Esthetics

Full-time students attend 30 hours a week and finish in about 20 weeks; part-time students attend 20 hours a week and finish in about 30 weeks, with each 150-hour phase taking five weeks full time or 7.5 weeks part time. The contract end date allows a 10% absence rate plus holidays.

Starts. The catalog lists full-time esthetics starts of January 20, March 31, June 9, August 11 and October 20, 2026, and part-time starts of March 3, June 16 and September 29, 2026.

Make-up time. Once eligible for the clinic floor, students may book make-up shifts of at least three hours until graduation counseling at 80% of scheduled hours.

Cost of the program. The catalog's Tuition and Fee Schedule prices Esthetics at $10,200 tuition, a $75 non-refundable administrative fee, $10 accident insurance, $0 STRF, $1,662.29 supplies, $400 textbooks, $50 technology and $37.71 uniforms, for a $12,435 total including sales tax. Supplies may be bought from the school on a line of credit or elsewhere. The same catalog's "Estimated Total Charges for Period of Attendance" section, dated 2025, still lists $12,335 for this program, less than the schedule's total, so confirm the figure on your enrollment agreement.

Paying for school. The school accepts cash, credit cards (not American Express), checks, money orders, student loans and Title IV aid, does not require advance payment for more than one payment period at a time, and builds personalized payment programs for students paying their own way. It offers no scholarships of its own but accepts outside scholarships and occasionally discounts specific start dates. The catalog lists federal Pell Grants, FSEOG, Direct and PLUS loans, private supplemental loans, SETA, vocational rehabilitation, CalJobs and veterans' benefits, including the GI Bill for cosmetology, barber and esthetics students, and the school participates in Cal Grants. No FAFSA school code is printed in the catalog or on the pages reviewed; ask the financial aid office for it.

Other charges. A second schedule change costs $40, a replacement badge $10, an extern badge $5 and an optional locker deposit $20. Students must finish within a normal-time allowance of 110% of the program's hours; hours beyond it cost $17.00 an hour for esthetics, $16.75 for cosmetology and barber and $11.00 for manicuring. Personal supplies, extra uniforms, a state board rental kit and the state exam fee are extra. The Student Tuition Recovery Fund assessment is currently $0.

Cancelling and refunds. The first week is an evaluation week with no tuition obligation if training stops then. You may cancel through the first class session or the seventh day after enrollment, whichever is later, and receive a refund of everything paid for tuition less the $75 administrative fee. After that, the settlement charges only the scheduled hours through your last day at the contract hourly rate plus the non-refundable fees, and any overpayment is refunded within 45 days; returned equipment in good condition is refunded, though used beauty supplies may not be returnable. A student absent 14 consecutive calendar days without contact is withdrawn.

Licensing. To take the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology esthetics exam you must be at least 17, have completed the 10th grade or equivalent, have no disqualifying acts or crimes under Business and Professions Code section 480, complete 600 hours at a Board-approved school and submit the Esthetics application; a license is granted for a score of 75% or higher.

Externship. After 450 hours, with finals and the Extern Readiness Exam passed and 60% of operations and theory complete, students may extern for up to 150 hours; VA students are not eligible.

Career services. Job placement assistance, externship help and guest speakers come through career services at no extra charge, with resume and interview preparation from the alumni services coordinator; placement is not guaranteed. Students also earn hours at trade shows and school outings.

Published outcomes. The catalog's NACCAS 2025 annual report figures for 2024 show the 600-hour esthetics program at 92.86% completion, 52.94% placement and 94.44% licensure, and all programs combined at 92.25% completion, 63.08% placement and 94.20% licensure. The rates are reported for the esthetics program as a whole, not separately for its distance hybrid option. The catalog's Sacramento-area wage table (May 2023) shows skincare specialists earning a median $21.61 an hour and a mean $50,900 a year.

The school. Federico Beauty Institute is a third-generation, family-owned school. The first Federico beauty colleges were opened in 1946 by two brothers with schools from Fresno to Sacramento; the Sacramento branch of the family built the institute on the philosophy that "a license doesn't earn a living, but an education does," and the third generation runs it today. The campus at 1515 Sports Drive is more than 41,000 square feet, with sixteen classrooms equipped with computer-controlled audiovisual systems, a student spa with six treatment rooms, a spray tan room and a wet room with two Vichy showers and a HydroMassage bed, a student salon with thirty-two styling stations, a twelve-station S.T.A.R. salon, a five-station student barber shop, a café and a retail area. It runs on a solar array, has free Wi-Fi and security cameras, and offers free student parking. The school has no housing.

Daily life. The school is open Tuesday to Friday 9:30 am to 8:30 pm and Saturday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, and closed Sundays, Mondays, New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving with the following Friday and Saturday, and Christmas Day. Tardiness is not accepted: full-time students cannot clock in after 9:30 am and evening students after 5:30 pm without documentation, with a small allowance of unverified tardies per program. Students clock in and submit operations through the Course Key app, take two 15-minute breaks and a 30-minute lunch, and wear a Federico apron or lab coat over black or white clothing, with no blue jeans.

Attendance and leave. You need at least 75% attendance and a 75% academic average, and the maximum time frame is 133% of your scheduled hours. A student absent 14 calendar days without contacting the school is withdrawn, and three consecutive weeks of absence ends enrollment regardless of average. Leaves of absence, requested in writing in advance, are available for reasons such as pregnancy, hospitalization, military duty, temporary disability or a serious medical emergency, up to 180 days in 12 months with no added charges, and bereavement leave of up to two school days is available for immediate family.

The work. The catalog notes that professionals face chemicals, hot tools and sharp instruments, and that posture and supportive shoes matter. Estheticians spend about 70% of their working time sitting and 15% standing, with hands mostly below the shoulder.