2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region
With all the trade school programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent.
The Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking is one of many tools that Trade College Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 113 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs for trade school students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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Top Trade Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named West Hills College-Lemoore the best school in the Far Western US Region for trade school students working on their associate degree. West Hills College-Lemoore is a small public school located in Lemoore, California that handed out 767 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,678 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at West Hills College-Lemoore. During the 2020-2021 year, about 76% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Merced College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Merced Community College District is located in Merced, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,615 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Merced Community College District is $1,194. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,890.
Merced Community College District 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. In 2020-2021 about 89% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Canada College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region list. 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.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $1,362 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Canada College. 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.
One thing to take note of is that Canada College does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 92% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Santa Barbara City College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region list. SBCC is located in Santa Barbara, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2,590 associate degrees to qualified students.
In-state students pay an average of $1,234 in tuition and fees if they attend SBCC full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $9,322. On average, associate degree students take out $17,141 in loans while pursuing their degree.
SBCC 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, 80% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Out of the 113 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Cuesta College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Cuesta College is located in San Luis Obispo, California and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2,629 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Cuesta College is $1,340. If you are from out of state, expect to 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.
Online courses are available at Cuesta College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 75% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Foothill 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 #6 on the list. Foothill College is located in Los Altos Hills, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 998 associate degrees to qualified students.
Students from California who attend Foothill College full time pay an average of $1,565 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $11,510. Associate Degree recipients from Foothill College accumulate an average of $12,968 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Foothill College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 73% took at least some of their classes online.
Bellevue 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 #7 on the list. 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.
Online courses are available at BC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 92% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Saddleback 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 #8 on the list. Mission Viejo, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 3,760 students in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $1,334 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Saddleback College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $9,814. Associate Degree recipients from Saddleback College accumulate an average of $8,010 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Saddleback College. In 2020-2021 about 82% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Oregon Institute of Technology ranked #9 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Klamath Falls, Oregon, the small public school awarded 31 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $12,122 in tuition and fees if they attend OIT full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $33,956. Associate Degree recipients from OIT accumulate an average of $12,209 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
OIT does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 31% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Napa Valley College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. This small public school is located in Napa, California, and it awarded 612 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Napa Valley College is $1,156. Out-of-state students pay an average of $9,388.
Napa Valley College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 83% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Gavilan College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Gavilan College is located in Gilroy, California and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 641 associate degrees to qualified students.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $1,166 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Gavilan College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,238.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Gavilan College. In 2020-2021 about 74% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Pacific Union College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Located in Angwin, California, the very small private not-for-profit school awarded 103 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
PUC does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $33,678. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Associate Degree recipients from PUC accumulate an average of $27,608 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 PUC does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 61% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
San Joaquin Delta 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 #13 on the list. San Joaquin Delta College is a fairly large public school located in Stockton, California that handed out 3,631 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Delta does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 98% took at least some of their classes online.
Olympic 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 #14 on the list. This small public school is located in Bremerton, Washington, and it awarded 1,230 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at OC is $4,472. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $9,740. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,828 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at OC. In fact, around 91% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #15, Mt. San Antonio College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Walnut, California, the large public school awarded 3,780 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Mt. SAC is $1,352. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $10,096. Associate Degree recipients from Mt. SAC accumulate an average of $12,514 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Mt. SAC. During the 2020-2021 year, about 10% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Cabrillo 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 #16 on the list. Cabrillo College is a medium-sized public school located in Aptos, California that handed out 1,994 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from California who attend Cabrillo College full time pay an average of $1,262 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,630.
Cabrillo College 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, 88% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Santa Rosa Junior College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Santa Rosa, California, the fairly large public school awarded 2,210 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Students from California who attend SRJC full time pay an average of $1,318 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $9,310. Associate Degree recipients from SRJC accumulate an average of $15,618 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
SRJC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 85% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #18, Yuba College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Marysville, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 1,330 students in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $1,128 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Yuba College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,488.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Yuba College. In fact, around 79% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
University of Alaska Anchorage came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Anchorage, Alaska, the fairly large public school handed out 581 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Students from Alaska who attend UAA full time pay an average of $7,508 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $21,635. On average, associate degree students take out $18,349 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at UAA, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2020-2021 about 87% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Butte College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Butte College is a medium-sized public school located in Oroville, California that handed out 1,193 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Butte College is $1,336. Out-of-state students pay an average of $7,816. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,921 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Butte College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 81% took at least some of their classes online.
West Hills College-Coalinga came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. West Hills College-Coalinga is a public institution located in Coalinga, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 533 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $7,816 in student loans.
West Hills College-Coalinga 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, 78% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Fresno City College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Fresno City College is located in Fresno, California and has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2,386 associate degrees to qualified students.
Full-time students from California pay an average of $1,330 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Fresno City College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,890. On average, associate degree students take out $4,603 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Fresno City College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 88% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #23, College of the Desert did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Palm Desert, California, the fairly large public school handed out 1,412 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Students from California who attend College of the Desert full time pay an average of $1,326 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $9,138.
Some students may be able to take online classes at College of the Desert. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 88% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Cerritos 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 #24 on the list. Cerritos College is a fairly large public school situated in Norwalk, California. It awarded 2,591 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from California who attend Cerritos College full time pay an average of $1,364 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,324. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,198 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Cerritos College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 78% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
University of Hawaii Maui College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. UH Maui College is a public institution located in Kahului, Hawaii. The school has a small population, and it awarded 340 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at UH Maui College is $3,284. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $8,420. On average, associate degree students take out $16,116 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at UH Maui College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 86% 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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