Students looking to cut their hair and their budget have a new option.

Pivot Point, a cosmetology institute and publishing company, will open its new flagship clinic Saturday at 1560 Sherman Ave.

The clinic will be open Tuesday through Saturday, with stylists-in-training offering services at a reasonable cost — $7.50 for a hair cut and $9 for a manicure.

“The only difference with our services is that they take a little longer than they would at a normal salon,” said Karol Thousand, vice president of field operations. “But the trade-off is quality assurance, less cost and a fun atmosphere.”

Pivot Point was founded in Chicago in 1962 as a beauty school for five students. In 40 years it has started publishing textbooks for cosmetology students and expanded into a world education leader in the field, with 275 member schools in 58 countries, including Pakistan and Afghanistan. It also makes educational hair products and is the largest manufacturer of human-hair mannequins in the world.

“We developed a universal language of art and design,” Chief Executive Officer Jan Laan said. “It is a system that has been able to translate into success all over the world.”

Pivot Point first considered moving from its Chicago location when zoning regulations threatened its building. Searching for new spaces led to finding the perfect home in Evanston.

“The culture of our community really fits here,” Laan said. “Evanston is diverse, artsy and also a university community.”

Laan said cosmetology and hair services are among the few industries that are thriving in an otherwise bleak economy.

“It’s really becoming a profession of choice,” he said. “No longer is it written off as a last resort. Our students are on their way to becoming artists and designers.”

Thousand said Pivot Point graduates have careers ranging from teaching to owning salons to styling for celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey.

Thousand said Pivot Point graduates are successful because they have the best training.

“Unlike other schools, we train (our students) to make design decisions,” she said. “We don’t just teach them how to do haircut number 54.”

Cindy Risley-Hyams is a Pivot Point graduate and now is a stylist and manager at Art + Science, 811 Church St. She said she doesn’t think Pivot Point’s opening will affect her business.

“They cater to a different crowd,” she said. “They do good business, but they’re mostly serving lower-income individuals.”

Joann Banet, an Evanston resident, said she liked the idea of Pivot Point but might worry about trying a new style there.

“It’s definitely appealing,” she said. “Maybe I would consider it just for a hair cut, but I’d be too nervous for anything drastic.”