2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools
There are so many trade school programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. 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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Best Associate Degree Trade Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 895 schools in the United States to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for trade school students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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Top Trade Associate Degree Schools in the United States
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Columbia Southern University to be the best school for trade school students who want to pursue a associate degree in the United States. Located in Orange Beach, Alabama, the fairly large private for-profit school handed out 1,276 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Columbia Southern University, expect to pay an average of $6,015 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. Associate Degree recipients from Columbia Southern University accumulate an average of $16,106 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, Columbia Southern University is an excellent choice, since the school is online.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Waldorf University is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree. This small private for-profit school is located in Forest City, Iowa, and it awarded 116 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Waldorf is $24,526. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $15,988 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Waldorf does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 69% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bismarck State College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools list. Bismarck State College is a small public school located in Bismarck, North Dakota that handed out 759 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from North Dakota pay an average of $5,143 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend BSC. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $7,227. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,985 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that BSC does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 65% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #6, Excelsior University did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Albany, New York, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 1,240 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Associate Degree recipients from Excelsior University accumulate an average of $12,110 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Excelsior University is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
West Hills College-Lemoore landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. This small public school is located in Lemoore, California, and it awarded 767 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Associate Degree recipients from West Hills College-Lemoore accumulate an average of $12,678 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at West Hills College-Lemoore. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 76% took at least some of their classes online.
Ranken Technical College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools list. Ranken Technical College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 403 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Ranken Technical College, expect to pay an average of $16,960 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,617 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Ranken Technical College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 70% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Miami University - Hamilton ranked #9 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools list. Miami University - Hamilton is a small public school located in Hamilton, Ohio that handed out 111 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Ohio who attend Miami University - Hamilton full time pay an average of $6,704 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $17,490. On average, associate degree students take out $21,499 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Miami University - Hamilton. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 85% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #10, Merced College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Merced, California, the fairly large public school awarded 1,615 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $1,194 in tuition and fees if they attend Merced Community College District full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $7,890.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Merced Community College District. In fact, around 89% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Herzing University - Akron came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools ranking. Herzing Akron is located in Akron, Ohio and has a very small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 109 associate degrees to qualified students.
Herzing Akron does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $12,750. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $24,352 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Herzing Akron does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 77% took at least some of their classes online.
Miami University - Middletown did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #12 on the list. Middletown, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 66 students in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $6,670 in tuition and fees if they attend Miami University - Middletown full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $17,390. Associate Degree recipients from Miami University - Middletown accumulate an average of $21,499 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Miami University - Middletown does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 88% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Canada College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Redwood City, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 462 students in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $1,362 in tuition and fees if they attend Canada College full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $9,006. Associate Degree recipients from Canada College accumulate an average of $16,256 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Canada College. In fact, around 92% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Herzing University - Atlanta did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #14 on the list. Herzing University - Atlanta is located in Atlanta, Georgia and has a very small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 117 associate degrees to qualified students.
Herzing University - Atlanta does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $12,750. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Associate Degree recipients from Herzing University - Atlanta accumulate an average of $26,172 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Herzing University - Atlanta, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 90% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #15, Rockhurst University did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 29 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $41,701 to cover tuition and fees at Rockhurst. The school does not offer an in-state discount. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $9,940 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Rockhurst. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 45% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. This small public school is located in Fennimore, Wisconsin, and it awarded 220 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Wisconsin pay an average of $4,571 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Southwest Tech. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $6,731. On average, associate degree students take out $10,841 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Southwest Tech. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 35% took at least some of their classes online.
Santa Barbara City College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools ranking. SBCC is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,590 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from California who attend SBCC full time pay an average of $1,234 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,322. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,141 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since SBCC does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 80% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Herzing University - Birmingham came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools ranking. Located in Birmingham, Alabama, the very small private not-for-profit school awarded 90 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Herzing University - Birmingham is $12,750. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $23,896 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Herzing University - Birmingham. In 2020-2021 about 48% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Cuesta College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Cuesta College is a medium-sized public school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 2,629 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Cuesta College is $1,340. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,348. Associate Degree recipients from Cuesta College accumulate an average of $17,988 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Cuesta College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 75% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Foothill College landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Located in Los Altos Hills, California, the fairly large public school handed out 998 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $1,565 in tuition and fees if they attend Foothill College full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $11,510. On average, associate degree students take out $12,968 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Foothill College does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 73% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Molloy College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #21 on the list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Rockville Centre, New York, and it awarded 22 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Molloy, expect to pay an average of $36,030 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Molloy does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2020-2021 year, about 62% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Bay State College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #22 on the list. Bay State College is located in Boston, Massachusetts and has a very small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 76 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees at Bay State College is $29,500. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. Associate Degree recipients from Bay State College accumulate an average of $21,802 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Bay State College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 61% took at least some of their classes online.
Rasmussen University - Florida came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools ranking. Ocala, Florida is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 2,014 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Rasmussen University - Florida is $13,842. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. Associate Degree recipients from Rasmussen University - Florida accumulate an average of $21,089 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Rasmussen University - Florida does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 93% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Rasmussen University - Illinois came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools ranking. Located in Rockford, Illinois, the small private for-profit school awarded 950 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Rasmussen University - Illinois, expect to pay an average of $14,294 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. Associate Degree recipients from Rasmussen University - Illinois accumulate an average of $21,089 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Rasmussen University - Illinois. In 2020-2021 about 65% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Bellevue College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools ranking. Bellevue, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 1,783 students in 2021-2022.
Students from Washington who attend BC full time pay an average of $4,159 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,838. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,298 in student loans.
BC does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 92% took at least some of their classes online.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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