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Cosmetology Schools in Illinois
68 schools in Illinois offer cosmetology-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 1 registered apprenticeship program in Illinois trains cosmetology apprentices — see apprenticeships. Federal program data groups cosmetology with barbering — schools below may offer any of these.
Occupation pay is what working cosmetology professionals in Illinois earn (all experience levels) — school "earnings" figures above are medians for each school's recent federally-aided students across all its programs, which read lower.
Cosmetology licensing in Illinois: State license required
Illinois requires a state cosmetologist license from the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). The current path is 1,500 clock hours at a licensed cosmetology school plus a written exam administered through Continental Testing. A new law signed in June 2026 (Public Act 104-0478) creates a 3,000-hour salon apprenticeship alternative starting January 1, 2027, though regulators are still writing the implementing rules.
Official source: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) · Exam: Written cosmetology licensing examination administered through Continental Testing Services for IDFPR · Typical requirement: 1,500 clock hours of instruction at an IDFPR-approved licensed cosmetology school; minimum age 16 with high school graduation or equivalent
Official license records related to cosmetology in Illinois
From the U.S. Department of Labor's License Finder — these may include contractor, specialty, or related licenses beyond entry-level requirements:
- COSMETOLOGIST — Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
- LICENSED ELECTROLOGIST — Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
- BARBER — Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
- COSMETOLOGY TEACHER — Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
Wage and license data provided by CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) and Minnesota DEED.
Schools, ranked by earnings per tuition dollar
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joliet Junior College | Joliet | public | $1,672 | 20.4% | $42,889 |
| Lake Land College | Mattoon | public | $2,254 | 55% | $38,877 |
| South Suburban College | South Holland | public | $3,242 | 19.3% | $33,680 |
| Carl Sandburg College | Galesburg | public | $3,662 | 51.5% | $35,274 |
| Kishwaukee College | Malta | public | $4,574 | 36.6% | $39,657 |
| Shawnee Community College | Ullin | public | $4,162 | 42.1% | $32,999 |
| Highland Community College | Freeport | public | $5,713 | 36.6% | $37,928 |
| College of DuPage | Glen Ellyn | public | $7,401 | 24.7% | $46,909 |
| John A Logan College | Carterville | public | $5,541 | 31.7% | $34,096 |
| Kaskaskia College | Centralia | public | $6,477 | 39.1% | $38,801 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College | Chicago | public | $7,863 | 23.8% | $36,484 |
| Rend Lake College | Ina | public | $9,187 | 55.8% | $35,775 |
| Illinois Eastern Community Colleges | Olney | public | $10,092 | 56.1% | $37,533 |
| Capital Area Career Center | Springfield | public | $16,797 | not reported | $55,357 |
| Rosel School of Cosmetology | Niles | private for-profit | $6,062 | 90% | $19,819 |
| Cannella School of Hair Design-Villa Park | Villa Park | private for-profit | $8,354 | 76.7% | $26,970 |
| Pivot Point Academy | Bloomingdale | private for-profit | $9,920 | 86.3% | $30,453 |
| Southeastern Illinois College | Harrisburg | public | $11,437 | 39.3% | $33,763 |
| Capri Beauty College | Oak Forest | private for-profit | $9,678 | not reported | $26,804 |
| Steven Papageorge Hair Academy | Chicago | private for-profit | $10,721 | 75% | $29,592 |
| Cannella School of Hair Design-Chicago | Chicago | private for-profit | $12,419 | 53.3% | $29,075 |
| Professional's Choice Hair Design Academy | Joliet | private for-profit | $13,273 | 89.6% | $30,341 |
| Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Peru | PERU | private for-profit | $10,866 | 72.3% | $21,949 |
| Ms Roberts Academy of Beauty Culture | Hillside | private for-profit | $12,747 | 51.2% | $24,535 |
| Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Rockford | Rockford | private for-profit | $11,174 | 64.2% | $21,463 |
| Universal Spa Training Academy | Downers Grove | private for-profit | $21,965 | 95.1% | $41,928 |
| Cameo Beauty Academy | Oak Lawn | private for-profit | $12,924 | 42.5% | $24,513 |
| Cosmetology & Spa Academy | Crystal Lake | private for-profit | $16,708 | 65.4% | $29,779 |
| Estelle Skin Care and Spa Institute | Skokie | private for-profit | $14,488 | 91.8% | $25,148 |
| Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Sterling | Sterling | private for-profit | $12,391 | 63.6% | $21,463 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Elgin | Elgin | private for-profit | $20,671 | 75.8% | $35,650 |
| University of Spa & Cosmetology Arts | Springfield | private for-profit | $16,000 | 61.8% | $27,084 |
| University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology | Chicago | private for-profit | $17,185 | 80.6% | $28,955 |
| Empire Beauty School-Vernon Hills | Vernon Hills | private for-profit | $14,906 | 63.8% | $24,407 |
| Gem City College | Quincy | private for-profit | $11,843 | 86.5% | $19,219 |
| Oehrlein School of Cosmetology | East Peoria | private for-profit | $11,671 | 82.9% | $18,890 |
| Capri Beauty College | New Lenox | private for-profit | $16,577 | 87.8% | $26,804 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Libertyville | Libertyville | private for-profit | $22,123 | 83.3% | $35,650 |
| Hair Professionals Career College | Palos Hills | private for-profit | $15,405 | 70.7% | $23,417 |
| Empire Beauty School-Stone Park | Stone Park | private for-profit | $16,751 | 39% | $24,407 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Chicago NE | Chicago | private for-profit | $19,279 | 43.2% | $27,330 |
| G Skin & Beauty Institute | Oakbrook | private for-profit | $24,194 | 65.7% | $32,281 |
| G Skin & Beauty Institute | Schaumburg | private for-profit | $21,847 | 68.5% | $29,032 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Chicago NW | Chicago | private for-profit | $21,856 | not reported | $28,554 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Bridgeview | Bridgeview | private for-profit | $19,980 | 66.7% | $25,671 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Normal | Normal | private for-profit | $21,050 | 74.4% | $26,236 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Tinley Park | Tinley Park | private for-profit | $22,862 | 60.9% | $28,378 |
| Hair Professionals Career College | Sycamore | private for-profit | $19,133 | not reported | $23,568 |
| Hair Professionals School of Cosmetology | Oswego | private for-profit | $19,050 | 52.8% | $23,412 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Rockford | Rockford | private for-profit | $20,655 | 65.6% | $25,109 |
| Midwest Technical Institute-Illinois | Springfield | private for-profit | $27,793 | 71.9% | $33,601 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Chicago | Chicago | private for-profit | $23,324 | 53.4% | $27,652 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Glendale Heights | Glendale Heights | private for-profit | $24,384 | not reported | $27,330 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Peoria | Peoria | private for-profit | $23,433 | not reported | $26,236 |
| The Aveda Institute of Beauty and Wellness Chicago | Chicago | private for-profit | $33,008 | 81.8% | $31,369 |
| Cosmetology Concepts Niles | Niles | private for-profit | $21,916 | 62.1% | $20,303 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture | Urbana | private for-profit | $25,061 | 61.8% | $18,077 |
| John Amico School of Hair Design | Oak Forest | private for-profit | $18,035 | 69% | not reported |
| The University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology | Downers Grove | private for-profit | $17,688 | 72.2% | not reported |
| Reflections Academy of Beauty | Decatur | private for-profit | $20,082 | 51.6% | not reported |
| Larry's Barber College | Chicago | private for-profit | $12,165 | 63.3% | not reported |
| Trenz Beauty Academy | Calumet City | private for-profit | not reported | 56.2% | not reported |
| Networks Barber College | Calumet City | private for-profit | $14,810 | 72.4% | not reported |
| Creative Touch Cosmetology School | Waterloo | private for-profit | $8,035 | 64.3% | not reported |
| Debutantes School of Cosmetology and Nail Technology | Dekalb | private for-profit | $12,133 | 57.8% | not reported |
| Phipps Academy of Barbering | Richton Park | private for-profit | $17,509 | 58.8% | not reported |
| Larry's Barber College | Chicago | private for-profit | $13,471 | 83.9% | not reported |
| Larry's Barber College-Joliet | Joliet | private for-profit | $14,685 | not reported | not reported |
Ranking = median earnings 10 years after entry per $1,000 of average yearly net price (methodology). Figures are institution-wide federal medians for each school as a whole — not cosmetology graduates specifically. Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.
Common questions: Cosmetology school in Illinois
- How much do Cosmetology schools cost in Illinois?
- The median annual net price (what students actually pay after aid) across 68 cosmetology schools in Illinois is $14,685. Individual schools range widely — the table above shows each school's real cost, not sticker price.
- Do you need a license to work as a cosmetology in Illinois?
- Illinois requires a state cosmetologist license from the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). The current path is 1,500 clock hours at a licensed cosmetology school plus a written exam administered through Continental Testing. A new law signed in June 2026 (Public Act 104-0478) creates a 3,000-hour salon apprenticeship alternative starting January 1, 2027, though regulators are still writing the implementing rules.
- Can you get paid to train as a cosmetology in Illinois?
- Yes — Illinois has 1 registered apprenticeship program where you earn wages while you train instead of paying tuition. See the cosmetology apprenticeships page for the current list.
- What does a cosmetology earn in Illinois?
- Working cosmetology professionals in Illinois earn a median of $34,040 per year, ranging from about $31,200 to $58,960 (U.S. Department of Labor). This is what people in the job earn, which differs from a school's reported graduate-earnings figure.
Aid deadlines for cosmetology programs in Illinois
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Cosmetology schools in nearby states
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See all states & the full cosmetology guide →