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Spa manager/esthetician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a spa manager/esthetician. Spa managers/esthetician usually study business, cosmetology, or liberal arts. 36% of spa managers/esthetician hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 487 real spa manager/esthetician resumes to see exactly what spa manager/esthetician education sections show.

The most common colleges for spa managers/esthetician are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online spa manager/esthetician courses to help get the education required to be a spa manager/esthetician.

What education do you need to become a spa manager/esthetician?

What degree do you need to be a spa manager/esthetician?

The most common degree for spa managers/esthetician is bachelor's degree, with 36% of spa managers/esthetician earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 24% and associate degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 36%
  • Associate, 24%
  • Diploma, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 23%

What should I major in to become a spa manager/esthetician?

You should major in business to become a spa manager/esthetician. 24% of spa managers/esthetician major in business. Other common majors for a spa manager/esthetician include cosmetology and liberal arts.

Most common colleges for spa managers/esthetician

Spa managers/esthetician often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Marshall University, and Cardinal Stritch University. Here are the most common colleges for spa managers/esthetician in the US based on their resumes.
Spa manager/esthetician common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix14.29%
Marshall University7.14%
Cardinal Stritch University7.14%
Northern Michigan University7.14%
Florida State University7.14%

Best majors for spa managers/esthetician

RankMajorPercentages
1Business23.5%
2Cosmetology13.1%
3Liberal Arts7.8%
4Communication6.5%
5Nursing5.9%

Best colleges for spa managers/esthetician

The best colleges for spa managers/esthetician are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A spa manager/esthetician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for spa managers/esthetician. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become spa managers/esthetician.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Siena Heights University

Adrian, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$27,124

Enrollment

2,035

5. Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$13,478

Enrollment

979

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for spa managers/esthetician

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Top 10 most affordable universities for spa managers/esthetician

The most affordable schools for spa managers/esthetician are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for spa managers/esthetician are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for spa managers/esthetician.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Cost of attendance

24,718

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for spa managers/esthetician

The hardest universities for spa managers/esthetician to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for spa managers/esthetician are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for spa managers/esthetician based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for spa managers/esthetician

The easiest schools for spa managers/esthetician to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a spa manager/esthetician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for spa managers/esthetician.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

Average spa manager/esthetician salary by education level

According to our data, spa managers/esthetician with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $63,228 annually. Spa managers/esthetician with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $54,129.
Spa manager/esthetician education levelSpa manager/esthetician salary
Master's Degree$63,228
High School Diploma or Less$47,767
Bachelor's Degree$54,129
Some College/ Associate Degree$48,912

Spa manager/esthetician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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