Home - Aesthetics Institute

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For nearly 40 years, the Aesthetics Institute has provided students with highly personalized hands-on esthetics education and training in the Portland metro area.

Why choose to attend our school? Here are the top 20 ways we set the standard and stand apart from other beauty schools in the pacific northwest.

Above & Beyond

We teach more than four times as many services, skills, and modalities as most other esthetics programs in Oregon because we want our graduates to be the most qualified, confident, and successful estheticians in the beauty industry.

Masters Esthetics training is our beginning-level esthetics program that requires no previous experience and INCLUDES all the top skills needed to become an expert esthetician.

Services, Skills & Modalities:

All of these services, skills, and modalities are included in the program’s advertised price.

There are never any extra add-on services, supplemental classes, or surprise fees.

Currently Licensed Estheticians, click here to learn about our Advanced Esthetics Program and the services taught.

Esthetics Program

The Aesthetics Institute provides additional certifications as well as the standard certifications required by the state of Oregon to become a licensed esthetician.
We include these certifications in our program at no additional cost because we know these are the skills that are most sought-after by employers. Highly trained and well-prepared estheticians are expected to know how to perform all of these services and skills confidently in our industry today.

These additional certifications include:

Esthetics Program

Cutting-Edge Tech

Equipment-supported training with a large selection of machines and modalities allows our students to feel confident using the variety of equipment they will encounter in a professional setting.

We teach this cutting-edge curriculum in our spacious, beautifully appointed, clean, and comfortable medical spa facility in SE Portland. Investing in the school is a top priority, so we continually upgrade our technology to support instruction that reflects the most current trends and practices in the esthetics industry.

All the equipment at our school is professional-grade and FDA-approved.

Equipment & Technology

Hands-On Learning

Smaller class sizes focusing on intensive hands-on training provide daily opportunities for one-on-one support and guidance from our highly-qualified instructors.

Our expert-level instructors hold multiple education certifications and degrees and bring extensive professional experience to our school and curriculum.

Our instructors have over 80 years of teaching experience and over 100 years of professional experience working in the beauty industry.

Hands-On Learning

School Life Balance

Our unique online and in-person hybrid teaching model, with both full-time and part-time attendance options, allows students greater flexibility to complete their studies and training.

All programs begin 100% online with on-demand classes that can be completed at the student’s own pace and schedule within the allotted syllabus timeline. Our instructor-supported flexible teaching model helps our school to accommodate students with busy work and family commitments.

Our program’s accommodations bring students from all over Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California, the entire US, and even the world!

Attendance Options

Customized for Confidence

Our competency-based education model allows students to complete the in-house portion of their training at their own pace within the allotted syllabus timeline.

This ensures all students graduate confident and ready for success in the beauty industry.

This training model was designed to allow students highly committed to their education the opportunity to complete the program more quickly than others. But simultaneously, also provides students with the ability to stay for the full duration of the program to ensure they graduate feeling confident in their skills.

While competency-based, our entire Masters Esthetics Program is instructor-supported and highly structured every step of the way.

Competency-Based Education

Graduate Career Confident

Regular job placement opportunities, postings, and career support paired with business plan instruction, resume & cover letter writing assistance, and social media and search engine SEO marketing prepare our graduates to be quickly hired or to start their own businesses.

Invaluable networking opportunities allow our students to tap into our vast alumni network of over 2000 graduates, many of whom own beauty businesses or work and live in the greater Portland-Vancouver area, Oregon, and throughout the pacific northwest.

Esthetics Careers

Check out a few of our amazing graduates:

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Rachael Almada, CAE, LE (@rachaesthetics_) • Instagram photos and videos

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Peyton|PDX Lash Artist & Etsy (@peytonleeesthetics) • Instagram photos and videos

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Honey Body Esthetics (@honey_body_esthetics) • Instagram photos and videos

Pay Your Way

Multiple in-house financing options offer a wide variety of repayment term lengths, interest & non-interest options, and low monthly payment amounts to help make our programs accessible to as many students as possible.

We believe people should be able to financially provide for themselves and their families without spending a lifetime in debt from their educational expenses. Our tuition prices remain highly competitive, especially considering how many services are included in our programs. We are proud to continue to be one of the best values in esthetics education in the Portland area.

Cost & Payment Options

Real Industry Experience

Gain professional spa experience and exemplary customer service skills by providing a wide array of esthetics services in private and relaxing treatment rooms to real, paying clients on a daily basis.

With a large variety of skin types and skincare needs from our diverse and expansive client base from Portland, Vancouver, and surrounding areas, students will receive ample opportunity to work with skin of many pigmentation levels, conditions, ages, and genders.

We operate both our school and spa with a focus on sustainability, eschewing single-use plastics and, whenever possible, using natural, organic, and hypoallergenic skincare lines, linens, and cleaners.

Spa Services

Top Shelf Brands

Professional, widely-used, and nationally renowned skincare, lash extension, tinting, makeup, and waxing lines are the only products you will find at our school.

All of our product lines were extensively evaluated and selected by our instructors to give students the opportunity to work with industry-leading brands backed by skincare science, all with extensive lines and many with organic options.

Our Masters Esthetics program includes comprehensive instruction and daily use of products from Circadia, OnlyYourRX, Extensions, MUD Cosmetics, Clean+Easy Spa Wax, Cirepil by Perron Rigot, Intensive Lash and Brow Tint, Myolift, Alastin, Epionce, ColorScience, and Elleebana Lash Lift.

Limiting students to a single line or brand of products is counterintuitive in helping students learn about the myriad benefits and options available in this industry. Our graduates are prepared to work in any environment and are not limited by product line knowledge and experience.

Product Lines

Professional Partnerhips

School partnerships with well-known beauty brands provide included access and discounts for our students and graduates to learn professional business and marketing skills, even after graduation.

For our Masters Esthetics Program, these companies include Beauty as a Business, Associated Skin Care Professionals, Universal Companies, and Meevo Scheduling Software, along with other reputable and ethical companies that benefit those just getting started in the esthetics industry.

These partnerships include resources for building a website, setting up social media marketing, SEO training, self-employment budgeting & business development, and additional professional online support for our students and graduates.

Professional Partnerships

Reputation Matters

Our school is a second-generation, family-owned, woman-led business committed to teaching people from all communities and backgrounds the knowledge and skills necessary for a lifetime of professional success in the beauty industry.

Founded in 1985, we based our curriculum and school model on a novel and, at the time, rarely used approach to skincare. We believe providing the holistic theory of esthetics and skincare paired with intensive hands-on training in a clinical environment will produce the most qualified and skilled estheticians in the world.

We recognize that when you graduate, your reputation is our reputation, and we do not take this responsibility lightly.

Aesthetics Institute History

Holistic Modern Skincare

Learn from a holistic, comprehensive, and modern skincare curriculum that is regularly updated to reflect current trends and best practices in the esthetics industry today.

The highly technical Pivot Point international curriculum complements the extensive theory and practical application portions of our teaching and training model developed in-house by our founders and instructors.

We also provide business, finance, and marketing classes focusing on social media and advertising best practices to give our students an edge in launching their careers upon graduation.

Curriculum

Include It All

Our all-inclusive and comprehensive training model means we teach all of the services we advertise, in each program we offer, to every student who attends our school, at the listed price on our website.

We value transparency and honesty, and you should not have to tour a school to find out what is actually included in their program or to discover the total price of their education.

Our all-inclusive school model means there are no unlisted extra add-on services, supplemental classes to sign up for, or surprise uniform, textbook, lash extension, parking, product, or technology fees. Everything is included. We think tricking students into attending a beauty school is a terrible business model.

Services

Personalized Test Prep

Comprehensive Oregon Esthetics written exam preparation and study guide support are provided for passing both your written Oregon Esthetics and Oregon Rules & Regulations Exams on your first attempt.

Our curriculum is thorough, multi-disciplinary, and comprehensive and covers all material found on the state tests. The Aesthetics Institute continues to have one of the highest state esthetics written exam pass rates for our graduates, at more than 90% passing on their first attempt.

Teaching Philosophy

Practical Exam Confidence

After graduating from the school, you have the opportunity to return to our facility, an official state exam site, to take your Oregon Practical Esthetics Licensure Exam.

Our instructors, all certified state exam proctors, evaluate test takers as they perform several esthetics services on a live model. Many graduates report feeling more at ease and experiencing less stress by being in familiar surroundings and using the exact equipment they learned on while taking their state-level practical examination.

Esthetics Exam

Exclusively Skincare Focused

Founded in 1985, the school offers nearly 40 years of experience teaching esthetics in the Portland metro area.

Our passion is skincare, and we do not dilute our focus by offering hair or nail training. We are one of the very few schools in Oregon that also offers second-level Advanced Esthetics training.

We believe there is value in introducing all students to the full array of services estheticians provide to their clients in Oregon. Even for those who choose not to continue to pursue advanced esthetics training, we think there is a strong benefit to observing and even receiving those services first-hand.

Cutting-Edge Curriculum

Never Stop Learning

Graduates receive included access to multiple Continuing Education Credit courses, skills, and workshops, which are required to keep your Oregon esthetics license current each year.

In addition, discounts are available for our graduates to purchase the technology and equipment lines we teach from and use in our spa and medical spa settings. We also sell many of the professional product lines we use at the school to our graduates at our cost or for a significant discount.

Continuing Education

Love Your Life

Our strong commitment to inclusion and diversity is demonstrated by our use of product lines and equipment developed to serve people of all skin pigmentation levels, ages, and genders.

We promote a Culture of Inquiry at our school to help students feel empowered to take charge of their education and to always feel comfortable asking questions without fear of judgment, shame, or reprimanding from instructors or fellow students. We are proud to be a safe space for everyone to learn for the past 40 years.

Commitment to Inclusion

Everything You Need

Our expertly curated Masters Esthetics program kit contains everything you will need as a student at our school, including all the consumables, back bar products, tools, palettes, brushes, bowls, tint, makeup, waxing supplies, lashes, uniform, textbooks, and more.

You will be using products from Circadia, OnlyYourRX, MUD Cosmetics, Clean+Easy Spa Wax, Cirepil by Perron Rigot, Intensive Lash and Brow Tint, and Elleebana Lash Lift. We also provide each student with a lash extension kit.

Student Kit

Join A Community

A lifetime of continued support, mentorship, professional development, and friendship upon graduation.

This is not just what we do; this is who we are. After nearly 40 years of teaching esthetics, we’ve had the incredible privilege of meeting a fantastic and diverse array of highly talented students from all over the state, country, and even the world.

We are proud of our graduates, and we know we would not be here without their continued love and support for our school. If you are ready to commit to the dedication needed to achieve an unparalleled education in esthetics, we hope you will consider becoming a part of our community.

Our Community

Take the First Steps

If a career in esthetics interests you, we invite you to our campus for a tour and admissions counseling session. We will answer all your questions and discuss any concerns you may have with pursuing your esthetics education.

Selecting the right esthetics program is an important decision that we don’t take lightly. As educators committed to our student’s success, we want you to make the best choice for your professional goals. Maybe that will include a program we offer at our school. Maybe it won’t. That is why we encourage a campus visit.

We hope to meet you soon.

Schedule Campus Tour

Masters Esthetics Program

Apply Now

Disclaimer:

Please note, while we will always utilize and teach only high-quality, professional-level product lines and beauty brands at our school, the company, brand, and partnership names listed on this page are subject to change at any time without notice, based on many factors, including but not limited to availability, curriculum adjustments, and/or academic or structural changes to the program or school. For the most current list of brands and product lines used at the school, please speak with a school representative.

Most brands and professional partnerships mentioned in this document apply specifically to our Masters Esthetics Program, our beginning-level esthetics program that requires no previous esthetics experience. For current Oregon licensed estheticians looking to continue their education, please see more information about our Advanced Esthetics Program and its brand partnerships on our website.

For nearly 40 years, the Aesthetics Institute has provided students with highly personalized hands-on esthetics education and training in the Portland metro area.

Above & Beyond

Services, Skills & Modalities:

These additional certifications include:

Cutting-Edge Tech

Hands-On Learning

School Life Balance

Customized for Confidence

Graduate Career Confident

Check out a few of our amazing graduates:

Pay Your Way

Real Industry Experience

Top Shelf Brands

Professional Partnerhips

Reputation Matters

Holistic Modern Skincare

Include It All

Personalized Test Prep

Practical Exam Confidence

Exclusively Skincare Focused

Never Stop Learning

Love Your Life

Everything You Need

Join A Community

Take the First Steps

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