Cosmetology at Empire Beauty School-Stone Park

Empire Beauty School-Stone Park delivers below-average outcomes for Illinois cosmetology students, with graduates earning $17,113 in their first year—about $700 less than the state median and ranking in just the 40th percentile among Illinois programs. While the earnings are exactly at the national average, Illinois has stronger cosmetology programs overall, and your child would be missing out on that advantage.

The debt picture is the program's main strength, with graduates owing just $16,500 compared to nearly $10,000 at the typical Illinois cosmetology school. This creates a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.96, meaning students owe roughly what they'll earn in their first year. However, this advantage diminishes when you see that top Illinois programs like University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology produce graduates earning $24,468—over $7,000 more annually.

With 61% of students receiving Pell grants, Empire serves a financially vulnerable population, but the outcomes suggest they're not maximizing their students' earning potential. The 20% earnings growth over four years is modest for such low starting wages. Given that Illinois has 71 cosmetology programs to choose from, including several that produce significantly higher earnings, this program represents a missed opportunity rather than a smart investment.