Basic Barbering Course is a Diploma program offered by West Coast Barber College in Oceanside, CA. The program takes 25 weeks full time to complete, with a total tuition of $15,500.
Program Overview
The Basic Barbering Course at West Coast Barber College is a 1,000 clock hour program that prepares you to become a licensed barber in California and to start work in a barber shop or salon. The school describes it as a comprehensive course covering every service a patron may ask for in a barber shop: haircutting, hairstyling, shaving and facials, along with coloring, chemical relaxing, perms, scientific scalp massage and proper shampoo procedure.
The catalog divides the hours into 200 hours of theory and 800 hours of practical operations, taught in a traditional classroom and on the school salon floor. The course of study satisfies the requirements of Section 7316 of the California Barbering and Cosmetology Act, and graduates receive a diploma from the school along with the Proof of Training form the state requires before you can sit the licensing exam.
The school states its mission for the program as helping meet the area's workforce training needs by giving students the skills and competencies to become licensed barbers in California and gain entry-level employment.
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
West Coast Barber College is accepting students for admission once the admission criteria have been met. Open enrollment allows students to enroll anytime openings exist, and classes start on Tuesdays. Students are admitted on a rolling basis; in the event of a waiting list, students are admitted on a first come, first serve basis from those who have turned in all their application materials and paid their registration fee.
General Requirements
- 18 Years or OlderMust be 18 years of age or older.
- High School Diploma or GEDProvide a copy of a High School Diploma, GED, a transcript showing high school completion, documentation proving completion of homeschooling at the secondary level as defined by…
- Government-Issued Photo IDApplicant must provide a valid, government-issued picture ID, such as a California Driver's license, other state issued ID, or Passport.
- Social Security Number or TINProvide their Social Security number or TIN.
- Ability-to-Benefit ExamWest Coast Barber College accepts Ability-to-Benefit students for those not meeting the GED or High School Diploma requirement, using the ACCUPLACER exam. Minimum scores to be…
- Transfer Student TranscriptsTransfer students shall provide transcripts from prior instructional institution before enrollment. Failure to provide the required documentation of previous training prior to…
Application Process
- 1Schedule a TourSchedule a tour of West Coast Barber College in Oceanside to see the school and learn about the program.
- 2Submit Application MaterialsContact admissions to turn in your enrollment application and required admission documents and pay the registration fee. Students are admitted on a rolling basis from those who have turned in all their application materials and paid their registration fee.
- 3Complete the FAFSAFinancial aid (Pell Grant) is available for those who qualify. Complete the FAFSA application to see if you qualify.FAFSA Code for Oceanside: 043076Fill Out the FAFSA
- 4Sign the Enrollment AgreementReview the school catalog and the School Performance Fact Sheet, then complete enrollment documents with Administration (Wednesdays 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm, or by appointment).
- 5Attend OrientationStudent orientation occurs prior to the first day of class. At orientation students register their fingerprints for the clock-in system, receive their kit and review school procedures and policies with school staff.
- 6Start ClassOpen enrollment allows students to enroll anytime openings exist; classes start on Tuesdays.
Program Schedule
The school is open Tuesday through Saturday. Full time (40 hours a week, 25 weeks): Tuesday to Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, with a 30-minute lunch and two 15-minute breaks. Part time (20 hours a week, 50 weeks): Tuesday to Friday 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and Saturday 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, with one 15-minute break.
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.
You must finish within 150% of the published length: 37.5 weeks and 1,500 scheduled hours on the full-time schedule, or 75 weeks and 1,500 scheduled hours part time. Progress is evaluated at 450 and 900 scheduled hours, and you must keep at least 67% cumulative attendance. Training needed beyond your contract end date is charged at $10 an hour.
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
Student Demographics
These are demographics for all students at the Oceanside Campus (IPEDS, 2024).
Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid Information
Cost of the program. The catalog prices the Basic Barbering Course at $16,500 for the entire program: $15,500 tuition, a $150 registration fee, a $600 barber 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 $16,500.00 appears as total charges for on-time completers in both years of the School Performance Fact Sheet. The California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology's $125 license fee is paid by you directly to the state and is not part of the school's charges.
Extra instruction beyond your contract end date costs $10 an hour, payable before graduation, and a $150 registration fee applies again if you re-enroll after withdrawing. Transcripts are $10.
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.
Curriculum
The catalog breaks the 1,000 hours into seven units of instruction, listed below and summing to exactly 1,000. The textbook is Milady's Standard Barbering, 6th Edition. Coursework is assessed with quizzes, written exams and practical tests; you need a cumulative 70% grade average, and a 75% or higher on the school's final practical exam, to graduate. By the end you should be able to sanitize tools and your station, book clients and take payment, cut with clippers, trimmers, shears, razors and thinning shears, perform thermal styling, pressing, finger waves and pin curls, carry out perms, color, bleaching and relaxers, apply scalp treatments with massage, and prepare and perform a full shave.
The required courses below are from West Coast Barber College's published catalog.
Required Courses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Health and Safety | 100 |
| Disinfection and Sanitation | 100 |
| Chemical Hair Services | 200 |
| Hairstyling Services | 300 |
| Shaving and Trimming of the Beard | 200 |
| Acts and Regulations | 50 |
| Business Development and Job Training | 50 |
| Totals | 1,000 |
Required Courses
| Name |
|---|
| Health and Safety |
| Disinfection and Sanitation |
| Chemical Hair Services |
| Hairstyling Services |
| Shaving and Trimming of the Beard |
| Acts and Regulations |
| Business Development and Job Training |
| Totals |
Career Outcomes
The course prepares you for entry-level work as a licensed barber. To be licensed in California you must complete the required hours at a Board-approved school, be at least 17, have completed the 10th grade or its equivalent, and pass the Board's written and practical exams. The catalog classifies the program under CIP 12.0402 (Barbering). Applicants with criminal convictions are encouraged to check with the Board before enrolling whether a conviction would bar them from the exam.
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 Basic Barbering Course, filed with the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, reports on-time completion of 20% in 2023 (9 of 44) and 63% in 2024 (24 of 38), and completion within 150% of the program length of 93% in 2023 (41 of 44) and 100% in 2024 (38 of 38). It reports every graduate available for work as employed in the field (41 in 2023, 38 in 2024), all working at least 30 hours a week and all self-employed or freelance, with no salary information reported for any of them. First-attempt licensing exam passage was 85% in 2023 (35 of 41) and 82% in 2024 (31 of 38).
The fact sheet also carries the state-required notice that barbering work is usually freelance or self-employment: it may not be consistent, hours can be more or less than a standard week, and you can expect unpaid time building your network and clientele.
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.