Career Training Path › Esthetician schools › Illinois
Esthetician schools in Illinois
Illinois has 31 accredited campuses awarding esthetics credentials. If you finish and work as a skincare specialist in Illinois, expect to start around $31,200–$40,340 and reach a median of $45,330 with experience; the top quarter earn $47,360 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, Illinois). Graduates of these Illinois programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $18,172 in their first year, against $20,883 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What skincare specialists earn in Illinois
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 2,960 employed in Illinois. National median: $45,330.
Campuses in Illinois, ranked by what their graduates earned
Cities: BloomingdaleBridgeviewCalumet CityChicagoCrystal LakeDecaturDekalbDowners GroveElginGlendale HeightsInaLibertyvilleNilesNormalOak ForestOak LawnOakbrookOswegoPalos HillsPeoriaRockfordSchaumburgSkokieSpringfieldSycamoreTinley ParkUrbana
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology | Chicago | for-profit | 35 | $31,962 | $7,917 | 100% | $21,475 |
| Aveda Institute-Chicago | Chicago | for-profit | 51 | $23,341 | $7,917 | 78% | $35,942 |
| Universal Spa Training Academy | Downers Grove | for-profit | 168 | $23,043 | $7,917 | 97% | $24,756 |
| The University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology | Downers Grove | for-profit | 54 | $21,721 | $7,917 | 72% | $20,700 |
| G Skin & Beauty Institute | Oakbrook | for-profit | 282 | $20,790 | $7,917 | 56% | $28,826 |
| Cosmetology & Spa Academy | Crystal Lake | for-profit | 109 | $20,756 | $9,833 | 70% | $21,104 |
| G Skin & Beauty Institute | Schaumburg | for-profit | 320 | $20,335 | $6,333 | 64% | $25,538 |
| Debutantes School of Cosmetology and Nail Technology | Dekalb | for-profit | 14 | $19,806 | $7,573 | 63% | $16,026 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Libertyville | Libertyville | for-profit | 92 | $19,581 | $9,000 | 84% | $26,542 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Elgin | Elgin | for-profit | 63 | $19,581 | $9,000 | 89% | $24,708 |
| Hair Professionals Career College | Sycamore | for-profit | 7 | $18,937 | $9,833 | 67% | $23,691 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Chicago NW | Chicago | for-profit | 93 | $18,388 | $7,307 | 0.0% | $26,042 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Rockford | Rockford | for-profit | 72 | $18,302 | $7,307 | 78% | $25,208 |
| Estelle Skin Care and Spa Institute | Skokie | for-profit | 135 | $18,185 | $7,645 | 86% | $19,153 |
| University of Spa & Cosmetology Arts | Springfield | for-profit | 24 | $18,172 | $4,584 | 64% | $21,024 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Bridgeview | Bridgeview | for-profit | 221 | $18,021 | $7,307 | 67% | $24,121 |
| Pivot Point Academy | Bloomingdale | for-profit | 28 | $17,841 | $9,833 | 91% | $16,391 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Tinley Park | Tinley Park | for-profit | 42 | $17,393 | $8,722 | 60% | $26,892 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Glendale Heights | Glendale Heights | for-profit | 72 | $17,281 | $9,000 | not reported | $28,376 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Chicago NE | Chicago | for-profit | 61 | $17,281 | $9,000 | 53% | $25,167 |
| Trenz Beauty Academy | Calumet City | for-profit | 13 | $16,708 | $16,500 | 61% | $3,318 |
| Hair Professionals School of Cosmetology | Oswego | for-profit | 29 | $16,293 | $9,833 | 63% | $24,098 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Normal | Normal | for-profit | 50 | $15,493 | $7,307 | 79% | $22,874 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Peoria | Peoria | for-profit | 48 | $15,493 | $7,307 | 100% | $27,642 |
| John Amico School of Hair Design | Oak Forest | for-profit | 81 | $15,449 | $7,917 | 84% | $23,310 |
| Cameo Beauty Academy | Oak Lawn | for-profit | 17 | $15,428 | $11,268 | 59% | $19,983 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture | Urbana | for-profit | 58 | $14,603 | $9,000 | 53% | $27,459 |
| Rosel School of Cosmetology | Niles | for-profit | 6 | $14,482 | not reported | 88% | $10,903 |
| Hair Professionals Career College | Palos Hills | for-profit | 17 | $13,532 | $8,203 | 71% | $20,010 |
| Rend Lake College | Ina | Public | 15 | not reported | not reported | 63% | not reported |
| Reflections Academy of Beauty | Decatur | for-profit | 8 | not reported | not reported | 50% | $26,713 |
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.