Empire Beauty School-Bloomington

The academic offering is singular and immersive: a cosmetology program designed to fulfill Minnesota's state licensing requirements. The entire curriculum is built around 1,550 clock hours of training, which blends demonstration, lecture, and extensive hands-on practice. Students progress through a structured sequence in dedicated classrooms and a fully equipped Student Salon floor, where they perform services on clients. The program is intensive and career-focused, with no traditional majors or liberal arts components. While specific data for the Bloomington campus is limited, the Empire Beauty School network reports a student-to-faculty ratio of 25:1 and a first-year retention rate of 89% at its Green Bay location, suggesting a similar instructional model focused on direct skills training and student support. The sole measure of academic success is completion of the clock-hour program and preparation for the state board exams.

Student life revolves entirely around the beauty school environment. The campus facilities include demonstration and lecture classrooms, a library, a Student Salon floor for practical work, a dispensary for supplies, a student lounge, and faculty offices. There is no residential housing, athletic programs, or traditional campus clubs; the experience is that of a commuter trade school. The student body profile indicates many are balancing school with other significant commitments—jobs, family responsibilities—making it a commuter campus for working adults. The school's social media acknowledges this reality, offering support and community for students managing these dual roles. The culture is likely one of shared, focused career ambition within the confines of the salon and classroom spaces.

Outcomes are measured by program completion and subsequent earnings. The school reports a strong 6-year graduation rate of 78% (with a similar figure of 77.94% calculated as 53 of 68 students completing within 150% of normal time). This high completion rate for a clock-hour program suggests effective support for students through the curriculum. Post-graduation, the canonical median earnings 10 years after entry are $23,589. This figure reflects typical early-career earnings for licensed cosmetologists and aestheticians in the region. The primary outcome is licensure and entry into the beauty industry, not bachelor's degree attainment or graduate school placement.

The total sticker price for the cosmetology program is $24,317, covering tuition, kit, fees, and taxes. However, the average net price students pay after grants and scholarships is significantly lower. The canonical average net price after aid is $18,315, with other sources citing similar figures around $17,726. This indicates a substantial portion of students receive financial aid. The school states that most students qualify for aid, with 80% of students receiving grants (which do not need to be repaid). Aid packages typically include federal Pell Grants, state grants, institutional scholarships, and loans. Empire offers a specific institutional scholarship of $1,000 for students who maintain 90% cumulative attendance. Families are directed to complete the FAFSA and can use the school's net price calculator for estimates. There is no indication of a no-loan policy or a commitment to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need without loans; aid is a mix of grants and loans based on eligibility.

Empire Beauty School-Bloomington stands out for its utter lack of pretense: it is a pure, unadulterated trade school. There are no dorms, no football team, no general education requirements—just 1,550 hours of focused cosmetology training in a facility designed to be a working salon. Its 100% acceptance rate and open-admissions policy make it accessible to anyone committed to the craft, while its 78% graduation rate suggests it successfully shepherds a majority of those students through to licensure. The student body is notably non-traditional, with many balancing school, work, and family, creating a pragmatic, career-driven atmosphere. It represents a direct, debt-conscious path into a specific service industry, contrasting sharply with the broad exploration of a liberal arts college. For a student certain about a career in beauty, it offers a streamlined, practical, and singularly focused alternative to more expensive or academic pathways.