an average of $12,705 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.

Full Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Roanoke Report

Our 2023 rankings named Empire Beauty School-Virginia Beach the best value school in Virginia for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the large city of Virginia Beach, Empire Beauty School-Virginia Beach is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology graduates from Empire Beauty School-Virginia Beach carry an average student debtload of $12,906. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $81.

Read More…

Our 2023 rankings named Virginia School of Hair Design the best value school in Virginia for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in the midsize city of Hampton, Virginia School of Hair Design is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Virginia School of Hair Design

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great value schools for Cosmetology students in the state of Virginia seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Virginia award.

Rank College Location

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
West Virginia 377
Louisiana 3,726
Tennessee 2,270
Alabama 821
Kentucky 1,003
Mississippi 872

One of 4 majors within the trade school area of study, cosmetology has other similar majors worth exploring.

Cosmetology Focus Areas

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 11 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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