Alabama School of Barbering & Esthetics, LLC - Decatur, Alabama

Chris Matice

I have very mixed feelings about this school but will start with the positives:

Pros
The instructor is willing to work with your schedule. I worked part time all the way through and never had an issue with missing classes if I had to work.

The atmosphere is very laid back. The instructor tries to make the classes as relaxing and easy as possible.

This school will give you all the tools you need to pass the state board exam which is the point of going to school in the first place.

You will be working on real clients from the time you start. Some other schools require you to complete weeks of classes before they let you work on real clients.

Cons
You will not be prepared to work in a shop. This is not uncommon of Barber schools though. I did however lose a job because of it.

Rules and instructions were often poorly communicated causing confusion

Instructor would often talk about students behind their back

Instructor would excessively leave during class time or cancel class to run errands/attend appointments/ take care of personal matters. Obviously it is understandable to need to do this on occasion but it often felt as though class was not his biggest priority during class time

So that’s my take on the school. Certainly not great but also not bad. I would not recommend it though.

brittiany mcbay

I am beyond pleased with my educational experience at Alabama School of Barbering. My barbering background was nonexistent. Mr. Rice took me from, never having picked up a set of clippers to being a stand alone barber in my very own shop in less than a year. Trust the process, take advantage of his instruction, and his years of experience. Mr. Rice will push you to challenge yourself, set goals, and absolutely conquer them. He is your best cheerleader along the way, always coming through with an encouraging word to boost your confidence when you’re feeling doubtful of your abilities. I could never thank Mr. Rice and Alabama School of Barbering enough for equipping me with the skills I needed to be living out my dream career. Thank you, thank you, thank you! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️?♥️

Molly MacKay

I can’t say enough good things about this school. To begin, Mr. Rice is extremely accommodating and understanding of personal schedules, which is a huge deal for people like me with crazy life schedules. Before attending Alabama School of Barbering, I attended a cosmetology school in Madison, AL. That school was ran like a military camp and they did not care if you had anything personal come up. Mr. Rice has been nothing but understanding with me and I’ve appreciated it greatly. Another positive of this school is the learning style. I was cutting hair within my first week of school. I feel like this has helped me a ton. Most schools will make you wait a certain amount of time before you get real, hands-on experience and it feels like a waste of time and money. However, Mr. Rice had me cutting hair very fast and it’s helped me tremendously. I also like the “trouble shooting” approach to his teaching. He’s there with us when we’re first starting out, but then gives us freedom and let’s us try to figure out a cut on our own instead of babysitting us. He’s there, of course, if we have questions, but this style of learning has been great for me personally. If I’ve ever had a question about how to do a certain haircut, Mr. Rice is there to show me how to accomplish the end goal. He has even shown me multiple ways of getting the same result. He’s very supportive. In the end, YOU GET OUT OF THIS SCHOOL WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT! If you are willing to listen, learn and at least TRY, you will reap the benefits this school has to offer. I’m so happy I found Alabama School of Barbering!

Chloe Roberts

I started Alabama school of barbering back in February, really excited to learn a new trade and start a career in barbering. I was so excited and motivated to go to class everyday. Mr. Rice was very welcoming and made me feel like I was at home. As soon as I started, I was hands on, which was scary, but he took the time to help me cut the most awesome fade I have ever done. After a couple of months and as more students started coming in, things started changing. After about two months, I was no longer learning from my instructor. I was totally stranded and very confused. As someone who has never cut hair before, I felt the need to have my instructor in the room with me while I was cutting hair. My motivation slowly started going away, so I tried talking to Mr. Rice about everything. He was very willing to listen, but nothing seemed to change. I believe that in a school, the instructor should be teaching and not leave it to the students to trouble shoot, and work on the hair together. It’s very distracting and very disheartening. I was told that my schedule would be worked with for me to take a break due to work. During that time, I really sat back and thought if this school was benefiting to me, so after a couple of weeks, I decided to withdraw in which he told me he had already notified state I had stopped coming. Did I lose my hours? Did I lose part of my tuition money? What goes on with that? There is a lack of communication. I 100% enjoyed and loved this school when I first started, and I am so thankful for the amazing people I met while in school, but I do feel like I was scammed and taken advantage of.

Mario Cruz

My honest review as an experienced barber and after going to this school for about 5 months I suggest If you really want to learn how to cut hair and become a barber don’t expect to learn that at this school. At the beginning it all seemed pretty great for a few weeks, but shortly after I noticed we were never learning anything new and never stayed on track. The instructor seemed to always have a lot going on and trying to multitask during class hours not giving the students his full attention. He hardly ever shows the students anything hand on, instead he finds a YouTube video and tells us to just replicate it. After being so excited of expanding my education I was really let down by the outcome of this school slowly losing motivation to even continue doing hair. I have decided to no longer continue school here along with 2 other classmates doing the same.

Yarnell Mutumba

The absolute best program in Alabama for esthetics and barbering! Good combination of in class and hands on teaching. Very dedicated instructors who's individual passion helped boost confidence in students. It can get hard, but also so incredibly rewarding. Trust the Process. This program has made me extremely passionate about what I do, and with the encouragement of Mr. Rice and his administration I have started my own successful esthetics business!

Stone Blackwell

i graduated from Alabama School of Barbering recently. i toured many schools across 3 states and even attended some schooling at another facility, and this school was the best of them all. i’m more than satisfied with my schooling experience. i’m grateful for Mr. Rice and all of the knowledge and experience i’ve gained from him, and the passion that’s grown for barbering because of it. i’ve learned all of the basics to hair cutting, and i’m well prepared for my state board exams. thank you Bill and Kristin for operating a more than exceptional school and giving me the opportunity to pursue my dream! i’ll always refer people who are interested in barbering or esthetics. if you have interest in either of these fields, i suggest to check into it. i’m very happy with where i am now because of Mr. Rice!

Vincent Estrada

I was welcomed with open arms here! Loved the students enthusiasm and instructors teaching methods. I recently moved to Decatur and needed a place I could trust to do my hair. Im glad I trusted them. I got tips and instructions on how to better care for my hair. Overall a fun, welcoming, and educational place. Thank you guys!!