FAFSA lower earnings list

Illinois schools on the FAFSA “lower earnings” list

41 schools in Illinois are flagged "lower earnings" in the Department of Education's March 2026 release, the list the 2027-28 FAFSA uses, out of 187 Illinois schools with an earnings figure. The December 2025 release, which earlier news coverage reported, flagged 61: 22 came off and 2 were added.

A Illinois school is flagged when its graduates’ median earnings four years after completing are below $34,790, the median for Illinois high school graduates aged 25 to 34 (March 2026 release, January 2026 dollars). A school that mostly enrolls out-of-state students or operates in several states is compared with the national median, $34,635, instead.

Data period: March 2026 release, completers of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023. Nationally: 999 schools flagged now, 1,365 in December 2025. National report and method

Last verified: September 25, 2026.

Flagged in the March 2026 release (41)

Names as the Department lists them. A linked name opens the school’s CampusPin profile, which shows its earnings and benchmark.

  • Cameo Beauty Academy
  • Cannella School of Hair Design-Chicago
  • Capri Beauty College
  • Capri Beauty College
  • Cosmetology & Spa Academy
  • Cosmetology Concepts Niles
  • Debutantes School of Cosmetology and Nail Technology
  • Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Peru
  • Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Rockford
  • Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Sterling
  • Empire Beauty School-Stone Park
  • Empire Beauty School-Vernon Hills
  • Estelle Medical Academy
  • Estelle Skin Care and Spa Institute
  • G Skin & Beauty Institute
  • Hair Professionals Career College
  • Hair Professionals Career College
  • Hair Professionals School of Cosmetology
  • John Amico School of Hair Design
  • Larry's Barber College
  • Larry's Barber College
  • Larry's Barber College-Joliet
  • Networks Barber College, new since December (had no figure)
  • Paul Mitchell the School-Chicago
  • Paul Mitchell the School-Lombard
  • Paul Mitchell the School-Tinley Park
  • Phipps Academy of Barbering, new since December (had no figure)
  • Pivot Point Academy
  • Rosel School of Cosmetology
  • Steven Papageorge Hair Academy
  • The University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology
  • Trenz Beauty Academy
  • Tricoci University of Beauty Culture
  • Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Bridgeview
  • Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Chicago NW
  • Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Elgin
  • Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Libertyville
  • Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Normal
  • Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Peoria
  • Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Rockford
  • University of Spa & Cosmetology Arts

Flagged in December 2025, not now (22)

The reason is given for each. Because the benchmark and the graduating cohort changed too, coming off is not by itself evidence that graduates earn more.

  • Bell Mar Beauty College, not in the March 2026 list
  • CALC Institute of Technology, now above the benchmark
  • Cannella School of Hair Design-Chicago, not in the March 2026 list
  • Cannella School of Hair Design-Villa Park, no earnings figure now
  • City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College, now above the benchmark
  • G Skin & Beauty Institute, now above the benchmark
  • Gem City College, no earnings figure now
  • Hairmasters Institute of Cosmetology, not in the March 2026 list
  • HVAC Technical Institute, now above the benchmark
  • Illinois Media School, now above the benchmark
  • Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus, now above the benchmark
  • Midwest Technical Institute-Illinois, now above the benchmark
  • Pacific College of Health and Science, now above the benchmark
  • Paul Mitchell the School-Normal, not in the March 2026 list
  • Professional's Choice Hair Design Academy, now above the benchmark
  • Soma Institute-The National School of Clinical Massage Therapy, now above the benchmark
  • Stellar Career College, now above the benchmark
  • The Aveda Institute of Beauty and Wellness Chicago, now above the benchmark
  • Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Chicago NE, now above the benchmark
  • Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Glendale Heights, now above the benchmark
  • Universal Spa Training Academy, now above the benchmark
  • University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology, now above the benchmark

What the notice does and does not mean

  • It is informational: it does not affect federal aid eligibility, and a flagged school can still be listed and attended.
  • It describes a whole school, not a program. The Department says earnings differ by credential and field.
  • It covers graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled when earnings were measured.
  • A school with no earnings figure shows no notice. That is an absence of data, not a pass.
Add the Illinois FAFSA notice card to your website (counselors, college-access programs, schools)

Plain HTML with no script and no tracking: the state's flagged count, the previous release and the benchmark, with the notice's caveats and the source, linking back to this page and its full list of schools.

Questions about Illinois

How many Illinois schools are on the FAFSA lower earnings list?
41 schools in Illinois are flagged "lower earnings" in the Department of Education's March 2026 release, the list the 2027-28 FAFSA uses, out of 187 Illinois schools with an earnings figure. The December 2025 release, which earlier news coverage reported, flagged 61: 22 came off and 2 were added. Every one is named on this page.
Why did 22 schools in Illinois come off the list?
Of the 22 schools flagged in December 2025 and not now, 16 now clear the benchmark, 2 no longer have an earnings figure, 4 are not in the March 2026 list at all. The Department replaced the data on 22 March 2026 with a newer group of graduates (completers of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023) and a re-estimated high school benchmark, so coming off the list is not by itself evidence that a school's graduates earn more.
What earnings benchmark are Illinois schools compared with?
$34,790: the median earnings of Illinois high school graduates aged 25 to 34 in the March 2026 release, in January 2026 dollars. The December 2025 release used $34,885, in June 2025 dollars and from an earlier survey, so the two are not a like-for-like comparison. A school that mostly enrolls out-of-state students or operates in several states is compared with the national median instead, $34,635.
Does the lower earnings notice affect financial aid?
No. The Department says the notice is informational only. It does not affect eligibility for federal aid, the Student Aid Index or how the FAFSA is processed, and students can still list and attend a flagged school. It is shown only to first-year undergraduates.

More on Illinois colleges

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Sources, methodology & citation

Data snapshot: March 22, 2026. Last verified: September 25, 2026.

Sources used across this page

Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.

Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.

Methodology Data dictionary Report a correction

Suggested citation

CampusPin. (2026). Illinois schools on the FAFSA "lower earnings" list. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/research/fafsa-lower-earnings-colleges/illinois