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Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Minnesota

2023 Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Minnesota

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

10 Colleges
$6,216 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$17,041 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Cosmetology Undergraduate 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.

The Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Minnesota ranking is one of many tools that Trade College Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 10 schools in Minnesota 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.

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.

Top 10 Best Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools

#1

Saint Paul College

Saint Paul, MN

Our analysis found Saint Paul College to be the best value school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a undergraduate certificate in Minnesota. Located in the city of Saint Paul, Saint Paul College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Saint Paul College are $6,318 per year. The average amount in student loans that cosmetology majors at Saint Paul College take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $9,702.

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#2

Ridgewater College

Willmar, MN

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Ridgewater College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Minnesota list. Located in the 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

The excellent undergraduate certificate programs at Aveda Institute - Minneapolis helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value cosmetology schools in Minnesota. Aveda Institute - Minneapolis is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Minneapolis.

After completing their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology graduates from Aveda Institute - Minneapolis carry an average student debtload of $7,507. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $131.

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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Empire Beauty School-Bloomington is a great value for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Empire Beauty School-Bloomington is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the small city of Bloomington.

While working on their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology majors at Empire Beauty School-Bloomington accumulate an average of around $11,894 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $91, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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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 Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Minnesota list. Located in the midsize city of Rochester, Nova Academy of Cosmetology is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

The average amount in student loans that cosmetology majors at Nova Academy of Cosmetology take out while working on their Undergraduate Certificate is $8,088.

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#3

Hastings Beauty School

Hastings, MN

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Hastings Beauty School is a great value for cosmetology students working on their undergraduate certificate. Hastings Beauty School is a small private for-profit school located in the town of Hastings.

On average, cosmetology graduates from Hastings Beauty School take out $11,805 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate.

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#3

Model College of Hair Design

Saint Cloud, MN

The excellent undergraduate 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 fairly small private for-profit school located in the small city of Saint Cloud.

While working on their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology majors at Model College of Hair Design accumulate an average of around $7,427 in student debt.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Minnesota School of Cosmetology-Woodbury Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Cosmetology Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Minnesota list. Minnesota School of Cosmetology-Woodbury Campus is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of WOODBURY.

While working on their Undergraduate Certificate, cosmetology majors at Minnesota School of Cosmetology-Woodbury Campus accumulate an average of around $9,508 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 $75.

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Out of the 10 schools in Minnesota that were part of this year’s ranking, Empire Beauty School-Spring Lake Park landed the # 3 spot on the list. Empire Beauty School-Spring Lake Park is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Spring Lake Park.

Cosmetology majors at Empire Beauty School-Spring Lake Park take out an average of $12,856 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $79, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#3

PCI Academy-Plymouth

Plymouth, MN

The excellent undergraduate certificate programs at PCI Academy-Plymouth helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value cosmetology schools in Minnesota. Located in the city of Plymouth, PCI Academy-Plymouth is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, cosmetology graduates from PCI Academy-Plymouth take out $8,417 in student loans while working on their Undergraduate Certificate. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $102.

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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 10 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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