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Most Popular Cosmetology Associate Degree Trade Schools in California

2023 Most Popular Cosmetology Associate Degree Trade Schools in California

25 Colleges
$16,507 Avg Salary
$12,253 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Cosmetology Associate Degree School for You

In 2021-2022, cosmetology students earned 10,294 degrees and certificates from a California school, making the subject the 2nd in the state.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which trade school program is right 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Most Popular Cosmetology Associate Degree Trade Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 25 schools in California to see which associate degree programs were the most popular for trade school students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Cosmetology program at each school on the list.

The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Cosmetology Associate Degree Colleges.

#1

Citrus College

Glendora, CA

Our analysis found Citrus College to be the most popular school for cosmetology students who want to pursue a associate degree in California. Citrus College is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Glendora.

Of the 35 students majoring in cosmetology at Citrus College, 6% are male and 94% are female.

Full Cosmetology at Citrus College Report

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#2

Golden West College

Huntington Beach, CA

The in-demand associate degree programs at Golden West College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular cosmetology schools in California. Located in the large suburb of Huntington Beach, Golden West College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Of the 10 students majoring in cosmetology at Golden West College, 20% are male and 80% are female.

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#3

Cerritos College

Norwalk, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cerritos College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Popular Cosmetology Associate Degree Trade Schools in California list. Cerritos College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Norwalk.

Full Cosmetology at Cerritos College Report

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#4

Riverside City College

Riverside, CA

Out of the 25 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Riverside City College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Riverside, Riverside City College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Women make up 94% of the cosmetology majors at the school.

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#5

Fullerton College

Fullerton, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Fullerton College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Cosmetology Associate Degree Trade Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of Fullerton, Fullerton College is a public school with a large student population.

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Los Angeles Trade Technical College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Cosmetology Associate Degree Trade Schools in California ranking. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Trade Technical College is a public college with a large student population.

Full Cosmetology at Los Angeles Trade Technical College Report

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#7

San Jose City College

San Jose, CA

San Jose City College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Cosmetology Associate Degree Trade Schools in California ranking. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose City College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

About 90% of the students majoring in cosmetology at the school are women while 10% are male.

Read full report on Cosmetology at San Jose City College

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#7

Butte College

Oroville, CA

Butte College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for cosmetology students to get a associate degree. It came in at #7 on the list. Butte College is a medium-sized public school located in the rural area of Oroville.

About 78% of the students majoring in cosmetology at the school are women while 22% are male.

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#9

Laney College

Oakland, CA

Laney College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree cosmetology programs. Located in the large city of Oakland, Laney College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Full Cosmetology at Laney College Report

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#10

Allan Hancock College

Santa Maria, CA

Allan Hancock College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree cosmetology programs. Allan Hancock College is a large public school located in the medium-sized city of Santa Maria.

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Best Cosmetology Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Most Popular Cosmetology Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 2,041
Oregon 1,020
Nevada 1,575
Hawaii 183

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 25 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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