Training & Certification

Empire Medical Training vs AAFE

Empire Medical Training and the American Academy of Facial Esthetics (AAFE) are the two largest hands-on aesthetics academies in the United States, and for most physicians, nurses, and dentists shortlisting a Botox and filler course, the decision comes down to these two. Empire is the scale play: teaching since 1998, it claims more than 175,000 trained graduates, runs courses across 700+ location-dates in major cities, publishes its tuition openly at $1,599–$2,049 per hands-on course, and delivers CME through AKH-accredited (ACCME) joint providership. Its public reputation is strong—a 4.5-star Birdeye rating across 654 reviews—though independent critics have questioned how clearly it discloses class sizes and how much per-student injection time large sessions allow. AAFE counters with structure: more than 25,000 clinicians trained through a deliberately tiered Levels I–III curriculum with injectable product included in tuition, courses in 50+ locations, ADA CERP recognition alongside medical CE, and a distinctive heritage serving dentists crossing into facial esthetics.

Last updated June 29, 2026 · 2 vendors compared

This comparison is researched independently. Order does not reflect paid placement.

The philosophical difference is real. Empire optimizes for access—more cities, more dates, transparent pricing, and a broad catalog that runs from aesthetics into pain management and surgical workshops—so a clinician almost anywhere can find a course within driving distance next month. AAFE optimizes for progression: its level system gives a new injector a defined path from foundational neurotoxins through advanced fillers and beyond, with product bundled so the advertised price is closer to the real price. Both are large-format academies, and that is the honest caveat for each: clinicians who want very small cohorts and maximum personal needle time should also look at boutique and small-class providers such as PracticalCME or Injectables EDU before deciding.

This comparison is independently researched. Med Spa Vendor Hub does not sell rankings or accept payment for placement; we monetize through lead generation only, and our scores and verdicts are editorial.

At-a-glance comparison

Vendor	Best for	Pricing	Free trial	Demo
Empire Medical Training	Physicians, NPs, and RNs who want maximum scheduling flexibility, transparent published pricing, and ACCME-accredited CME from the largest and longest-running aesthetics academy.	$$Published tuition of $1,599–$2,049 per hands-on course, openly listed on the website—rare transparency in this market. Courses run across 700+ location-dates in major U.S. cities, with frequent promotions and multi-course bundles. CME is provided through AKH-accredited (ACCME) joint providership. Injectable product and model policies vary by course, and travel to the course city is on you, so confirm inclusions and current tuition before booking.			Profile
American Academy of Facial Esthetics (AAFE)	Clinicians—especially dentists, plus physicians and nurses—who want a structured Levels I–III progression with injectable product included in tuition and ADA CERP-recognized credit.	$$Tiered course pricing across Levels I–III, with injectable product included in tuition—so the advertised price sits closer to the real all-in cost than at academies that bill product separately. Courses run in 50+ locations nationwide. Credit is offered through ADA CERP recognition alongside continuing education for medical providers. Exact tuition varies by level and bundle, so confirm current pricing and inclusions directly with AAFE.			Profile

Vendor summaries

Empire Medical Training

Best for: Physicians, NPs, and RNs who want maximum scheduling flexibility, transparent published pricing, and ACCME-accredited CME from the largest and longest-running aesthetics academy.

Verified

$$View profile

Published tuition of $1,599–$2,049 per hands-on course, openly listed on the website—rare transparency in this market. Courses run across 700+ location-dates in major U.S. cities, with frequent promotions and multi-course bundles. CME is provided through AKH-accredited (ACCME) joint providership. Injectable product and model policies vary by course, and travel to the course city is on you, so confirm inclusions and current tuition before booking.

Largest scale in the market: training since 1998 with 175,000+ graduates claimed
700+ course location-dates across major U.S. cities for near-anywhere scheduling
Published $1,599–$2,049 tuition—unusually transparent pricing for hands-on training
AKH/ACCME-accredited CME and a strong 4.5-star Birdeye rating across 654 reviews

Advantages

Unmatched breadth of locations and dates makes it the easiest academy to actually attend
Transparent published pricing lets you budget without a sales call
ACCME-accredited CME hours count toward physician and mid-level license renewal
Catalog extends beyond aesthetics into pain management and surgical training for cross-trained practices

Limitations

Independent critics have questioned class-size disclosure and per-student hands-on injection time in large sessions
Large-format city courses cannot match the cohort intimacy of boutique small-class academies
Injectable product and model policies vary by course and must be confirmed per booking

American Academy of Facial Esthetics (AAFE)

Best for: Clinicians—especially dentists, plus physicians and nurses—who want a structured Levels I–III progression with injectable product included in tuition and ADA CERP-recognized credit.

Verified

$$View profile

Tiered course pricing across Levels I–III, with injectable product included in tuition—so the advertised price sits closer to the real all-in cost than at academies that bill product separately. Courses run in 50+ locations nationwide. Credit is offered through ADA CERP recognition alongside continuing education for medical providers. Exact tuition varies by level and bundle, so confirm current pricing and inclusions directly with AAFE.

Structured Levels I–III curriculum that gives new injectors a defined progression path
Injectable product included in tuition, keeping advertised price close to true cost
ADA CERP recognition plus medical CE, with 25,000+ clinicians trained
Deep dental-aesthetics heritage that makes it the default crossover path for dentists

Advantages

Level system rewards returning students with a coherent path from fundamentals to advanced technique
Included product removes the per-unit surprise fees common elsewhere in the market
Strongest dental crossover credentialing in the category via ADA CERP
50+ locations provide solid national coverage for a structured curriculum

Limitations

Smaller footprint than Empire—fewer cities and dates means less scheduling flexibility
Tuition is less transparently published than Empire's, typically requiring level-by-level confirmation
Large-format sessions still can't match tiny-cohort boutiques for per-student needle time

The verdict

Choose Empire Medical Training if access and transparency matter most: with courses since 1998, 175,000+ graduates, 700+ location-dates, openly published $1,599–$2,049 tuition, and ACCME-accredited CME through AKH, it is the easiest serious academy to actually attend—just press for written class-size and per-student injection-time answers, since that is where independent criticism has landed. Choose AAFE if you want structure over sprawl: its Levels I–III progression with product included in tuition, ADA CERP plus medical CE, and 25,000+ clinicians trained make it the better-architected path for a new injector—and the clear default for dentists. For most physicians and nurses the call is Empire for breadth, locations, and price transparency versus AAFE for curriculum progression and all-in pricing honesty; both are large-format, so if tiny cohorts and maximum personal needle time are your top priority, shortlist PracticalCME or Injectables EDU alongside whichever of these two you prefer.

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Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper, Empire Medical Training or AAFE?

On sticker price they land in the same standard hands-on band, but they price differently. Empire publishes tuition openly at $1,599–$2,049 per course, which makes budgeting easy, though product and model policies vary by course. AAFE's tiered Levels I–III pricing is less openly published, but injectable product is included in tuition, so its advertised price sits closer to your real all-in cost. Compare the all-in number—tuition plus product plus travel—for the specific course and city you'd attend, and confirm current pricing with both academies before booking.

How do Empire's and AAFE's accreditations differ?

Empire delivers CME through joint providership with AKH, an ACCME-accredited provider, which is the gold-standard pathway for physician continuing medical education and also serves NPs and RNs. AAFE offers continuing education recognized through ADA CERP—the dental profession's benchmark—alongside CE for medical providers. Practically: physicians and mid-levels will find Empire's ACCME pathway maps most directly to their license renewal, while dentists get the cleanest credit through AAFE. Both are real accreditations, well above the bare 'certificate of completion' much of this market sells.

Which academy gives more hands-on injection time?

Neither publishes per-student injection metrics rigorously enough to declare a winner, and both are large-format academies. Empire's scale has drawn independent criticism specifically around class-size disclosure and how much personal needle time students get in bigger sessions; AAFE's included product guarantees you inject during the course, but its sessions are also sizable. Ask both, in writing, for the class size, instructor ratio, and units you will personally inject at your specific course date. If maximum needle time is your top criterion, also evaluate small-cohort providers like PracticalCME or Injectables EDU.

I'm a dentist adding facial esthetics—which should I choose?

AAFE is the natural fit. It was built substantially around dentists crossing into facial esthetics, its ADA CERP recognition means the hours slot directly into dental license renewal, and its Levels I–III structure takes you from foundational neurotoxins through advanced technique in a sequence designed for clinicians new to facial injections. Empire trains dentists too and offers more locations, but its accreditation pathway and course culture center on medical CME. Unless Empire's scheduling advantage is decisive for you, dentists get more purpose-built value at AAFE.

Are Empire or AAFE certificates enough to legally inject in my state?

No course from any academy changes your legal scope of practice. What you may inject, under whose supervision, and with what delegation paperwork is set by your state's medical, nursing, or dental board—not by a training certificate. Both Empire and AAFE train licensed clinicians whose scope already permits injection under applicable state rules. Before booking either, verify your board's position on injectables for your license type, and treat the course as documentation of competence, not permission to practice.

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