Mesa Barber School

Jaime

a month ago

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I want to share my experience in a constructive way for prospective students and for Blanca, the owner of Mesa Barber School. I left a stable job in finance to pursue barbering full time and put my trust in Blanca after our initial consultation. I’m thankful for the traditional foundation I received, but I also believe it’s important to be transparent since barber school is a serious investment. PROS Mesa Barber School has competitive tuition compared to other programs in the area. When I researched schools, International Barber College in Chandler was nearly $8,000 more because they are accredited and accept federal financial aid and GI Bill benefits. For students not planning to use federal aid, Mesa’s pricing may be appealing. The program provides a strong traditional foundation. If your goal is to learn old-school barbering such as high and tight fades, clipper-over-comb, detachable blades, straight razor work, and traditional flat tops, this school delivers that. I especially appreciated the focus on clipper-over-comb. Coming out of school, I felt confident with that technique, and it still benefits me today. Traditional flat tops are also taught, which is becoming a lost skill in modern shops. When clients request them at my current shop, they’re often surprised how few barbers can execute them well and express that my flat tops are some of the best they’ve seen. I credit that to Blanca. Blanca also teaches classic services like scalp and face massages and provides business education on opening a shop. Guest speakers covered taxes and setting up an LLC, which was valuable exposure. Danny is a kind person who cares about students. When Blanca was present and actively teaching, I felt I gained more clarity and would have appreciated her being in person more consistently. AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT Mesa Barber School does not offer traditional federal financial aid. They provide in-house financing that must be paid off by graduation. Blanca did explain this clearly during my initial meeting, which I appreciated, but students should fully understand this when planning financially. Blanca is the owner, and they also operate another location in East Mesa run by her husband. During my consultation, I expected she would be more consistently involved in teaching. During my time there, most daily instruction was handled by Danny. Clear expectations around this would help future students. The student-to-instructor ratio was challenging. There were often 20 or more students with only one instructor present. It sometimes felt like you had to fight for help. More structured one-on-one guidance would strengthen the experience. The curriculum strongly leans traditional and discourages plastic guards. Traditional methods have value, but plastic guards are standard tools in modern barbershops, especially for darker fades and efficiency. When I asked Blanca about techniques like palm-to-palm cutting or darker fades using plastic guards, those methods were dismissed rather than discussed openly. I would have respected a straightforward acknowledgment of unfamiliarity more than dismissing them. Incorporating proper training with plastic guards alongside traditional methods would better prepare students for real-world pace. State exam preparation was mostly self-directed, and more structured review would help students feel more confident. FINAL THOUGHTS I’m thankful for the traditional foundation I received, including flat tops, clipper-over-comb confidence, classic services, and business exposure. Barbering continues to evolve. Updating the curriculum to better balance traditional techniques with modern tools, including proper training with plastic guards, and having Blanca more consistently present in person would strengthen the program. If Blanca is ever interested in hearing more about my experience, she is welcome to reach out. I share this simply as perspective from someone now working in the industry. I hope this helps future students make an informed decision and helps the school’s growth and success

Beatriz Lopez

a month ago

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I’m so grateful for attending this barber school. Blanca and Danny have provided excellent training and resources. Thank you both for being attentive and supportive throughout my course. I highly recommend this school for those seeking this career!

Kyle

a month ago

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I went to this school to learn my trade as a barber and let me tell you Blanca / Danny and Manny are great they are amazing instructors and all around great people. They have 2 school locations. I learned a ton from them and I highly recommend going here if you want to get your Barber license

Sally Gougeon

a month ago

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I parked behind the building with full permission from the shopping center security guard while waiting for my mechanic appointment. It was in the shade and I was trying to stay cool. There was a Karen who came up to me and started taking pictures of my vehicle and telling me that she owns the shopping center parking lot because she pays CAM fees. She was wearing a Mesa Barber School polo, so I’m assuming she was either the tenant or an instructor. She got on the phone and told me she was going to get me trespassed. Never once did she ask me who I was or what I was doing there even though it wasn’t any of her business. I was merely sitting inside my vehicle waiting for my appointment. I can’t imagine how she treats the students if she treats a stranger like this. Whatever makes her unhappy (I’m assuming life choices) shouldn’t be a reason to treat other people disrespectfully. Good luck if you decide to become a student here.

Joseph Morris

2 months ago

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Great prices but SLOW. Teach these students how to work and don’t let them go on break or leave when there is a whole shop full of waiting customers!! Also, get another instructor in to help. Don’t come here unless you have NOTHING to do ALL day

Andrew Squires

5 months ago

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Conveniently located barber school and shop in Mesa. Got a nice cut and fade last week from Zay with a little help from Danny. Always busy, well kept up shop, and friendly staff. Great experience, highly recommend!

Edis

5 months ago

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Blanca, Danny, Zay, and Ethan have been amazing! I’m super surprised all professional and kind they are. The haircuts are very thorough because the instructor make sure that each haircut comes out perfect checking at different stages. Ethan was awesome. He said I was his third haircut and my haircut looks as good as someone cutting hair for 10 years, I’m literally in shock how good my hair looks. I have a beard and a particular haircut yet Zay & Ethan killed it! They are super down to earth too! The shop is super friendly, professional and affordable! 10 dollars for a haircut!

Kevin Cotter

9 months ago

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Talented instructors, such a professional school. No better place to learn barbering. This school treats everyone like family and their success shows. I owe them for changing my life. Danny and Blanca are impressive professionals with beautiful personalities. Mesa barber school has my endorsement for life.

Shawn Thomas

Edited 2 years ago

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Originally added 3 months ago but bumping up to five stars: I've been coming here for a good seven or eight years. Mostly it's good and usually it's pretty fast. Every vibe from the owners/staff is entirely positive. Prices have certainly gone up substantially over the years. I am nonetheless reevaluating whether to go back to professional barbers. A few times recently I've been sent away by some of the more advanced students without a check from the supervisor. Later I realize that they did a sloppy job or could have polished it off a bit better. Last time, I asked for a tweak that was only done on one side for some reason. I guess I could be more vocal and attentive but I just want a decent cut from somebody with a better eye than me. There have only been a handful of times in all these years where the supervisor didn't have any feedback or fine-tuning to apply so I do kinda want that check and I don't want to be in a position where I have to awkwardly demand it. And I did once decide to pay for a shave and fully regretted that experience. Nothing about it was relaxing and it was in fact an agonizing ordeal. Hopefully that was a solid learning opportunity for the student but I would never pay for it again. Today I forgot that they close at 4pm and I arrived a few minutes after. I don't expect to be accommodated especially when there is already a wait list. What was off-putting was the way I was flatly and simply told "It's too late." as I walked through the door. I realize that perhaps it's a lot to ask that students won't make mistakes in both the technical and social fronts. There are though ways to communicate that message with a more friendly and apologetic tone and maybe that will be addressed. It still leaves me reconsidering whether the discount is a reasonable tradeoff for me. All of the above was genuine feedback yet I don't feel it warranted a star deduction. I have occasionally tried out a few other places during a holiday break or because I needed a cut on a day they're closed yet none of them were an improvement in any sense and certainly not any cheaper.

Stephen

2 years ago

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I've been coming here for years and it's always been a good experience at a fair price. It's a barber school so it does take longer and occasionally things get missed. Their supervisor/instructors check pretty closely. Today was an off experience so it's why the 4 stars. The student's work was checked and he was told to clean up some uneven cuts. He worked on it and said we were done without a recheck. I ignored it... Got home and it really wasn't correct but not bad. My biggest concern was the student got a cell phone call during the haircut and chatted on the phone while cutting my hair... Not a good image to allow for a person learning a trade... Good thing I wasn't getting a razor cut! Anyway.... Mistakes do happen and I hope the cell phone call was just missed by the instructor..... I will be back...