How long is cosmetology school in Illinois? The state requires 1,500 clock hours of training under Illinois Administrative Code, Title 68, Section 1175.530. At Tricoci University of Beauty Culture, that takes about 10 to 12 months full time or about 17 to 20 months in part-time night classes. Students can apply for the state licensing exam once they reach 1,200 hours, so the exam process can begin before graduation. The state sets the hours. Your schedule sets the months.
Illinois Requires 1,500 Clock Hours
Every licensed cosmetology school in Illinois teaches a program of at least 1,500 clock hours, which the state also counts as 50 credit hours. Section 1175.530 divides those hours into seven categories: basic training, chemical application and hair treatment, hair styling, shop management, esthetics, nail technology, and electives.
Three parts of the rule affect how long the program takes:
- Clock hours are attendance hours. A student meets the requirement by logging hours in class or on the clinic floor, so missed hours have to be made up.
- Most training happens in person. Online theory is capped at 10 percent of the hours in each category.
- Clinic hours count. Services performed on guests in a school’s student clinic, under teacher supervision, earn credit toward the 1,500 hours.
The cosmetology curriculum page lists the subjects inside each category.
Full Time vs. Part-Time Nights in Months
Program length is the 1,500 hours divided by the hours of class each week. Tricoci University runs two schedules in Illinois.
| Schedule | Class hours | Hours per week | Class weeks for 1,500 hours | Program length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full time | 9:00 to 5:00 | 37.5 | 40 | About 10 to 12 months |
| Part time, nights | 5:30 to 10:00 | 22.5 | About 67 | About 17 to 20 months |
The published program lengths run longer than the class-week arithmetic because the calendar includes holidays and scheduled breaks.
Schedule availability depends on the campus. Full-time classes run at all 10 Illinois campuses: Bridgeview, Chicago NE (Rogers Park), Chicago NW (O’Hare), Elgin, Glendale Heights, Libertyville, Normal, Peoria, Rockford, and Urbana. Night classes run at nine of them. Peoria offers the full-time schedule only.
New classes start every 6 weeks, so the wait to begin is short. A student who decides in October does not hold out for a January semester.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Cosmetologist After Graduation?
How long does it take to become a cosmetologist once school ends? In Illinois, the exam and license steps add weeks, and a student who plans ahead can overlap part of that time with school.
Continental Testing Services (CTS) administers the Illinois exam for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Its exam application instructions set the timeline:
| Step | Timing |
|---|---|
| Apply for the exam (pre-file) | Allowed at 1,200 hours of training |
| Schedule and take the exam | Within 60 days of the eligibility email |
| Receive official results | Usually within four weeks of the exam date |
| Apply to IDFPR for the license | After the official results letter arrives |
| Deadline to apply for the license | One year from notice of passing |
The 1,200-hour pre-file rule is the detail that saves time. On the full-time schedule, a student reaches 1,200 hours at about class week 32 of 40, with roughly eight weeks of school left. On the night schedule, 1,200 hours arrives at about class week 53, with roughly 13 weeks left. Applying at that point lets a student test close to graduation. The license itself still requires proof of graduation and all 1,500 hours.
A Full-Time Timeline, Start to License
A full-time student who files early could move through the process in this order:
- Class week 1: training begins, 37.5 hours a week.
- About class week 32: the student reaches 1,200 hours and pre-files with CTS.
- Class week 40: the student completes 1,500 hours. With holidays and breaks, this lands about 10 to 12 months after the start date.
- Within 60 days of the eligibility email: the student takes the exam at a PSI test center.
- Usually within four weeks of the exam: CTS releases official results.
- After the results letter: the student submits proof of graduation and the license application to IDFPR.
License processing time at IDFPR varies, so build in a margin before accepting a job with a fixed start date.
Steps to an Illinois Cosmetology License
An Illinois cosmetology license follows the same sequence for every first-time applicant:
- Enroll at a school licensed by IDFPR. CTS requires a transcript that carries the school’s state license number.
- Complete 1,500 clock hours. The school issues an official transcript with a school official’s signature, the school seal, and the school’s license number.
- Apply to CTS online. Submit the transcript and the exam fee. Pre-file applicants submit a transcript showing at least 1,200 hours.
- Take the computerized exam at a PSI test center. CTS approves the application, and PSI sends the scheduling email. Bring a valid driver’s license, state ID, passport, military ID, or consular ID.
- Wait for the official results letter. CTS sends it after grades are reviewed, with instructions and the fee amount for the license application.
- Apply to IDFPR. Do not apply before the results letter arrives. IDFPR takes applications through CORE, the online licensing system it launched on October 30, 2024, and issues the license.
The exam is offered in English and Spanish on computer, and in Chinese on paper. IDFPR’s cosmetology page announces that, effective October 1, 2026, exams will be available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.
For a broader walk through the process in all three states where Tricoci University operates, see how to get licensed.
What Can Add Time
Five things can push the license date back:
- Missed class hours. The state counts clock hours, so absences push the graduation date back until the hours are made up.
- A missed testing window. A candidate who does not test within 60 days of the eligibility email forfeits the exam fee.
- A failed exam. Retake applicants wait 30 days before reapplying to CTS.
- Three failed attempts. After a third unsuccessful attempt, the candidate has to complete a refresher course before CTS schedules another exam.
- An expired application. A CTS application is valid for three years. After that, the candidate reapplies as a new applicant with new documents.
State board preparation runs through the Cosmetology Program at Tricoci University, so students practice for the exam before they file for it.
Prior Training Can Shorten the Clock
Illinois rules give some students credit for training they already have. Section 1175.530 allows the following:
- Licensed estheticians in good standing do not have to complete the 85 hours of esthetics instruction.
- Licensed nail technicians in good standing do not have to complete the 55 hours of nail technology instruction.
- Barber school graduates may receive credit for up to 1,000 hours in topics common to both fields. The rule leaves this to the cosmetology school’s discretion and requires an official barber school transcript.
Cosmetologists who hold an active license in another state follow a different route. They apply to IDFPR directly for licensure by endorsement and do not apply to CTS for the exam.
Each of these is a state allowance, and how credit applies depends on the student’s records. An admissions advisor can review transcripts and explain what counts at a specific campus.
Start Your 1,500 Hours at Tricoci University
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture is accredited by NACCAS and offers the Cosmetology Program at 10 Illinois campuses, with new classes starting every 6 weeks. Request information to map your schedule, your start date, and your financial aid options with an admissions advisor.
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