Barber Crossover Course is a Diploma program offered by West Coast Barber College in Oceanside, CA. The program takes 10 weeks part time to complete, with a total tuition of $4,500.
Program Overview
The Barber Crossover Course is a 200 clock hour program for people who already hold a California Cosmetology license and want to add a Barbering license to their credentials. It covers the art and science of barbering, from techniques in hair, skin care and shaving to business skills and health and safety practices, and satisfies the requirements of Section 7316 of the California Barbering and Cosmetology Act.
The course is split evenly between 100 hours of haircutting and 100 hours of shaving, and requires at least 40 shaving operations to complete. It runs part time, four hours a day, for 10 weeks, in a traditional classroom and on the school salon floor, and ends with a diploma and the state Proof of Training form needed to sit the barber licensing exam.
The school states the program's mission as giving licensed cosmetologists the training and tools to become licensed barbers and to broaden their skills.
What sets this Program apart
The college’s mission. "West Coast Barber College provides students with a comprehensive course of instruction that includes haircutting, hairstyling, shaving, rest facial and all services that may be requested by a patron in a barber shop or salon. Students will learn to perform services like coloring, chemical relaxing, perms, scientific scalp massage and proper shampoo procedure. The program is designed to prepare our students to be creative and skillful barbers and prepare for entry level employment as barbers."
Admission Requirements and Process
Crossover students meet the same admission criteria as every West Coast Barber College student, listed below, and in addition must present proof of a current California Cosmetology license before enrolling and bring their own cutting and styling tools. Admission is on a rolling basis.
General Requirements
- AgeYou must be 18 years of age or older.
- Proof of high school completionA high school diploma, GED, a transcript showing high school completion, or documentation of completed homeschooling at the secondary level. A foreign diploma must be verified by a qualified outside agency that translates it and confirms its equivalence to a U.S. diploma. A transcript showing completion of at least a two-year program acceptable toward a bachelor's degree also qualifies.
- Ability to Benefit alternativeApplicants without a diploma or GED may be admitted by passing the ACCUPLACER exam with minimum scores of 233 in Reading Comprehension, 235 in Sentence Skills and 230 in Arithmetic. This route admits you but does not qualify you for Title IV funding.
- Photo identificationA valid government-issued picture ID, such as a California driver's license, another state-issued ID, or a passport.
- Social Security number or TINYou must provide your Social Security number or taxpayer identification number.
- EnglishInstruction is in English only. You must read and write English at the level of an American high school graduate. You may bring an interpreter when signing the enrollment agreement.
- Transfer studentsProvide transcripts from your prior school before enrollment; hours not documented before enrollment cannot be applied.
- California Cosmetology licensePresent proof of a current, valid California Cosmetology license before enrollment.
- Your own toolsBring clippers, outliners, neck duster, spray bottle, clipper oil, shears, all-purpose, rat-tail and tapered combs, curling iron, blow dryer, hair cape, barber jacket, tint mug and brush, clipper spray, rubber gloves, talc powder, aftershave and a mirror.
School Information
Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
Attending an accredited school means its training has been reviewed against independent standards that protect students.
This school: West Coast Barber College is accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS, school #014418-00), which lists both of its courses by name, and is approved to operate by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education.
- A reliable indicator of educational quality
- Reviewed against independent standards
- Recognized by employers and licensing boards
Accreditations
Application Process
- 1Schedule a tour or ask for an applicationCall the school at (760) 529-0898 to schedule a tour, or send your details through its contact form to receive an application to enroll.
- 2Review the catalog and fact sheetCalifornia requires the school to give you its catalog and School Performance Fact Sheet before you sign an enrollment agreement. Read both first.
- 3Complete your enrollment documentsThe administration office handles enrollment documents on Wednesdays from 2:00 to 4:00 pm, or by appointment.
- 4Turn in your materials and registration feeAdmission is rolling. If there is a waiting list, places go first come, first served to applicants who have turned in all their application materials and paid the $150 registration fee.
- 5Attend orientation and start on a TuesdayOrientation happens before your first day and earns no clock hours: you register your fingerprint for the time clock, receive your kit and review school policies. Classes start on Tuesdays whenever a place opens.
Program Schedule
The schedule. The Barber Crossover Course is offered part time only: 20 hours a week for 10 weeks. Classes run Tuesday to Friday 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and Saturday morning, with one 15-minute break. (The catalog's schedule table gives the Saturday session as 8:30 am to 12:00 pm.)
Holidays. Holidays in the 2026 catalog period are Juneteenth (6/19/26), Independence Day (7/4/26), Thanksgiving break (11/26 to 11/28/26), Christmas break (12/24 to 12/26/26) and New Year's break (12/31/26 to 1/2/27). Unexpected closures are announced by text or email.
Finishing on time. You must finish within 150% of the published length, 15 weeks and 300 scheduled hours. Progress is evaluated at 100 scheduled hours, and you must keep at least 67% cumulative attendance. Training beyond your contract end date is charged at $10 an hour.
Curriculum
The catalog lists two units of instruction, 100 hours each, summing to the course's 200 hours; both include business development and job training. The textbook is Milady's Standard Barbering, 6th Edition. (Elsewhere the catalog describes the course as "40 hours of theory and 80 hours of practical operations", figures that add up to 120 rather than 200; the unit breakdown below is the one that matches the published length.) By the end you should be able to apply scalp and hair treatments with therapeutic massage, prepare a client and perform a full shave with aftershave antiseptic and facial massage, and handle every barbering tool from clippers and trimmers to razors, curling irons and blow dryers.
Required Courses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Haircutting (including Business Development and Job Training) | 100 |
| Shaving (including Business Development and Job Training) | 100 |
| Totals | 200 |
Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid Information
Cost of the program. The catalog prices the Barber Crossover Course at $4,950 for the entire program: $4,500 tuition, a $150 registration fee, a $50 shaving kit and $250 for books. The STRF assessment and uniforms are listed at $0. The registration fee, kit and books are non-refundable. The same $4,950.00 appears as total charges for on-time completers in both years of the School Performance Fact Sheet. You provide your own clippers, outliners, shears, combs, curling iron, blow dryer, cape, barber jacket and other listed tools. The $125 state license fee is paid directly to the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology.
Extra instruction beyond your contract end date costs $10 an hour, payable before graduation.
Federal aid. The school accepts Title IV funding for the Federal Pell Grant; complete the FAFSA with school code 043076. Pell Grants do not have to be repaid. The School Performance Fact Sheet states that students at West Coast Barber College are not eligible for federal student loans, and the catalog lists Title IV "for Pell Grants only" among its payment methods. (The catalog's own financial-aid section also mentions Federal Direct Loans; the fact sheet and payment methods are the more specific statements.) The school does not participate in state financial aid.
Veterans and military families. The school is approved for Title 38 veterans education benefits and lists Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill), Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill), Chapter 31 (Veterans Readiness and Employment) and Chapter 1606 (Selected Reserve). Qualified military spouses may use MyCAA. The school is also on California's Eligible Training Provider List.
Other payment. Cash, check or money order are accepted; a $25 fee applies to returned checks. The school does not provide direct financial assistance, and may offer fee waivers or discounts for set periods, in which case every student enrolling in that period receives the same pricing.
You may cancel the enrollment agreement and receive a refund of charges paid through attendance at the first class session, or the seventh day after enrollment, whichever is later. After that, the school uses the California state-mandated policy: tuition is refunded pro rata on scheduled hours until 60% of the enrollment period has elapsed, and after 60% no tuition is refunded. The registration fee is non-refundable, and kits, books and uniforms are not refundable once received. Refunds due are paid within 45 days of the official withdrawal date.
California students who prepay tuition are protected by the state Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF); the catalog lists the current STRF assessment as $0.00.
Career Outcomes
Completing the crossover course lets a licensed cosmetologist apply for the California barber license, adding clipper, razor and shaving services to what they can legally offer. The Board requires completing the hours at an approved school, being at least 17, having completed the 10th grade or its equivalent, and passing its written and practical exams. The catalog classifies the program under CIP 12.0402 (Barbering).
The school publishes its results in two places, calculated two different ways, and both are reproduced here. Its NACCAS disclosure (created November 20, 2025) combines the Basic Barbering and Barber Crossover courses: completion 100% in 2023 and 2024, placement 100% in 2023 and 97.5% in 2024, and a state licensing exam pass rate of 91% in 2023 and 100% in 2024.
Its School Performance Fact Sheet for the Barber Crossover Course covers small groups: 5 students began in 2023 and 2 in 2024. It reports 100% on-time completion both years, every graduate employed in the field at least 30 hours a week and self-employed or freelance, no salary information reported, and first-attempt licensing exam passage of 100% (5 of 5, then 2 of 2). Its 150% completion table for 2024 lists 0 graduates beside a 100% rate, so that row does not reconcile as printed.
What to expect as a West Coast Barber College student
The campus. All instruction happens at one place: a 3,200 square foot, air-conditioned facility at 3753 Mission Ave, Suite 108, Oceanside, reachable by public transportation and sized to enroll up to 45 students at once. It has 15 fully equipped barber chairs, each with its own station, back bar, mirror and tool cabinets; 3 shampoo chairs with sinks; a laundry area; a classroom with anatomy charts and video equipment; a separate mannequin room for practicing perm wraps, relaxers and color; and a student break room.
The salon floor and the rules. The school salon floor is open to the public for low-cost services, so much of your practical training is on real clients. Students clock in and out on a fingerprint time clock, including for lunch. The dress code is a barber jacket zipped at all times, closed-toe shoes, and jeans or slacks; no head wraps, shorts, skirts or revealing clothing. Cell phones stay silent and put away during services. Arriving more than 15 minutes late can mean being sent home for the day.
Absence and support. There is no contract extension for an excused absence: six days plus school holidays are built into every student's contract end date, and 14 consecutive calendar days of absence for any reason leads to being dropped. A leave of absence of 14 to 180 days in a 12-month period can be requested in writing, and extends your contract by the same number of days. Instructors give one-on-one tutoring to students who need extra help, and a resource library of Milady texts, workbooks, exam practice books and videos can be checked out for up to three school days.
After you finish. Job placement assistance is offered to every graduate who asks for it: training in professional image, resume writing, interviewing and building a clientele, plus referrals to current barber openings posted in the break room. The school does not guarantee placement or income.
School Information
Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
Attending an accredited school means its training has been reviewed against independent standards that protect students.
This school: West Coast Barber College is accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS, school #014418-00), which lists both of its courses by name, and is approved to operate by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education.
- A reliable indicator of educational quality
- Reviewed against independent standards
- Recognized by employers and licensing boards