Why Choose an Accredited Cosmetology School?

Admin • Nov 06, 2017

You’ve made the decision to work in the beauty field. Congratulations, you’ve chosen a career with room to grow. Between 2014 and 2024 the cosmetology field is expected to grow at a faster than average rate, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Now that you’ve chosen a professional path to go down, you need to start your career by getting the right training. Just any cosmetology school won’t do. How do you know which school will help you in the best way possible?

Make it a priority to choose a quality school that will give you the training and experiences that you need. If you’re completely confused when it comes to choosing a school, start by looking for accreditation.

What is accreditation and why is it important? Take a look at the need-to-know facts about the accrediting process.

Accreditation Basics

As you start your cosmetology school search, you may start seeing the word “accreditation” pop up. What exactly does that mean?

When a school receives accreditation, it’s granted a status that tells you it meets some sort of quality standard. The specific standard that it meets depends on the accrediting agency.

Different accrediting organizations have their own sets of guidelines or quality points that schools must meet. These may include offering a specific level of programming, demonstrating administrative capabilities, demonstrating financial stability, having been in business for a set minimum amount of time or meeting content guidelines.

Schools must apply for accreditation. Typically, the process includes a comprehensive review. In other words, it isn’t easy to get accredited.

So why should you consider choosing an accredited cosmetology school?

To start with, accreditation isn’t required. If a school chooses to apply for accreditation and go through the accreditation process, chances are they believe in their own commitment to quality. Accreditation demonstrates that the cosmetology school sets high standards for themselves and wants their students to succeed by offering quality programs.

Accrediting Organizations

There isn’t just one accrediting body out there. The U.S. Department of Education recognizes select accrediting organizations as reliable agencies.

For example, the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS) is a U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting agency that accredits cosmetology schools across the country. Currently, the NACCAS accredits roughly 1,300 educational organizations in the U.S.

Of course, the NACCAS isn’t the only accrediting organization. The U.S. Department of Education maintains a list of recognized agencies.

Benefits for You

Obviously, picking an accredited school is beneficial when it comes to your training and career readiness. Along with providing you with a quality education, what else can an accredited school do for you?

Think about what the goal of your cosmetology training is. Most likely, it’s to get a job. The purpose of completing a rigorous training program is to get the knowledge and skills that you’ll need to start out in a cosmetology-related career.

Whether that means styling hair, giving facials or working in another area of the beauty field, your education provides you with everything you need to eventually work on real customers in a real salon, spa or similar type of environment.

When you go on that all-important job interview, potential employers don’t want to see that you’ve gone to a school that’s just so-so. Salon owners and managers know the cosmetology schools in the area, and they understand what accreditation means.

If they see that you attended a school that doesn’t expect much of its students or isn’t considered a quality program, they may not trust your skills. But if they see that you’ve gone to accredited school, they may be more likely to believe in your abilities.

Are you considering cosmetology school? PJ’s College of Cosmetology is accredited by two different agencies.