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Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Kentucky

2023 Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Kentucky

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Finding the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, cosmetology was ranked 9th in Kentucky. In fact, 1,003 were awarded in the state in 2021-2022.

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.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Trade College Search has created its Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Kentucky ranking. Our analysis looked at 21 schools in Kentucky 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 PJ’s College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green the most popular school in Kentucky for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the city of Bowling Green, PJ's College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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

Full Cosmetology at PJ’s College of Cosmetology-Bowling Green Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Summit Salon Academy - Lexington. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Kentucky list. Summit Salon Academy Lexington is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Lexington.

Women make up 98% of the cosmetology majors at the school.

Full Cosmetology at Summit Salon Academy - Lexington Report

The in-demand basic certificate programs at Somerset Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular cosmetology schools in Kentucky. SCC is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Somerset.

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#3

Ideal Beauty Academy

Louisville, KY

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Ideal Beauty Academy is a great place for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Ideal Beauty Academy is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Louisville.

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The in-demand basic certificate programs at Barrett and Company School of Hair Design helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular cosmetology schools in Kentucky. Barrett and Company School of Hair Design is a private for-profit school located in the fringe town of Nicholasville.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Barrett and Company School of Hair Design

Empire Beauty School-Elizabethtown landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular basic certificate cosmetology programs. Empire Beauty School-Elizabethtown is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of Elizabethtown.

Full Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-Elizabethtown Report

PJ’s College of Cosmetology-Glasgow ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Kentucky list. Located in the distant town of Glasgow, PJ's College of Cosmetology-Glasgow is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Full Cosmetology at PJ’s College of Cosmetology-Glasgow Report

Paul Mitchell the School Louisville landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular basic certificate cosmetology programs. Located in the suburb of Louisville, Paul Mitchell the School Louisville is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Full Cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School Louisville Report

Employment Solutions-College for Technical Education 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 #8 on the list. Employment Solutions is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lexington.

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Empire Beauty School-Chenoweth came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Kentucky ranking. Located in the large suburb of Louisville, Empire Beauty School-Chenoweth is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-Chenoweth Report

Best Cosmetology Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Most Popular 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
Louisiana 3,726
West Virginia 377
Virginia 1,085
Alabama 821
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

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 21 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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