Here’s a concise cost comparison for several commonly‑listed barber schools in Illinois (figures are the schools’ published tuition / tuition+fees for the 2024–2025 or 2025 reporting year shown on public school-data pages). Tuition shown is for the standard barbering program only — expect additional charges for books, kit/supplies, fees, and living costs.

Summary (tuition / tuition & fees for barber program)

• Networks Barber College — Chicago: $19,400. (CollegeTuitionCompare.com)
• Paul Mitchell The School (Chicago / Lombard campuses reported): approx. $24,075 (reported tuition for campus trade programs; barber program listings show higher-range figures ~$22k–$24k). (CollegeEvaluator.com)
• Phipps Academy of Barbering (Richton Park / Bradley): $18,500. (UnivStats.com)
• Larry’s Barber College (Chicago campus): $16,190 (Chicago campus reported); Larry’s Barber College — Joliet campus: $18,540 (separate campus listing). (UnivStats.com)

Notes and what these numbers do and don’t include

• These tuition figures generally cover classroom instruction for the full barbering program. They frequently do NOT include:
  • books, kit and supplies (commonly $1,000–$3,500 depending on school),
  • registration or licensing exam fees,
  • living expenses/room & board (if you move to attend),
  • optional fees (uniforms, extra classes, supplies replacement). The school pages I used list typical additional book/supplies and COA estimates. (CollegeTuitionCompare.com)
• Program length varies (many Illinois barber programs are ~1,000–1,500 hours). Hour count affects total cost per program — confirm hours for each campus. (CollegeTuitionCompare.com)

Quick comparison tips

• If up‑front tuition is most important: Larry’s Barber College (Chicago campus) shows one of the lower published tuitions (~$16k) among these examples. (UnivStats.com)
• If program length or reputation matters, compare hours-to-cost (cost per hour), graduation/placement rates, and licensing prep — a higher tuition might reflect a longer / more comprehensive program. Check each school’s program hours and graduate/licensure pass rates. (CollegeTuitionCompare.com)
• Ask about financial aid, scholarships, and payment plans — many trade schools report average financial aid amounts which can materially reduce out‑of‑pocket cost. (Example: some schools report average aid in the $3k–$6k range). (UnivStats.com)

If you want, I can:

• Build a side‑by‑side table with tuition, reported books/kit cost, program hours, and a direct citation for each specific campus you care about (I’ll pull the latest published page for each campus).
• Or look up any other Illinois barber schools (e.g., Empire Beauty/other local barber colleges) and add them to the comparison.

Which would you like me to include next?