Avenue Five Institute, Austin, TX
Avenue Five Institute, Austin, TX

MODERN SALON Media has collaborated with the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS) to develop MODERN SALON’s Excellence in Education program. The purpose is to help the professional beauty school community gather, share and celebrate examples of great salon education experiences and beauty career development happening across the country.

In 2017, the crop of cosmetology schools entering the program brought plenty of benchmarks, measurable results and innovation into their application process.

“School pride and powerful results were very evident this year,” says MODERN SALON Editorial Director Michele Musgrove. “We are so impressed with the variety of top schools in the U.S. that entered MODERN SALON’s Excellence in Education 2017 program. We have chosen a select few that we believe show leadership and best practices that other schools can use to learn and grow.”

Honorees were determined based on key criteria in each category and grouped according to school size or whether or not they entered as a multi-unit school or single location. Two top honorees are recognized in each category—one individual school location and a chain-school organization—and were announced at the AACS Annual Convention & Expo.

Schools could enter one or more of eight categories:

“On behalf of the entire professional beauty industry, we express gratitude that there are so many professional cosmetology schools continuing to do amazing and valuable work to shape the future of beauty," says MODERN SALON Publisher Steve Reiss. "The purpose of Excellence in Education is to make sure more of these great schools get the attention they deserve.”

To view all the 2017 Excellence in Education finalists, click here.

2017 Excellence in Education Top Honorees

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Individual location (tie): 
State College of Beauty Culture, Wausau, WI
Advance Beauty College, Laguna Hills, CA
Chain school: Nurtur Aveda Institutes, Columbus, OH

FACILITIES
Individual location: Avenue Five Institute, Austin, TX
Chain school (tie):
Paul Mitchell Schools, Sandy, UT
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture, Chicago

MARKETING INNOVATION
Individual location: Cameo College of Essential Beauty, Murray, UT
Chain school: Bellus Academy, Poway, CA

NAILS
Individual location (tie): 
Penrose Academy, Scottsdale, AZ
Summit Salon Academy, Tampa, FL
Chain school (tie):
Paul Mitchell Schools, Sandy, UT
Evergreen Beauty College, Everett, WA

THE NEXT LEVEL
Individual location (tie): 
International Institute of Cosmetology, Plainville, CT
Arrojo Cosmetology School, New York
Chain school: MC College Group, Edmonton, Alberta

PLACEMENT
Individual location: Aveda Institute Minneapolis, Minneapolis
Chain school: Evergreen Beauty College, Everett, WA

SCHOOL CULTURE
Individual location: Aveda Institute Nashville, Franklin, TN
Chain school: Tricoci University of Beauty Culture, Chicago

TECHNOLOGY
Individual location (tie):
Avenue Five Institute, Austin, TX
Eric Fisher Academy, Wichita, KS
Chain school (tie): 
Paul Mitchell Schools, Sandy, UT
Nurtur Aveda Institutes, Columbus, OH

 

 

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