
Jacksonville, FLprivate forprofitfirstcoastbarberacademy.com/
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
First Coast Barber Academy is Jacksonville's no-nonsense trade school for aspiring barbers, where students get hands-on training from instructors with over 80 years of combined experience. With a 90% acceptance rate and a laser focus on barbering, it’s a fast track to the clippers—not a traditional college experience, but a practical one for those serious about the craft.
More details
Outcomes & value
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Campus & location
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
First Coast Barber Academy keeps its doors wide open, with a 90% acceptance rate—admitting 27 out of 30 applicants in 2024. There’s no SAT or ACT requirement, and the process is streamlined for aspiring barbers ready to jump into the trade. The school’s 17-year track record and faculty’s deep industry experience (80+ combined years) make it a pragmatic choice for those bypassing traditional academia.
The curriculum is singular: Barbering/Barber, with about 12 graduates annually. A 30:1 student-to-faculty ratio means close supervision in the studio, though the 42% retention rate suggests some students pivot quickly if the trade isn’t for them. No frills here—just 1,200 hours of Florida-mandated training, blending theory with live client work in the academy’s in-house shop.
With just 50 students, the vibe is more like a tight-knit workshop than a campus. Urban Jacksonville offers off-campus distractions, but days are packed with hands-on practice—Yelp reviewers praise the $10 haircuts by students. No dorms, no clubs: this is a commuter school where the 'social scene' is the buzz of clippers and shop talk.
Graduates report median earnings of $36,427 one year out, though data varies widely (some sources cite as low as $16,917). The academy doesn’t publish formal job placement rates, but the focus on licensure prep—Florida’s barber exam is the finish line—means most alumni head straight to local shops or chair rentals.
Tuition runs $15,749 after aid, with 100% of students receiving grants averaging $2,969. Scholarships for future barbers (like the $500–$2,500 awards highlighted by niche sites) help bridge gaps. It’s a fraction of a four-year degree’s cost, but students should budget for tools and licensing fees post-grad.
This isn’t a place for keg stands or philosophy minors—it’s a trade school with a barber pole heartbeat. The academy’s edge is its hyper-specificity: no gen-ed requirements, just scalp-deep training from seasoned pros. For Jacksonville locals eyeing a chair at Supercuts or their own shop, it’s the quickest route to a license and a paycheck.



