Esthetician Schools in Minnesota

Browse our directory of esthetician schools in Minnesota, or skip ahead to learn about the state's esthetician licensing requirements and job outlook.

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400 Central Avenue Southeast
Minneapolis, MN 55414

(612) 331-1400
Programs:
Cosmetology, Esthetics, Massage Therapy

9749 Lyndale Avenue
Bloomington, MN 55420

(859) 283-2690
Programs:
Cosmetology, Esthetics

4444 West 76th Street Suite 200
Edina, MN 55435

(952) 681-2167
Programs:
Esthetics, Nail Technology, Permanent Makeup, Laser Hair Removal, Teacher Training
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Bloomington Career & College Academy – Accredited

8800 Queen Avenue South Suite 219
Bloomington, MN 55431

Century College – Accredited

3300 Century Avenue North
White Bear Lake, MN 55110

Hastings Beauty School – Accredited

221 2nd Street East
Hastings, MN 55033

Lavish Beauty School – Accredited

10 Southdale Center
Edina, MN 55435

Minnesota Brow Lash & Medspa Academy – Accredited

5841 Cedar Lake Road 200-211
St. Louis Park, MN 55416

Minnesota State College Southeast - Red Wing

308 Pioneer Road
Red Wing, MN 55066

Minnesota State College Southeast - Winona – Accredited

1250 Homer Road
Winona, MN 55987

Minnesota State Community and Technical College – Accredited

405 Colfax Avenue Southwest
Wadena, MN 56482

Minnesota West Community and Technical College - Jackson – Accredited

401 West Street
Jackson, MN 56143

Minnesota West Community and Technical College - Pipestone – Accredited

1314 North Hiawatha Avenue
Pipestone, MN 56164

Model College of Hair Design – Accredited

201 8th Avenue South
Saint Cloud, MN 56301

Nova Academy of Cosmetology – Accredited

1750 Weir Drive
Woodbury, MN 55125

Nova Academy of Cosmetology - Mankato – Accredited

500 Raintree Road Suite 10
Mankato, MN 56001

Nova Academy of Cosmetology - Rochester – Accredited

5979 Bandel Road
Rochester, MN 55901

PCI Academy - Plymouth – Accredited

4315 Peony Lane North
Plymouth, MN 55446

Ridgewater College – Accredited

2101 15th Avenue Northwest
Willmar, MN 56201

Riverland Community College – Accredited

1900 8th Avenue Northwest
Austin, MN 55912

Saint Paul College - Saint Paul – Accredited

235 Marshall Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55102

The Institute of Advanced Aesthetics – Accredited

2000 Plymouth Road Suite 220
Minnetonka, MN 55305

The Salon Professional Academy - Maplewood – Accredited

3000 White Bear Avenue
Maplewood, MN 55109
Accredited School

You must attend a school that meets any licensure requirements as defined by your state. Most states require that you graduate from an accredited or state-approved school.

Esthetician Schools Near Me

Check out the Esthetics/Skin Care schools these cities in Minnesota have to offer.

How to Become a Esthetician in Minnesota

Minnesota Esthetician Careers At a Glance
  • 600 education hours are required to become licensed.
  • You must renew your license every 3 years.
  • 8 continuing education hours are required to renew your license.
  • The average salary for estheticians in Minnesota is $37,840.
  • There is a predicted 24% job increase between 2020–2030 for estheticians.

In Minnesota, an esthetician is a licensed beauty professional who performs skin care services. These include cleansing and massaging the skin and scalp, facials, exfoliation, extraction, hair removal, makeup application, eyebrow shaping, and eyelash and eyebrow tinting.

To qualify for licensure, you must:

  • Be at least 17 years old
  • Pass the theory, practical, and Minnesota laws and rules exams
  • Complete 600 hours of esthetics training at an approved school
  • Submit an original course completion certificate
  • Submit the license application and pay the $195 fee

Minnesota Esthetics Careers

$37,840

Average yearly salary for esthetics in Minnesota

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that estheticians in Minnesota earn an annual mean salary of $37,840 or $18.19 per hour. However, the average esthetician salaries in Minnesota vary widely, ranging from $22,890 to $58,640. Factors like services offered, type of workplace, experience level, and location determine a Minnesota esthetician's salary.

The job growth rate for estheticians in Minnesota is exceptionally high, with projected employment expected to increase by 24% by 2030.

The highest-paying metro areas for estheticians in Minnesota are:

Metro Area 2021 Median Salary
Fargo, North Dakota-Minnesota $45,050
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minnesota-Wyoming $33,500
St. Cloud, Minnesota $30,550
Duluth, Minnesota area (including into Wyoming) $29,670

Table information sourced from O*Net (2022)

State License Requirements

600 Education Hours

Required to earn a esthetics license

You must complete 600 hours of beauty school training at a school approved by the Minnesota Board of Cosmetology to become an esthetician.

The curriculum covers the following:

  • Preclinical instruction, safety procedures, and elementary service skills (120 hours)
  • Clinical education (200 hours)
  • Applied science and cosmetic procedures, client consultation and skin analysis
  • Business practices and Minnesota laws regulating those practices and labor relations

Each student must complete at least 60 facials, 40 makeup applications, 20 face waxes, and 20 body waxes, with one-half being hard waxes and one-half being soft waxes

For an esthetics school to remain licensed, it must be open to regular inspections and meet the standards set by the Minnesota state board.

In Minnesota, you need another license to perform advanced esthetics services. These may include needling, microdermabrasion, complex extraction and exfoliation, and electrical energy treatments.

Can I Apprentice as an Esthetician in Minnesota?

No, Minnesota doesn't offer esthetician apprenticeships.

Minnesotan Esthetician Licensing Requirements

After completing 600 hours of esthetics training, you take the required written practical, theory, and Minnesota laws and statutes exams. You can schedule your exams online through PSI's registration website or by calling (855) 834-8746.

The tests can be taken as a combination, which costs $85 and lasts four hours. Individually, the theory exam costs $33, the state exam costs $24, and the written practical exam costs $28.

You need to show up 30 minutes before your scheduled exam time and bring two forms of valid, signature-bearing ID. One must be a government-issued photo ID.

The exams are offered in Spanish and Vietnamese in addition to English.

Candidates needing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations can submit a request online through PSI.

With your request, you must submit documentation from a medical professional involved with your treatment. The documentation must be on the medical authority's letterhead stationery and contain a description of the disability and testing limitations, recommended accommodations, the medical authority's name, title, phone number, and signature.

The theory exam lasts 1.5 hours and consists of 85 questions, with 75 being scored. You can expect the content to include the following:

  • Safety and infection control (35%)
  • Client consultation and professional conduct (10%)
  • Skin structure and physiology (14%)
  • Basic facials (23%)
  • Hair removal (10%)
  • Makeup (8%)

The state exam lasts one hour and consists of 35 questions, with 30 scored. It includes:

  • General information (15%)
  • Licensing (25%)
  • Practice requirements (45%)
  • Enforcement (15%)

The written practical exam lasts 1.5 hours and consists of 55 questions, with 50 being scored. This exam includes:

  • Safety and infection control (24%)
  • Skin analysis (16%)
  • Basic facial (26%)
  • Makeup (12%)
  • Hair removal (22%)

You must score 75% on each exam to pass and receive your scores immediately after finishing the exams.

Minnesota Esthetician Licensure Reciprocity

Estheticians with a valid license from another state can apply to have their license transferred to Minnesota. If you have completed the required 600 hours of training, apply to transfer your license to Minnesota by taking the following steps:

  • Submitting an application
  • Sending licensure certification or a copy of the most recent license and a completed supplemental verification form to the state board
  • Passing the theory, practical written, and state exams
  • Paying the $195 fee

Estheticians who haven't completed Minnesota's required 600 hours of training can apply for a license transfer by:

  • Submitting an application
  • Providing evidence of an active license for at least three years or an original course completion certificate from a Minnesota-licensed cosmetology school
  • Sending licensure certification or a copy of the most recent license and a completed supplemental verification form to the state board
  • Passing the theory, practical written, and state exams
  • Paying the $195 fee

Special exemptions are available for military and their family members who hold active esthetician licenses. Active-duty military personnel, their spouses, or veterans who were discharged in the last two years can apply for a temporary Minnesota license. It's valid for one year and ineligible for renewal.

Esthetician Specialties in Minnesota

In Minnesota, you can offer more specialized services by applying to become an advanced practice esthetician.

With this license, you can perform skin needling, electrical energy treatments like light therapy, advanced extractions, lymphatic drainage procedures, and advanced exfoliation techniques, among others.

To qualify, you must have an active Minnesota esthetician license and complete 500 hours of advanced practice esthetics training. The training consists of the following:

Theoretical instruction:

  • Advanced skin care treatments
  • Advanced skin cell histology
  • Chemistry and biochemistry of products
  • Client consultation, including skin type and medical background
  • Electrical and light energy
  • Health and safety
  • Infection control
  • Lymphatic system
  • Skin classification
  • Skin disorders and terms
  • Wound healing

Clinical instruction:

  • Chemical peels, including alpha hydroxy, beta hydroxy, trichloroacetic, and blended acid peels
  • Client consultation
  • Dermaplaning or a machine exfoliation
  • Electrical energy services with direct and indirect currents and sound and light energy
  • Infection control and safety procedures
  • Needling
  • Skin analysis
  • Treatments with lymphatic drainage and advanced extractions

An advanced practice esthetician license may lead to higher earning potential. Plus, the job focuses more on the medical side of skin care, so they could find employment in medical settings more easily.

License Renewal

3 Years

License renewal period

8 Hours

Continuing education required

In Minnesota, esthetician licenses expire every three years on the last day of the license holder's birth month. To renew a license, you must pay the $115 renewal fee and complete eight hours of continuing education from a board-approved provider before the renewal date.

Your continuing education hours for Minnesota esthetician licensing must include the following:

4 Hours: Core continuing education, including:

  • 1 hour related to state cosmetology laws and rules
  • 3 hours related to health, safety, and infection control

4 Hours: Professional practice continuing education on one or more of the following:

  • Business management, ethics, and human relations
  • Machines and instruments
  • Relevant chemistry
  • Skincare and other esthetics techniques

Contact the Minnesota State Board of Esthetics

Minnesota Board of Cosmetology

Minnesota Estheticians
Facebook group for licensed estheticians in the state to share information

Minnesota Licensed Stylists, Nail Techs & Estheticians
Facebook group for licensed beauty professionals in the state to share information related to education

MN AP Estheticians
Facebook group for licensed estheticians in Minnesota working toward an advanced practice esthetician license

National Coalition of Estheticians Association (NCEA)
Organization dedicated to helping estheticians advance their careers; the Minnesota branch offers certification and continuing education opportunities

Salon & Spa Professional Association (SSPA)
Educational resource for beauty and spa professionals in the Midwest and advocates for the industry

Commercial_Combo_Program-Career-Geo
Esthetics/Skin Care
Minnesota

How to Become a Esthetician in Your State