Find Trade Colleges
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.
Featured schools near , edit
Top Trade Associate Degree Schools in New Jersey
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Union County College to be the best school for trade school students who want to pursue a associate degree in New Jersey. Union County College is a medium-sized public school situated in Cranford, New Jersey. It awarded 1,519 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,937 in student loans.
Union County College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 73% took at least some of their classes online.
Out of the 18 schools in New Jersey that were part of this year’s ranking, County College of Morris landed the # 2 spot on the list. County College of Morris is a medium-sized public school located in Randolph, New Jersey that handed out 1,107 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from New Jersey who attend County College of Morris full time pay an average of $10,260 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $14,040. Associate Degree recipients from County College of Morris accumulate an average of $10,222 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at County College of Morris. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 43% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Middlesex County College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in New Jersey list. Middlesex County College is a medium-sized public school located in Edison, New Jersey that handed out 1,616 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Middlesex County College is $6,876. 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 $9,350 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Middlesex County College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 79% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
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. TESU is located in Trenton, New Jersey and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 430 associate degrees to qualified students.
On average, associate degree students take out $15,208 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out TESU. Every undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Raritan Valley Community College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree. RVCC is a medium-sized public school situated in Branchburg, New Jersey. It awarded 1,068 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
RVCC does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $7,296. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $11,194 in loans while pursuing their degree.
RVCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 32% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Bergen Community College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Paramus, New Jersey is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 2,011 students in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $8,438 in tuition and fees if they attend Bergen Community College full time. Those students who come from outside the state 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.
Online courses are available at Bergen Community College, 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.
Salem Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in New Jersey ranking. Salem Community College is a small public school located in Carneys Point, New Jersey that handed out 212 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,695 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Salem County College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 64% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Brookdale 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 #8 on the list. Located in Lincroft, New Jersey, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,611 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Students from New Jersey who attend Brookdale Community College full time pay an average of $8,948 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,698. On average, associate degree students take out $13,160 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Brookdale Community 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 32% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Eastwick College - Nutley came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in New Jersey ranking. Eastwick College - Nutley is a private for-profit institution located in Nutley, New Jersey. The school has a very small population, and it awarded 120 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $15,327 to cover tuition and fees at Eastwick College - Nutley. The school does not offer an in-state discount. On average, associate degree students take out $16,711 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Eastwick College - Nutley. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 93% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #10, Berkeley College - Woodland Park did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Berkeley College - Woodland Park is a small private for-profit school located in Woodland Park, New Jersey that handed out 251 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $27,138 to cover tuition and fees at Berkeley College - Woodland Park. The school does not offer an in-state discount. Associate Degree recipients from Berkeley College - Woodland Park accumulate an average of $20,035 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 Berkeley College - Woodland Park does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 80% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
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. This medium-sized public school is located in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, and it awarded 1,619 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from New Jersey who attend RCBC full time pay an average of $5,268 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $6,828. Associate Degree recipients from RCBC accumulate an average of $12,402 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
RCBC 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 77% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #12, Essex County College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Essex is located in Newark, New Jersey and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,102 associate degrees to qualified students.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $9,141 to cover tuition and fees at Essex. The school does not offer an in-state discount.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Essex. During the 2020-2021 year, about 22% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Camden County College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in New Jersey ranking. Blackwood, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 1,132 students in 2021-2022.
Camden County College does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $3,744. This amount may 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 $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. During the 2020-2021 year, about 65% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Rowan College of South Jersey Gloucester Campus landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Located in Sewell, New Jersey, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,016 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
RCSJ does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $5,640. This amount may 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 $13,420 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since RCSJ does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 78% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Hudson County Community College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in New Jersey list. Located in Jersey City, New Jersey, the medium-sized public school awarded 1,186 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $8,390 in tuition and fees if they attend HCCC full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $11,798. Associate Degree recipients from HCCC accumulate an average of $10,945 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
HCCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 71% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Atlantic Cape Community College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in New Jersey ranking. This small public school is located in Mays Landing, New Jersey, and it awarded 808 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Atlantic Cape Community College is $6,840. Out-of-state students pay an average of $8,340. On average, associate degree students take out $14,591 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Atlantic Cape 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 77% took at least some of their classes online.
Eastwick College - Hackensack came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in New Jersey ranking. Eastwick College - Hackensack is a very small private for-profit school located in Hackensack, New Jersey that handed out 216 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Eastwick College - Hackensack does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $17,424. This amount may 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.
Since Eastwick College - Hackensack is primarily an online school, it is an excellent choice for undergraduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.
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. This medium-sized public school is located in Paterson, New Jersey, and it awarded 554 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $7,350 in tuition and fees if they attend PCCC full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $9,390. On average, associate degree students take out $10,578 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at PCCC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. 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
View Best Trade Associate Degree Schools Nationwide >
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.
TradeCollege.org provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. TradeCollege.org is a for-profit site, and the displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© TradeCollege.org – All Rights Reserved.