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Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Iowa

2023 Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Iowa

14 Colleges

Finding the Best Cosmetology Basic Certificate School for You

In 2021-2022, cosmetology students earned 685 degrees and certificates from an Iowa school, making the subject the 5th in the state.

It's not easy to decide which trade school program to enroll in when you have so many options available. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience.

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 Iowa ranking. This report analyzed 14 schools in Iowa 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.

Check out the cosmetology basic certificate programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in Iowa.

#1

Aveda Institute - Des Moines

West Des Moines, IA

Our 2023 rankings named Aveda Institute - Des Moines the most popular school in Iowa for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Aveda Institute - Des Moines is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the small city of West Des Moines.

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

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#2

PCI Academy-Ames

Ames, IA

Out of the 14 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, PCI Academy-Ames landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the city of Ames, PCI Academy-Ames is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Full Cosmetology at PCI Academy-Ames Report

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#3

Capri College, Davenport

Davenport, IA

Out of the 14 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, Capri College, Davenport landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Davenport, Capri College, Davenport is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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#4

Capri College, Dubuque

Dubuque, IA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Capri College, Dubuque. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Iowa list. Located in the small city of Dubuque, Capri College, Dubuque is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

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

Full Cosmetology at Capri College, Dubuque Report

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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Iowa School of Beauty-Des Moines is a great place for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. ISB is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the large suburb of Des Moines.

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La James International College-Davenport 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. La James International College-Davenport is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Davenport.

Of the 52 students majoring in cosmetology at La James International College-Davenport, 2% are male and 98% are female.

Full Cosmetology at La James International College-Davenport Report

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#7

Capri College, Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids, IA

With a ranking of #7, Capri College, Cedar Rapids did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for cosmetology students working on their basic certificate. Located in the midsize city of Cedar Rapids, Capri College, Cedar Rapids is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

About 93% of the students majoring in cosmetology at the school are women while 7% are male.

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La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Iowa ranking. Located in the town of Mason City, LaJames College is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Women make up 96% of the cosmetology majors at the school.

Full Cosmetology at La James College of Hairstyling and Cosmetology Report

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La James International College-Johnston ranked #9 on this year’s Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Iowa list. La James International College-Johnston is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Johnston.

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La James International College-Cedar Falls came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Cosmetology Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Iowa ranking. La James International College-Cedar Falls is a small private for-profit school located in the small city of Cedar Falls.

Full Cosmetology at La James International College-Cedar Falls Report

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Best Cosmetology Colleges in the Plains States Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Kansas 1,184
Missouri 1,382
Minnesota 1,054
South Dakota 209
North Dakota 203
Nebraska 441

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 14 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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