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Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Pennsylvania

2023 Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Pennsylvania

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Finding the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, cosmetology was the most popular one in Pennsylvania. In total, 3,378 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Pennsylvania.

It's not easy to decide which trade school program to enroll in when you have so many options available. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Our analysis looked at 50 schools in Pennsylvania to see which basic certificate 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 colleges and universities below are the most popular for cosmetology majors pursuing a basic certificate.

Our 2023 rankings named South Hills Beauty Academy Inc the most popular school in Pennsylvania for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the suburb of Pittsburgh, South Hills Beauty Academy Inc is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Women make up 99% of the cosmetology majors at the school.

Read full report on Cosmetology at South Hills Beauty Academy Inc

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#2

Jean Madeline Aveda Institute

Philadelphia, PA

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Jean Madeline Aveda Institute is a great place for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Jean Madeline Education Center of Cosmetology is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia.

Women make up 97% of the cosmetology majors at the school.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Jean Madeline Aveda Institute

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#3

Metro Beauty Academy

Allentown, PA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Metro Beauty Academy. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Pennsylvania list. Metro Beauty Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Allentown.

Of the 135 students majoring in cosmetology at Metro Beauty Academy, 1% are male and 99% are female.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Metro Beauty Academy

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Out of the 50 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Lancaster School of Cosmetology & Therapeutic Bodywork landed the # 4 spot on the list. Lancaster School of Cosmetology & Therapeutic Bodywork is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Lancaster.

Of the 93 students majoring in cosmetology at Lancaster School of Cosmetology & Therapeutic Bodywork, 1% are male and 99% are female.

Full Cosmetology at Lancaster School of Cosmetology & Therapeutic Bodywork Report

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Out of the 50 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Fountain of Youth Academy of Cosmetology landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Bellevue, Fountain of Youth Academy of Cosmetology is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Fountain of Youth Academy of Cosmetology

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Bucks County School of Beauty Culture Inc landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular basic certificate cosmetology programs. Located in the suburb of Feasterville, Bucks County School of Beauty Culture Inc is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Bucks County School of Beauty Culture Inc

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The Beauty Institute-Ambler did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for cosmetology students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Ambler, The Beauty Institute is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

Full Cosmetology at The Beauty Institute-Ambler Report

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#7

American Barber Academy

Reading, PA

American Barber Academy ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in the small city of Reading, American Barber Academy is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Read full report on Cosmetology at American Barber Academy

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Great Lakes Institute of Technology came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Erie, Great Lakes Institute of Technology is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Of the 58 students majoring in cosmetology at Great Lakes Institute of Technology, 2% are male and 98% are female.

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Altoona Beauty School Inc came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in the small city of Altoona, Altoona Beauty School Inc is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

About 99% of the students majoring in cosmetology at the school are women while 1% are male.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Altoona Beauty School Inc

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Best Cosmetology Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Most Popular Cosmetology Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
New York 5,055
New Jersey 2,419
Maryland 1,103
Delaware 343
District of Columbia 160

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

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 26 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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