How Much Does Esthetician School Cost?

$ Community College: $2,000-$3,000+

$ $ Private Training: Up to $9,000

Estheticians typically work in salons and spas, and their job is to clean and care for skin with facials, full-body treatments, and other treatments such as head and neck massages.

Some estheticians further apply makeup and can also offer services to nails, including manicures and pedicures.

The estheticians can also remove facial hair with waxing and laser treatments and tint eyelashes and eyebrows.

Typical Costs

Both community colleges and private technical schools provide esthetician training, and the costs vary significantly between schools.

In general, the private school costs up to $9,000 for tuition, while community college costs are approx. $2,500.

Popular Programs

At the higher end of the scale, Pure Aesthetic Tucson in Arizona charges $8,400 for 600 hours of instruction.

Naturally, for the state residents, community college can be much cheaper than private technical schools.

For instance, Spokane Community College charges $2,640 for 30 hours of classroom training for state residents.

The tuition for out of state students is $8,300, which is comparable to private institutions.

What Is Included

• The esthetician training focuses on the skin and includes training in basic skin care, including facials.
• Students can learn full-body treatments as well, including mud wraps and scrubs.
• Training may further include hair removal treatments such as electrolysis and waxing.
• Some other advanced treatments could also be taught, such as tinting of brows and lashes, applying tanner, microdermabrasion and chemical peels.

Additional Costs

• Most states require estheticians to be licensed and even if the license requirements vary, they typically include completion of a course of study at an accredited school, plus an exam, an initial license fee, and a biannual renewal fee.
• The fees are usually minimal – for example, in New York, the license fees are $20, while in South Dakota they are $80.
• Some states charge an exam fee separately, while other states combine exam and initial license fees.
• South Dakota, for example, charges a $40 license fee, while in Virginia the exam and license fee is $115.
• The books are typically additional, about $100-$200 per term.

Discounts

• Typically, community college students are eligible for federal financial aid including Stafford Loans, Pell Grants and PLUS loans.
• Certain schools, including Pure Aesthetics in Tucson, provide partial tuition scholarships.
• Contact individual schools’ financial aid offices to see what kind of financial aid is offered.

Shopping For Esthetician School

• Students need to enroll in schools that meet the state’s training requirements.
• Read our full guide on how to become an esthetician.
• The Beauty School Directory offers a list of licensing requirements by state, and the individual state’s licensing board’s websites offer up-to-date fees.
• The admissions office has to provide information on the success of their graduates, including how many pass the required exams and find work after graduation.