An esthetician in blue gloves gives a client a facial treatment

Esthetician school by state

263 esthetician programs in 32 states and 1 territory, with costs, results and funding that can make them free

214 schools offer these programs, and each state on this page approved its programs for workforce funding. Compare the states below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.

Estheticians, or skincare specialists, give face and body treatments and remove unwanted hair. To be licensed you complete a state-approved esthetician or cosmetology program and pass a state exam; the rules vary by state.¹

Compare esthetician school by state: cost, pay and results

Esthetician school by state
State	Programs	Most cost	Earned a year, estimated	Working 6 months later	Finished
Alaska	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Arizona	17	$10,777 to $14,240	about $30,900	71%	88%
California	23	$6,160 to $9,000	about $38,200	59%	90%
Colorado	5	$3,507 to $7,800	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Connecticut	5	$8,360 to $9,665	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Indiana	3	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Iowa	7	$10,192 to $10,999	about $19,600	74%	87%
Maine	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Maryland	3	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Michigan	6	$5,092 to $12,478	Not reported	Not reported	100%
Minnesota	22	$3,354 to $8,470	about $13,800	65%	70%
Missouri	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Montana	3	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Nevada	12	$6,900 to $11,859	about $21,800	Not reported	86%
New Jersey	3	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
New York	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
North Carolina	11	$193 to $1,395	about $21,700	68%	61%
North Dakota	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Ohio	18	$7,300 to $14,222	about $26,700	70%	79%
Oklahoma	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Oregon	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Pennsylvania	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Puerto Rico	6	$7,212 to $12,651	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Rhode Island	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Tennessee	8	$2,761 to $10,424	about $18,700	69%	74%
Texas	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Utah	3	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Vermont	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Virginia	16	$3,981 to $9,330	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Washington	54	$9,284 to $15,984	about $26,500	74%	90%
West Virginia	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Wisconsin	7	$5,038 to $10,671	about $21,800	76%	86%
Wyoming	6	$3,389 to $7,750	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported

Each figure is the middle program in that state. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools may offer esthetician school too. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).How these figures are made

Is there free esthetician school in the US?

WIOA funding can pay for esthetician school in the US

Every program on this page is approved for WIOA funding: public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It can pay for training for eligible adults, people who lost their job and young people.²People on public assistance, with a low income or lacking basic skills come first, and veterans have priority.³Your state or local area may limit how much WIOA pays and for how long. If a program costs more, a Pell Grant, a scholarship or severance pay can cover the rest.⁴

Ask at an American Job Center

Eligibility rules apply, and services vary from state to state. Your local American Job Center can tell you whether you qualify. The Department of Labor's page links to the center finder, or call 1-877-US-2JOBS (1-877-872-5627).⁵

Or pay for esthetician school yourself

Without funding, prices differ by state: most esthetician programs cost $193 to $1,395 in North Carolina and $9,284 to $15,984 in Washington. Each state's page lists every program with its price.

Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply

Where the esthetician program numbers by state come from

Which esthetician programs are counted?

Programs each state approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).⁵ Schools that never applied for approval are missing.

What the figures for each state mean

Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where too few programs report a figure, the table says "Not reported".

Other training by state

Approved programs per field across every state. Each opens that field's comparison by state.

Sources for the facts about esthetician school

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