2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region
With all the trade school programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Trade College Search has created its Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 259 schools in the Southeast Region 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 Southeast Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Columbia Southern University the best school in the Southeast Region for trade school students working on their associate degree.
The average tuition and fees at Columbia Southern University is $5,775. 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 $20,725 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, Columbia Southern University is an excellent choice, since the school is online.
Out of the 259 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Herzing University - Atlanta landed the # 2 spot on the list.
The average tuition and fees at Herzing University - Atlanta is $14,200. 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 $33,233 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Herzing University - Atlanta does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 81% took at least some of their classes online.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Herzing University - Birmingham is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree.
Herzing University - Birmingham does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $14,200. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Associate Degree recipients from Herzing University - Birmingham accumulate an average of $33,029 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Herzing University - Birmingham. In fact, around 58% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
The excellent associate degree programs at Rasmussen University - Florida helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best trade school schools in the Southeast Region .
The average tuition and fees at Rasmussen University - Florida is $13,635. 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 $27,566 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Rasmussen University - Florida does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 100% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Elizabethtown Community and Technical College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree.
In-state students pay an average of $4,488 in tuition and fees if they attend Elizabethtown Community and Technical College full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $15,240. Associate Degree recipients from Elizabethtown Community and Technical College accumulate an average of $16,810 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Elizabethtown Community and 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 2019-2020.
Herzing University - Kenner came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking.
Herzing University - Kenner does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $14,200. 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 $32,724 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Herzing University - Kenner. During the 2019-2020 year, about 92% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Danville 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 #7 on the list.
Students from Virginia who attend Danville Community College full time pay an average of $4,725 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $10,728. On average, associate degree students take out $14,241 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Danville Community College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 59% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Bluegrass Community and Technical College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs.
Full-time students from Kentucky pay an average of $4,568 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Bluegrass Community and Technical College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $15,320. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $20,015 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Bluegrass Community and Technical College does offer online classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 65% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Read full report on Bluegrass Community and Technical College
Eastern Kentucky University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking.
In-state students pay an average of $9,752 in tuition and fees if they attend Eastern full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $20,024. On average, associate degree students take out $24,515 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Eastern does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 55% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
South University, Montgomery 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 #10 on the list.
If you want to attend South University, Montgomery, expect to pay an average of $18,000 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $31,872 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since South University, Montgomery does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 49% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Trident Technical College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region list.
Students from South Carolina who attend Trident Technical College full time pay an average of $5,143 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,690. On average, associate degree students take out $26,670 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Trident Technical College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 89% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
South University, Columbia 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.
If you want to attend South University, Columbia, expect to pay an average of $18,000 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $31,872 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at South University, Columbia. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 51% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Hodges University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking.
International College does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $14,780. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $24,052 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since International College does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 91% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Arkansas State University - Main Campus landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs.
Students from Arkansas who attend A-State full time pay an average of $7,130 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $12,698. Associate Degree recipients from A-State accumulate an average of $22,827 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at A-State. During the 2019-2020 year, about 71% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #15, Albany State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree.
In-state students pay an average of $5,934 in tuition and fees if they attend Albany State full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $16,656. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $27,860 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Albany State. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 62% took at least some of their classes online.
Spartanburg 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.
In-state students pay an average of $6,030 in tuition and fees if they attend Spartanburg Community College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,822. Associate Degree recipients from Spartanburg Community College accumulate an average of $12,880 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Spartanburg Community College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 52% took at least some of their classes online.
Middle Georgia State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region list.
Full-time students from Georgia pay an average of $4,042 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Middle Georgia State University. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $11,389. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,403 in student loans.
Middle Georgia State University 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 2019-2020 year, about 70% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Northern Virginia Community College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking.
Students from Virginia who attend Northern Virginia Community College full time pay an average of $5,565 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $11,648. On average, associate degree students take out $17,116 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Northern Virginia Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 74% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Jackson State Community College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at JSCC is $4,618. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $18,076. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,619 in student loans.
JSCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 81% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Hillsborough Community College landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs.
Full-time students from Florida pay an average of $2,506 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend HCC. Out-of-state students pay an average of $9,111. On average, associate degree students take out $19,707 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at HCC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 88% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Nicholls State University 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.
Students from Louisiana who attend Nicholls State University full time pay an average of $7,946 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $9,039. On average, associate degree students take out $19,625 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at Nicholls State University, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 55% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Central Georgia Technical College landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at CGTC is $3,042. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $5,442. On average, associate degree students take out $19,777 in loans while pursuing their degree.
CGTC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 63% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #23, Georgia Northwestern Technical College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree.
Students from Georgia who attend Georgia Northwestern Technical College full time pay an average of $3,062 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $5,462. On average, associate degree students take out $14,482 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Georgia Northwestern Technical College. In fact, around 71% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Radford University 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.
Students from Virginia who attend Radford full time pay an average of $11,542 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $23,624. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $30,560 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Radford. During the 2019-2020 year, about 87% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
South University, Virginia Beach ranked #25 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southeast Region list.
The average tuition and fees at South University, Virginia Beach is $18,000. 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 $31,872 in student loans.
Online courses are available at South University, Virginia Beach, 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 2019-2020 academic year, around 44% took at least some of their classes online.
Rest of the Top 15% Best Trade Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region of the U.S.
Not only did these schools make the top 39 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our best trade schools ranking:
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | Thomas Nelson Community College | Hampton, VA |
| 41 | Central Piedmont Community College | Charlotte, NC |
| 42 | Florida SouthWestern State College | Fort Myers, FL |
| 43 | Columbus Technical College | Columbus, GA |
| 44 | Santa Fe College | Gainesville, FL |
| 45 | ECPI University | Virginia Beach, VA |
| 46 | Pierpont Community and Technical College | Fairmont, WV |
| 47 | Oconee Fall Line Technical College | Sandersville, GA |
| 48 | West Virginia Junior College - Morgantown | Morgantown, WV |
| 49 | Sullivan University | Louisville, KY |
| 50 | Florida Institute of Technology | Melbourne, FL |
| 51 | Southern Crescent Technical College | Griffin, GA |
| 52 | John Tyler Community College | Chester, VA |
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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