2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in New Jersey
Today's trade school students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Trade College Search has created the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in New Jersey to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 18 schools in New Jersey 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 New Jersey
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Union County College the best school in New Jersey for trade school students working on their associate degree. This medium-sized public school is located in Cranford, New Jersey, and it awarded 1,519 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Associate Degree recipients from Union County College accumulate an average of $11,937 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Union County 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. In 2020-2021 about 73% 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 County College of Morris. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in New Jersey list. County College of Morris is a public institution located in Randolph, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,107 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $10,260 in tuition and fees if they attend County College of Morris full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $14,040. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,222 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at County College of Morris. During the 2020-2021 year, about 43% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Middlesex County College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree. Middlesex County College is a public institution located in Edison, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,616 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Middlesex County College does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $6,876. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Associate Degree recipients from Middlesex County College accumulate an average of $9,350 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Middlesex County 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. During the 2020-2021 year, about 79% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Out of the 18 schools in New Jersey that were part of this year’s ranking, Thomas Edison State University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Trenton, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 430 students in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,208 in student loans.
TESU is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
The excellent associate degree programs at Raritan Valley Community College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best trade school schools in New Jersey. RVCC is a public institution located in Branchburg, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,068 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend RVCC, expect to pay an average of $7,296 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. Associate Degree recipients from RVCC accumulate an average of $11,194 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at RVCC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2020-2021 about 32% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #6, Bergen Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Paramus, New Jersey, the fairly large public school handed out 2,011 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Students from New Jersey who attend Bergen Community College full time pay an average of $8,438 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,822. Associate Degree recipients from Bergen Community College accumulate an average of $14,518 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Bergen Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 87% took at least some of their classes online.
Salem Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in New Jersey ranking. Salem County College is located in Carneys Point, New Jersey and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 212 associate degrees to qualified students.
On average, associate degree students take out $12,695 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Salem County College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 64% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Brookdale Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in New Jersey ranking. Brookdale Community College is located in Lincroft, New Jersey and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,611 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Brookdale Community College is $8,948. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $9,698. Associate Degree recipients from Brookdale Community College accumulate an average of $13,160 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Brookdale Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 32% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Eastwick College - Nutley 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 #9 on the list. Eastwick College - Nutley is a very small private for-profit school located in Nutley, New Jersey that handed out 120 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Eastwick College - Nutley, expect to pay an average of $15,327 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 $16,711 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Eastwick College - Nutley 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.
Berkeley College - Woodland Park landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. This small private for-profit school is located in Woodland Park, New Jersey, and it awarded 251 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Berkeley College - Woodland Park is $27,138. 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 $20,035 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Berkeley College - Woodland Park does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 80% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #11, Rowan College at Burlington County did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. RCBC is located in Mount Laurel, New Jersey and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,619 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at RCBC is $5,268. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $6,828. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,402 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that RCBC does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 77% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Essex County College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in New Jersey ranking. Newark, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 1,102 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Essex is $9,141. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid.
One thing to take note of is that Essex does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 22% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Camden County 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. Camden County College is a public institution located in Blackwood, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,132 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $3,744 to cover tuition and fees at Camden County College. 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 $13,672 in student loans.
Camden County 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. In fact, around 65% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Rowan College of South Jersey Gloucester Campus 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. RCSJ is a public institution located in Sewell, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,016 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at RCSJ is $5,640. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,420 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at RCSJ. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 78% took at least some of their classes online.
Read full report on Rowan College of South Jersey Gloucester Campus
Hudson County Community College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. HCCC is a medium-sized public school situated in Jersey City, New Jersey. It awarded 1,186 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from New Jersey who attend HCCC full time pay an average of $8,390 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $11,798. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,945 in student loans.
Online courses are available at HCCC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 71% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Atlantic Cape Community 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. Atlantic Cape Community College is a small public school located in Mays Landing, New Jersey that handed out 808 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from New Jersey who attend Atlantic Cape Community College full time pay an average of $6,840 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $8,340. On average, associate degree students take out $14,591 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Atlantic Cape Community College. In 2020-2021 about 77% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Eastwick College - Hackensack ranked #17 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in New Jersey list. Eastwick College - Hackensack is located in Hackensack, New Jersey and has a very small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 216 associate degrees to qualified students.
If you want to attend Eastwick College - Hackensack, expect to pay an average of $17,424 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. Associate Degree recipients from Eastwick College - Hackensack accumulate an average of $22,483 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, Eastwick College - Hackensack is an excellent choice, since the school is online.
Passaic County Community 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 #18 on the list. PCCC is a medium-sized public school situated in Paterson, New Jersey. It awarded 554 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from New Jersey pay an average of $7,350 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend PCCC. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,390. On average, associate degree students take out $10,578 in loans while pursuing their degree.
PCCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 64% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Best Trade Associate Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 18 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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