Esthetics (600 Hours)

The Esthetics program at Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute – Arlington is the perfect way to kick start your new career as a skincare specialist. In-depth training in Aveda’s renowned line of plant-based products and treatments is the cornerstone of the program, so prepare to become a natural esthetics expert after top-notch training at our institute.

As an Esthetics student at Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute – Arlington, you’ll learn everything you need to know to launch a successful career as a skincare specialist, with an emphasis on the pure flower and plant essences and wellness rituals synonymous with the Aveda name. Our program teaches you to give your clients a complete Aveda spa experience using our luxurious skincare, makeup, wax techniques, and more.

After new student orientation, the training breaks down into the following topics:

• 80 hours of general sciences, including bacteriology and cosmetic chemistry
• 95 hours of applied sciences, covering skin analysis, diseases and disorders, and physiology and anatomy
• 255 hours of skin care techniques, including facials, skin cleansing, and extraction
• 65 hours of makeup artistry
• 20 hours of body treatments
• 50 hours of hair removal

You’ll also learn how to manage and run your own salon business, maintain client records, and handle other day-to-day issues, such as insurance, sales and inventory, and payroll. Training takes place both in the classroom and in the state-of-the-art salon/spa setting, where you can practice your new customer service and esthetics skills with real paying clients.

The curriculum provides skin care training with an emphasis on using pure plant and plant essences in treatment. The objective of this program is to prepare students for the state licensing examination in esthetics. Upon completion, students will have the skills to seek employment as a skin care specialist with the knowledge of Aveda products and spa techniques.

Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Arlington offers cosmetology, esthetics, and instructor training programs. Students receive classroom and hands-on lessons from teachers who emphasize real-world applications. We also offer opportunities for students to participate in diverse community and professional events like DC Fashion Week, Arlington Pride, the Edwin Neill II Full Potential Student Competition, and more. These activities let students practice their skills and encounter industry professionals.

With Aveda, it’s about way more than passing the state board exam. It’s about seeing your career as limitless. Sure, you’ll learn to cut hair or perform facials—but you’ll also gain confidence in finding and retaining clients, marketing, and business development.

You’ll get all this, plus comprehensive experience using the world-renowned Aveda line of plant-based, sustainable products and access to a global network of Aveda professionals across thousands of salons and spas.

Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Arlington delivers a well-rounded beauty education with strong graduation rate (83.9%), placement rate (82.8%), and licensure (83.6%) outcomes that consistently exceed industry standards.*

If you want to enroll in the esthetics program at Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Arlington, there are several basic requirements you must meet:

Age: 16

Education: High school diploma (or equivalent)

Other Requirements: Submit an application, pay a $50 non-refundable application fee, submit a government-issued ID with proof of age and photo, and social security card. You must also schedule an interview with an Admissions Manager

Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute is committed to ensuring a safe educational environment and reserves the right to deny admission to applicants with a criminal record. Transfer hours are only accepted from schools within the Aveda Institute network.

Esthetics: 4-day, 30 hours per week, 20 weeks full-time. Wednesday – Saturday 9am – 5:30pm (1-hour lunch).

Upcoming start dates: October 20, 2026.

Tuition: $10,050. Kit fee: $2,100 (kit fees are mandatory and may not be pro-rated; students may not opt out of kit fees). Application fee: $50 (nonrefundable; not eligible for VA funding).

Total of listed charges: $12,200.

Required textbooks are included in the kit cost, but students can choose to purchase their textbooks from another source, in which case the kit fee is reduced by the applicable cost.

Payment plans: students can pay in installments through an interest-free monthly payment plan; no interest is charged if the total is paid off before graduation.

Financial aid is available for those students that meet the necessary requirements. Aveda Arts & Sciences Institutes participate in the Pell Grant Program and the Federal Direct Loan Program. Complete the FAFSA at fafsa.gov using federal school code 014724.

Veterans’ benefits are not available in all institute locations, and only to those who qualify.

Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute graduates who enroll in another program receive a 15% discount off the published tuition rate.

Upon completion, students will have the skills to seek employment as a skin care specialist; job opportunities are available in the salon, medical and retail industries as Esthetician and Makeup Artist.

Graduation, placement and licensure (2024 Annual Report to NACCAS, as published in the 2026-27 catalog — Arlington, Esthetics): graduation 91.89%, placement 82.69%, licensure 86.44%.

Aveda Arts & Sciences Institutes do not guarantee employment to students; however, the schools assist students in finding employment, hold annual job fairs, and can assist with out-of-state placement subject to licensing transfer.

You can find Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Arlington on Glebe Road in the historic Ballston neighborhood of Arlington. Our students appreciate the campus’ convenient access to the Ballston Metro station, where they can catch the Orange and Silver lines, as well as a nearby parking garage for those who drive. The campus’ central location also means that you can run errands at the nearby grocery store or bank or walk to the Ballston Quarter shopping center, Good Company Doughnuts, Compass Coffee, Starbucks, or Chick-fil-A.

It isn’t just the neighborhood that makes Aveda Arts & Sciences – Arlington unique. This facility offers sparkling clinic floors and cosmetology classrooms filled with natural light. Additionally, we have a one-of-a-kind dream room specifically designed for photo shoots. Here, you can expand your portfolio with impressive, professional-level before-and-after photos showcasing your talents.

Aveda Arts Arlington offers a rigorous curriculum that emphasizes personal wellness as key to professional excellence. Our stylish, new campus radiates youthful energy and aligns with Aveda’s earth-conscious mission. In our fast-paced programs, supervised students train directly with guests in real salon and spa environments, gaining the hands-on experience needed to launch their careers.