
Long Beach, CAprivate forprofitjohnwesleybarberbeauty365.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.
John Wesley International Barber and Beauty College is a hyper-focused, no-frills trade school in Long Beach where the only curriculum is the clipper and the comb. With an open-door admissions policy and a tiny, hands-on student body, it’s a direct pipeline into the skilled trades, bypassing the liberal arts entirely for a fast, practical education in barbering and cosmetology. This is a place where graduation rates are surprisingly robust, and the measure of success is a steady chair and a loyal clientele.
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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.
The admissions process at John Wesley is about as straightforward as it gets: if you apply, you're in. The school maintains an open admission policy, which translates to a 100% . There's no gatekeeping based on test scores or academic rank; the primary barrier to entry is a desire to learn the trade. The student body is intimate, with total enrollment reported at 57 students in 2024, creating a cohort-style learning environment where everyone knows each other.
The academic offering is laser-focused: barbering and cosmetology, period. Described as offering only two majors—Barbering/Barber and Cosmetology/Cosmetologist—the curriculum is a deep dive into the craft, not a broad exploration of general education. The program structure involves a daily hour of theory each morning, followed by hands-on practical work, with weekly exams covering topics from study skills to the science of hair, professional techniques, and the business side of barbering. This is a full-immersion, vocational training ground where the classroom is the salon floor.
Don't expect a traditional residential college experience. John Wesley is an off-campus, commuter school located at 920 Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach. There are no dorms, no sprawling quads, and no Division I sports teams. Student life revolves around the clinic floor and the relationships built within the small, dedicated class. The environment is professional and practical from day one, mirroring the real-world salon and barbershop dynamics students will enter after graduation. It's a place to hone a craft, not join a fraternity.
For a trade school, John Wesley posts strong completion metrics, with one source citing an 83% graduation rate. The payoff is direct entry into a service industry. According to the provided canonical figures, the median earnings ten years after entry are $23,643. Other data points to a median earnings figure of $16,144 one year after graduation, suggesting early-career income that grows with experience and clientele building. The outcome here isn't a bachelor's degree; it's a state license and the immediate ability to generate an income.
The sticker price for tuition is listed at $16,650, with other sources noting figures around $15,250. However, financial aid is widely available, with 95% of full-time beginning undergraduates receiving grant or scholarship aid. The average aid award is reported to be $7,275 per year. The canonical average after aid is $14,158, which aligns with other sources. This makes the program a significant but focused investment, with costs directly tied to the credential and licensure that leads to employment.
John Wesley International Barber and Beauty College stands out precisely because it rejects the model of a traditional liberal arts college. It is a pure, unapologetic trade school. Its singularity lies in its extreme focus: two programs, one mission. It serves a specific student seeking a specific, tangible skill set, offering a direct, efficient, and practical path to a career. In an era of soaring university costs and debates about the value of a degree, John Wesley represents the other end of the spectrum—a short, sharp, vocational training that leads directly to a job where skill is the ultimate currency. Its high graduation rate within this niche is a testament to its effective, no-distractions approach.



