There are a lot of beauty salons, but it is no secret that women, and men, are fiercely loyal to salons, which provide great service. In real terms, “great service” means the service that the client wants. Although it seems that working in a salon is an easy job, it is in fact, easy to make a mess of things when it comes to personal beauty care. Top beauty schools know this and they strive to give the students the best training and experience before they go out into the world and work as stylists, make up artists or hairdressers. The following are some of the best cosmetology schools for beauty professionals.

10. Arroyo Cosmetology School

The Arrojo Cosmetology School is a boutique cosmetology school founded by Nick Arrojo. Adjoining the Arrojo Studio, one of the most famous beauty salons in New York City, it is a large 5,000 square feet property designed to give students the best classroom training, as well as the best hands-on experience. Arrojo banks on their promise that dreams can come true. With the Arrojo training the student has a choice of careers once she graduates. They can even apply with the Arrojo Studio if they wanted to.

9. Regency Beauty Institute

Regency Beauty Institutes can be found in 20 states, from Maryland to Arizona. With headquarters in Brooklyn Park, MN, Regency’s approach to growth is different from most other schools with a wide reach: they do not franchise. This gives Regency the advantage of being able to control over the schools and assure quality across all the campuses, instructions and students. Another strength of Regency is its SalonPartners program which is a network of professionals which have a need for Regency qualified graduates. To further assure that graduates get a job, it has a national job placement program called Beauty Jobs.

8. Sassoon Academy

The Sassoon Academy is a global franchise with International academies located in the United Kingdom, Germany and North America. In the United States, Sassoon can be found in Sta. Monica, San Francisco, Seattle, Miami, Toronto, and Chicago. Sassoon Academy also offers in-salon instruction, in case the students cannot go to the academy locations. These classes are conducted for a maximum of 60 students, and lasts from one to five days. Although Sassoon is a relatively new entry in the United States, it is backed by a prestigious name and teaches a particular style of cutting and coloring hair.

7. Aveda Institute

Founded by Horst M. Rechelbacher in 1978, Aveda Institute now has 59 locations all over the country, as well as in Australia and Canada. It offers programs in Cosmetology, Esthiology/Skin Care, Manicuring/Nail Technology, Massage Therapy, and Spa Therapy. It also has programs for Barbering, Hair Design and Makeup. The student can choose between studying full-time or part-time. With a large network of schools, it graduates 7,000 students a year. Proving the strength of their instruction, a relevant statistic showed that 89 of the 200 fastest-growing salons and spas are affiliated with Aveda.

6. Ogle Beauty Schools

With five locations, Ogle Beauty Schools is one of the premier cosmetology schools in Texas. Founded in 1973, Ogle has a well-regarded reputation for turning out quality graduates with real-world experience. With instructor guidance, the students are better able to understand the job they are training for. The in-house subsidized salons help make sure that the students are familiar with real persons and real salon experience. Beside financial aid and job placement, Ogle also has career assistance programs to give the graduate a leg up in the industry.

5. Paul Mitchell Schools

With 100,000 locations, Paul Mitchell remains to be one of the largest network of salons in the world. Founded by Paul Mitchell, more than 30 years ago, the Paul Mitchell Schools offers the budding beauty professional, a career in cosmetology. The Paul Mitchell programs include Basic Cosmetology, Nail Academy and Skin Academy. Paul Mitchell is also one of the few schools which offer barbering for male-focused beauty shops and barbershops. Besides the above, other career opportunities include; Skin care, Makeup, Barbering, Aromatherapy, Nail artistry, Sales and Marketing. Jobs are not limited to salons, but also with cosmetic surgeons and skin care professionals, makeup artistry for modeling and print, as well as research and development, and journalism.

4. Empire Beauty Schools

In existence for more than 75 years, Empire Beauty Schools has grown through the years by acquiring with other schools, like the Learning Institute for Beauty Sciences, and the Capelli Learning Center. It is represented in 21 states across the country. The beauty school’s program includes cosmetology, cosmetology instructor, makeup artistry and aesthetics. It also trains for hair colorists, aestheticians, hair stylists, makeup artists, salon managers and salon owners. Banking on its network of affiliated salons, and alumni, it has an exclusive Empire network which helps in deploying new graduates of its programs. It also assists students with financial assistance.

3. COBA Academy

The COBA Academy prides itself in the level of quality of its training. COBA graduates had a high 93% passing rate in their first attempt at the 2011 California State Board Exams. COBA, established in 1965, also has salon facilities on its premises, which attracts loyal customers for their beauty services needs. Graduates are not only trained in salon make up services, but also in the entertainment and fashion model industry. Clients are assured of the highest quality standards COBA graduates aspire to. COBA graduates are also trained for salon management, and for entrepreneurship.

2. Capri Cosmetology Learning Center

Considered by the American Association of Cosmetology Schools as one of the top schools for cosmetology, the Capri Cosmetology Learning Center was founded in 1961. In New York it has two locations, Newburgh and Nanuet. Among other things, it offers financial aid to students, as well as a lifetime job placement program. Making sure that the students learn, Capri employs the “progression of learning” method. Capri has a 98% passing rate in the New York State Board Practical exam in 2008. It is hard to argue with an almost perfect passing rate, no matter what the course is.

1. Marinello Schools of Beauty

Established in 1905, Marinello Schools of Beauty has over 60 campus locations across the country, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Kansas, Utah, Nevada, Oregon and California. Their courses include the latest techniques in hair and makeup, including airbrush techniques, tattoo and scar cover-up, laser hair removal, eyelash extensions, and sunless tanning. Making sure that their students are able to finish the courses, Marinello extends assistance for student loans and scholarship resources. The emphasis of the school is not just salon jobs, but also work as a makeup artist. After finishing the course, the graduate is also given assistance in job hunting.