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2023 Best Value Construction Trades Basic Certificate Schools
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Construction Trades Basic Certificate School for You
With 40,802 degrees and certificates handed out in 2021-2022, construction trades is the #6 most popular major in the United States.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which trade school program is right for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Best Value Construction Trades Basic Certificate Schools ranking. This report analyzed 60 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value basic certificate programs for construction trades students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Construction Trades Basic Certificate Schools
Our analysis found North Hennepin Community College to be the best value school for construction trades students who want to pursue a basic certificate in the United States. North Hennepin Community College is a small public school located in the large suburb of Brooklyn Park.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at North Hennepin Community College are $5,050 per year.
North Hennepin Community College also made our Best Construction Trades Basic Certificate Trade Schools list, coming in at #5.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Western Iowa Tech Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Construction Trades Basic Certificate Schools list. Located in the city of Sioux City, Western Iowa Tech Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Western Iowa Tech Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,946 in tuition and fees each year.
Full Construction Trades at Western Iowa Tech Community College Report
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Out of the 60 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Chippewa Valley Technical College landed the # 3 spot on the list. CVTC is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Eau Claire.
CVTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,793 in tuition and fees each year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CVTC also is in the top 5% of our Best Construction Trades Basic Certificate Trade Schools ranking.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southwest Wisconsin Technical College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Construction Trades Basic Certificate Schools list. Located in the rural area of Fennimore, Southwest Tech is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Southwest Tech are $6,731 a year.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Trinidad State Junior College is a great value for construction trades students working on their basic certificate. Located in the town of Trinidad, Trinidad State Junior College is a public school with a small student population.
Trinidad State Junior College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,360 in tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on Construction Trades at Trinidad State Junior College
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Moraine Park Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for construction trades students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the small city of Fond du Lac, Moraine Park Technical College is a public college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Moraine Park Technical College are $6,793 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, Moraine Park Technical College is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Construction Trades Basic Certificate Trade Schools list.
Read full report on Construction Trades at Moraine Park Technical College
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With a ranking of #7, North Georgia Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for construction trades students working on their basic certificate. Located in the rural area of Clarkesville, North Georgia Technical College is a public school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at North Georgia Technical College are $5,472 per year.
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Augusta Technical College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Construction Trades Basic Certificate Schools list. Located in the city of Augusta, Augusta Technical College is a public college with a small student population.
Augusta Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,662 in tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on Construction Trades at Augusta Technical College
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South Louisiana Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Construction Trades Basic Certificate Schools list. South Louisiana Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the midsize city of Lafayette.
South Louisiana Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,205 in tuition and fees each year.
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With a ranking of #10, Central Louisiana Technical Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for construction trades students working on their basic certificate. Central Louisiana Technical Community College is a small public school located in the small city of Alexandria.
Central Louisiana Technical Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,098 in tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on Construction Trades at Central Louisiana Technical Community College
Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Construction Trades Basic Certificate Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Mitchell Technical College | Mitchell, SD |
Construction Trades by Region
View the Best Value Construction Trades Basic Certificate Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Other U.S. Territories |
| Great Lakes |
Majors Related to Construction Trades
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 |
Most Popular Majors Related 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 25 schools only.
- 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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