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Salon manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a salon manager. Salon managers usually study cosmetology, business, or general studies. 34% of salon managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 9,867 real salon manager resumes to see exactly what salon manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for salon managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online salon manager courses to help get the education required to be a salon manager.

There are certain salon manager certifications that you should consider. These salon manager certifications include Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM) and Certified Sales Professional (CSP).

What education do you need to become a salon manager?

What degree do you need to be a salon manager?

The most common degree for salon managers is bachelor's degree, with 34% of salon managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 27% and associate degree degree at 20%.
  • Bachelor's, 34%
  • Associate, 27%
  • High School Diploma, 20%
  • Diploma, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 11%

What should I major in to become a salon manager?

You should major in cosmetology to become a salon manager. 44% of salon managers major in cosmetology. Other common majors for a salon manager include business and general studies.

Most common colleges for salon managers

Salon managers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Strayer University, and Fashion Institute of Technology. Here are the most common colleges for salon managers in the US based on their resumes.
Salon manager common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix23.00%
Strayer University5.92%
Fashion Institute of Technology5.92%
Ashford University4.53%
Miami Dade College4.53%

Best majors for salon managers

RankMajorPercentages
1Cosmetology44.4%
2Business18.8%
3General Studies3.7%
4Psychology3.6%
5Communication3.2%

Best colleges for salon managers

The best colleges for salon managers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A salon manager with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for salon managers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become salon managers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

10. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

20 best online courses for salon managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for salon managers

The most affordable schools for salon managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.

If the best universities for salon managers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for salon managers.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. USF St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,821

Cost of attendance

19,849

10. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for salon managers

The hardest universities for salon managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for salon managers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for salon managers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for salon managers

The easiest schools for salon managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a salon manager without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for salon managers.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

Average salon manager salary by education level

Salon managers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $53,814 annually. With a Doctorate degree, salon managers earn a median annual income of $52,239 compared to $47,827 for salon managers with an Bachelor's degree.
Salon manager education levelSalon manager salary
Master's Degree$53,814
High School Diploma or Less$40,716
Bachelor's Degree$47,827
Doctorate Degree$52,239
Some College/ Associate Degree$41,705

Salon manager education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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