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Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina

2023 Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina

46 Colleges

Finding the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, cosmetology was ranked 4th in North Carolina. In fact, 2,549 were awarded in the state in 2021-2022.

With all the trade school programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best 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.

The Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina ranking is one of many tools that Trade College Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 46 schools in North Carolina to see which ones were the most popular basic certificate programs 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.

#1

Aveda Institute - Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC

Our 2023 rankings named Aveda Institute - Chapel Hill the most popular school in North Carolina for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Aveda Institute - Chapel Hill is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the small city of Chapel Hill.

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#2

Health and Style Institute

Greensboro, NC

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Health and Style Institute. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina list. Health and Style Institute is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Greensboro.

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

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#3

Cape Fear Community College

Wilmington, NC

The in-demand basic certificate programs at Cape Fear Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular cosmetology schools in North Carolina. Located in the midsize city of Wilmington, CFCC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

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

Full Cosmetology at Cape Fear Community College Report

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Cleveland Community College is a great place for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Cleveland Community College is a small public school located in the town of Shelby.

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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Elevate Salon Institute - Durham is a great place for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Elevate Salon Institute - Durham is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large city of Durham.

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Wake Technical Community College 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 #6 on the list. Located in the suburb of Raleigh, Wake Technical Community College is a public college with a very large student population.

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Central Carolina Community College 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 town of Sanford, Central Carolina Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Of the 41 students majoring in cosmetology at Central Carolina Community College, 2% are male and 98% are female.

Read full report on Cosmetology at Central Carolina Community College

#8

Leons Beauty School Inc

Greensboro, NC

Leons Beauty School Inc 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. Leons Beauty School Inc is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Greensboro.

About 97% of the students majoring in cosmetology at the school are women while 3% are male.

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With a ranking of #9, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. A-B Tech is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Asheville.

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

Read full report on Cosmetology at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

With a ranking of #10, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Salisbury.

About 96% of the students majoring in cosmetology at the school are women while 4% are male.

Full Cosmetology at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Report

Best Cosmetology Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
South Carolina 1,516
Georgia 4,283
Arkansas 1,191
Florida 10,801
West Virginia 377
Louisiana 3,726
Virginia 1,085
Alabama 821
Kentucky 1,003
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

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 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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