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Best Construction Trades Trade Schools in California

2023 Best Construction Trades Trade Schools in California

20 Colleges
$32,743 Avg Salary
$10,992 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Construction Trades School for You

Construction Trades is one of the most popular subjects to study in California. With 3,095 degrees and certificates handed out in 2021-2022, it ranked 5th out of all the majors we track in the state.

It's not easy to decide which trade school program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

The Best Construction Trades Trade Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Trade College Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 20 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for trade school students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Construction Trades Schools in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for construction trades majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Construction Trades Schools

#1

CET, Salinas

Salinas, CA

Our 2023 rankings named CET, Salinas the best school in California for construction trades students. Located in the midsize city of Salinas, CET, Salinas is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Full Construction Trades at CET, Salinas Report

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Institute for Business and Technology is a great place for construction trades students. Located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara, Institute for Business and Technology is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on Construction Trades at Institute for Business and Technology

The excellent programs at Southern California Institute of Technology helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best construction trades schools in California. Located in the city of Anaheim, Southern California Institute of Technology is a private for-profit college with a small student population.

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#4

CET, San Diego

San Diego, CA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend CET, San Diego. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Construction Trades Trade Schools in California list. Located in the city of San Diego, CET, San Diego is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Read full report on Construction Trades at CET, San Diego

#5

National Career Education

Citrus Heights, CA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend National Career Education. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Construction Trades Trade Schools in California list. National Career Education is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Citrus Heights.

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#6

Summit College

San Bernardino, CA

Summit College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best construction trades programs. Located in the midsize city of San Bernardino, Summit College is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on Construction Trades at Summit College

#7

CET, El Centro

El Centro, CA

CET, El Centro landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best construction trades programs. CET, El Centro is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of El Centro.

Read full report on Construction Trades at CET, El Centro

InterCoast Colleges - Rancho Cordova came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Construction Trades Trade Schools in California ranking. InterCoast Colleges - Rancho Cordova is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Rancho Cordova.

Read full report on Construction Trades at InterCoast Colleges - Rancho Cordova

#9

CET, Coachella

Coachella, CA

With a ranking of #9, CET, Coachella did quite well on this year’s best schools for construction trades students. Located in the suburb of Coachella, CET, Coachella is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Construction Trades at CET, Coachella Report

#10

CET, Watsonville

Watsonville, CA

CET, Watsonville ranked #10 on this year’s Best Construction Trades Trade Schools in California list. Located in the small city of Watsonville, CET, Watsonville is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on Construction Trades at CET, Watsonville

Best Construction Trades Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Construction Trades Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Alaska 8
Hawaii 350
Washington 505
Oregon 164
Nevada 366

Construction Trades Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Electrical & Power Transmission Installers 26,459
Building Management & Inspection 5,269
Carpentry 3,899
Plumbing & Water Supply 2,888
Construction 1,813
Masonry 284
Other Construction 190

Majors Similar to Construction Trades

Related Major Annual Graduates
Personal & Culinary Services 149,352
Mechanic & Repair Technologies 105,741
Precision Production 55,411
Transportation & Materials Moving 33,306

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 20 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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