Theory & demo
Technique breakdowns, sanitation, skin and hair science, and New York law — what passes the written exam and keeps clients safe.
Home / The Training Experience / Bronx Campus
Bronx Campus · Westchester Square
Learn to barber in the east Bronx
ABI’s Bronx campus sits at 121 Westchester Square, a short walk from the 6 train. Training here is overwhelmingly hands-on: after the fundamentals, you spend most of your 500 hours cutting real, paying clients on a supervised clinic floor. In about 4 months full-time — or 6–7 months on weekends — you go from first fade to State-Board ready, close to home.
NYS-Licensed
500 Hours · ~4 Months
6 Train · Westchester Sq
GI Bill® & ACCES-VR
Real Clinic Floor
Bronx Admissions: (718) 676-0640
By the Numbers
Same license, closer to home
The Bronx floor runs the exact same 500-hour Master Barber program as Manhattan — the difference is location and the local clientele you learn on.
500
Training hours required
4
Months full-time
1
Stop from the 6 train
30+
Years training barbers
Why Train Here
The Bronx is a barbering borough
Shops line the avenues, styles move fast, and the clientele is as varied as any place in the country — which is exactly what makes it a serious place to learn. You build your skills on the real, diverse heads of hair you’ll see the day you start working.
For a lot of students it’s also simply the practical choice: it’s close to home, close to the 6 train, and it means less time commuting and more time on the clippers. Many come from the east Bronx and Westchester County because it lets them train without uprooting their week.
Explore the 500-Hour Program
A Day on the Clinic Floor
Most of the day, you’re cutting
The biggest surprise for new students is how little of the day is spent sitting and listening. Barbering is a skill of the hands, so training is built around doing — you get the theory you need, but the heart of the program is the floor.
Guided practice
Mannequin work, clipper and shear control, razor lineups — building muscle memory before you touch a live client.
Clinic floor
Real Bronx clients, real haircuts, instructor supervision — where skill turns into speed, confidence, and a book of your own.
Exam prep
Timed practical run-throughs and board-style checks that remove the surprises on State Board day.
Why the Floor Changes Everything
A certificate, or a career
“By graduation you’re not someone who can cut hair — you’re someone who already has, on diverse hair types, hundreds of times.”
Cutting a mannequin and cutting a nervous first-time client are different skills. On the Bronx clinic floor you practice the whole job — the consultation, the conversation, the timing, the pressure of getting it right on a real head of hair — while it’s still safe to make and fix mistakes. That’s the difference between a certificate and a career.
Getting to 121 Westchester Square
An easy trip, however you commute
The campus is in Westchester Square, a walkable, well-connected pocket of the east Bronx at 121 Westchester Square, Bronx, NY 10461.
By subway
Take the 6 train to Westchester Square–East Tremont Avenue — a short walk to campus.
By bus
The Bx4, Bx8, Bx31, Bx40 and Bx42 all serve the Westchester Square area.
By car
Minutes from the Cross Bronx and Bruckner Expressways, with street parking nearby.
From Westchester County
A quick drive down from the north, or a Metro-North + subway connection.
Who You’ll Train Alongside
No single kind of person — that’s the point
On any given day the Bronx floor is a mix of people, most from the east Bronx and Westchester, all sharing the drive to work and the willingness to show up.
Career-changers
Leaving a job that never fit, betting on a trade they can own.
Recent grads
Who’d rather learn a skill with their hands than sit in a lecture hall.
Parents & workers
Fitting training around a full life on the weekend or afternoon schedule.
Veterans
Using GI Bill® benefits to fund a second career.
ACCES-VR participants
Whose training can be state-funded through vocational rehabilitation.
Locals from the east Bronx
Who want to train close to home and start working in the neighborhood they know.
Fitting training around your Bronx life
The 500-hour requirement is fixed; the pace is not. Full-time students finish in about four months. Weekend students finish in roughly six to seven months while keeping a job. Every track leads to the same New York Master Barber license — the only thing that changes is how it fits your week.
Understand the money on tuition & funding, or talk it through with admissions at (718) 676-0640. New classes begin the first Monday of every month.
Book a Tour of the Bronx Campus
Fill out the form and an Admissions Advisor will reach out to set up your visit to 121 Westchester Square.
Frequently Asked
Bronx campus questions
Where exactly is the Bronx campus?
121 Westchester Square, Bronx, NY 10461 — in the Westchester Square neighborhood of the east Bronx, a short walk from the 6 train and served by several bus lines.
What’s the best way to get there?
The 6 train to Westchester Square–East Tremont Avenue is closest. The Bx4, Bx8, Bx31, Bx40 and Bx42 buses serve the area, and there’s street parking for drivers coming off the Cross Bronx or Bruckner Expressways.
Is the training the same as the Manhattan campus?
Yes — same 500-hour program, same hands-on clinic-floor approach, and the same New York Master Barber license. The difference is location and the local clientele you learn on.
How long does it take and how many hours?
New York requires 500 training hours. That’s about 4 months full-time or 6–7 months on a weekend schedule, followed by the State Board exam. See tuition & funding for plans and payment options.
Can I visit before I decide?
Absolutely. You can book a tour to walk the clinic floor, meet instructors, and ask questions. New classes begin the first Monday of every month, so it helps to visit early.
Can I use veterans or ACCES-VR benefits at the Bronx campus?
Yes. The Bronx campus accepts Post-9/11 GI Bill® and VA benefits for eligible veterans, and ACCES-VR can fund training for qualifying participants. Start with veterans & GI Bill® or ask admissions at (718) 676-0640.
New York barbering licenses and exams are administered by the New York Department of State, Division of Licensing Services.
Classes begin the first Monday of each month
Ready to see the Bronx campus?
ABI trains you on real, diverse clientele on a supervised clinic floor at 121 Westchester Square and prepares you for the NY Master Barber license — with morning, afternoon, and weekend tracks. Seats fill fast.
