Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Hairdressers And Cosmetologists
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Oakland Community College and Schoolcraft College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Northern Michigan University.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Mott Community College, Montcalm Community College, and Oakland Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Kirtland Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Gogebic Community College and Northern Michigan University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Northern Michigan University and Gogebic Community College.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Gogebic Community College and Northern Michigan University.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Paul Mitchell Partner School • Port Huron, MI
Studying Cosmetology (completion in 2008)
• 9/3/2011
"I'm very satisfied and I am making very good money right now. I specialize in color."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I have recommended my sister, my cousin, and 3 friends. They all have gone there and two are there training right now. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Paul Mitchell - do I really need to say more? This guy is an expert at hair. |
| Program Quality | 10 | This school offers the best training. They really know what they are doing there. |
| Instruction | 10 | The instructors are very educated. They take ongoing classes to keep up with the new trends and styles. |
| How Difficult | 6 | I rated it this way because I didn't know the first thing about hair when I started. I learned a lot there. The training was kinda hard but they pushed you to keep going. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | This school trained us on real clients. The teachers were always there if we had questions. They were right by our sides. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | We had day school from 9am to 4:30pm. We also had evening classes from 5:30pm to 9:30pm. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | We had everything we needed. We had tons of coloring books, hair swatches, hair style books, and cutting guides - you name it, we had it. We even had videos to show us the cutting techniques. |
| Social Life | 10 | I made tons of forever friends from this school. I work with several of my fellow students as well. |
| Placement Services | 10 | I graduated on May 12, 2008. I went to take my state board test on June 16th and was working by June 29th. Hair shops love to hire Paul Mitchell students. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | We always had meetings and specialists visit so we could learn more. The people were great there. |
Sybil's School Of Cosmetology • Detroit, MI
Studying Cosmetology (completion in 1983)
• 1/12/2012
"I learned very good techniques. Did not learn the current trends."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | They are closed for business. I would recommend cosmetology. | |
| Program Reputation | The school is now closed. The owner has passed away. | |
| Program Quality | 10 | I was prepared for the state boards. I received an assistant position in a sophisticated salon at the time I graduated. |
| Instruction | 8 | The instructors' teaching was excellent. They were a little outdated at the time. |
| How Difficult | 4 | The academic challenge was easy. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The instructors demonstrated each technique. The instructors would correct your mistakes. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | They had no evening hours. Saturdays were mandatory. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The school was small. There was no tutoring. |
| Social Life | 4 | There were no organized events. Little school spirit. |
| Placement Services | 10 | The school was able to place me immediately. They had a good reputation, and at the time, we could choose anywhere we wanted to work. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | At the time the school was open, they reached out to alumni for open positions. They did not have alumni gatherings. |
Henry Ford Community College • Dearborn, MI
Studying Cosmetology (completion in 2011)
• 2/22/2012
"I was not quite satisfied with my school. Unfortunately, I think I was more dissatisfied with my career choice in general."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I would recommend that someone attend a school with a better image. When applying for jobs, I am sometimes competing against people who have done makeup artistry in exclusive academies that are well known for producing "true artists." |
| Program Reputation | 3 | It is a community college. I chose it because it was cheap, not because of its prestige. |
| Program Quality | 4 | The school was a decent program for the money. However, there are far better schools I could have attended, where I could have made more connections. |
| Instruction | 7 | I was instructed well. The teachers were knowledgeable, although at times, they were more interested in their own careers than teaching us. |
| How Difficult | 4 | The program was not challenging. The students who did not excel tended not to show up to class. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was some book learning initially. However, makeup artistry is very hands on and requires practice. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | There were classes offered only at night three days a week, because the teachers had jobs. I had to work everything around them. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The facilities for us to practice in were pretty good. I thought our classrooms had good lighting and were spacious enough for us to practice makeup. |
| Social Life | 4 | Everyone was very friendly. However, all of the students there tended to come to class and chat, but then leave and do their own thing. |
| Placement Services | 1 | There was virtually no help in finding a job. I had to do all of the legwork myself. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | There were no connections made at my school. I don't know of any alumni. Networking was impossible. |
Howards • Caro, MI
Studying Cosmetology (completion in 2006)
• 4/6/2012
"Very satisfied! I wish I could go back just to visit all the girls!"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Everything there was great especially the people and coworkers. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Reputation was good. We were basically all in training so I am sure some people were a little scared! |
| Program Quality | 8 | There were several other women there. We had a lot of clients coming in to get discount haircuts and it was a great learning experience. |
| Instruction | 10 | They had great way of teaching and never had any problems answering questions. |
| How Difficult | 3 | The majority of "study" was fairly easy. I had already had some experience so it was not difficult at all. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Of course the majority is hands on! It is the best way to learn cosmetology. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I was also pregnant trying to finish up my certification so it was very flexible! |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The space was wonderful. It was not really cramped and there were several different teachers to go to when needed |
| Social Life | 9 | We had always decorated and did activates together. It was very nice. |
| Placement Services | 10 | It didn't take me long at all to find a job. An old friend from high school had opened a salon and she offered me a job. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | There were several different women that had come back to finish their certificate. |
Empire Beauty School • Walker, MI
Studying Cosmetology (completion in 2011)
• 4/16/2012
"I am extremely pleased with Empires commitment to education. They are an extremely rewarding school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Empire as a whole has one of the best names in the Country. You go to any state and there is an Empire Beauty School in that state. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Empire has one of the best reputations in the state. They are also one of the top schools in the country. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Empire was an amazing school. We didn't just focus on one aspect of the career we studied all aspects of it. |
| Instruction | 9 | Our instruction was direct and to the point. We had weekly exams to practice for our state boards as preparation. |
| How Difficult | 5 | We all had our strength and weaknesses while we were in school. I just kept pushing through to find mine. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The work is evenly distributed. You do both work on people/mannequins and you do book work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Empire is extremely flexible with a students personal schedule. They have a very high success rate associated with the name. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Empire is updated yearly. They also update the computer systems bi-yearly. |
| Social Life | 8 | Empire is all about the social experience. We have a lot of pride in out school as a whole. |
| Placement Services | 9 | Empire holds employment rally's for students that aren't currently employed. They also send out emails to inform students of employment opportunity. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | Empire holds employment rallies for students that aren't currently employed. They also send out emails to inform students of employment opportunity. |
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