2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southwest Region
With all the trade school programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best 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.
The Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southwest Region ranking is one of many tools that Trade College Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 87 schools in the Southwest 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 Southwest Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Central Arizona College the best school in the Southwest Region for trade school students working on their associate degree. Pinal County Community College is a public institution located in Coolidge, Arizona. The school has a small population, and it awarded 491 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Associate Degree recipients from Pinal County Community College accumulate an average of $12,534 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 Pinal County Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 84% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Panola College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. Panola College is a public institution located in Carthage, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 348 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Texas who attend Panola College full time pay an average of $3,840 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $4,896.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Panola College does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2020-2021 year, about 71% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Out of the 87 schools in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Tarleton State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Tarleton is a fairly large public school situated in Stephenville, Texas. It awarded 25 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Tarleton is $7,848. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $17,640. Associate Degree recipients from Tarleton accumulate an average of $14,086 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Tarleton. During the 2020-2021 year, about 78% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means El Centro College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree. El Centro College is a public institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7,626 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Associate Degree recipients from El Centro College accumulate an average of $15,059 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at El Centro 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.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northeast Texas Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. NTCC is located in Mount Pleasant, Texas and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 408 associate degrees to qualified students.
Full-time students from Texas pay an average of $5,009 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend NTCC. Out-of-state students pay an average of $6,449. On average, associate degree students take out $15,117 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since NTCC does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 65% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Lee College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Lee College is a medium-sized public school situated in Baytown, Texas. It awarded 1,267 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Texas pay an average of $3,882 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Lee College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $4,302. Associate Degree recipients from Lee College accumulate an average of $10,113 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Lee 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, 40% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Weatherford College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. Weatherford College is a medium-sized public school situated in Weatherford, Texas. It awarded 741 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Weatherford College is $6,300. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $8,610. On average, associate degree students take out $11,867 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Weatherford College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 33% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #8, Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. OSU Institute of Technology is located in Okmulgee, Oklahoma and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 567 associate degrees to qualified students.
Full-time students from Oklahoma pay an average of $5,774 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend OSU Institute of Technology. Out-of-state students pay an average of $11,384. Associate Degree recipients from OSU Institute of Technology accumulate an average of $12,809 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 OSU Institute of Technology does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 84% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Hallmark University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 148 students in 2021-2022.
On average, associate degree students take out $19,931 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at Hallmark, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2020-2021 year, about 54% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Texas State Technical College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. TSTC is located in Waco, Texas and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,443 associate degrees to qualified students.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,554 in student loans.
TSTC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 94% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Remington College - North Houston Campus landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Remington College - North Houston Campus is a very small private not-for-profit school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 22 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Associate Degree recipients from Remington College - North Houston Campus accumulate an average of $21,173 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Since Remington College - North Houston Campus 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.
Read full report on Remington College - North Houston Campus
Lamar Institute of Technology ranked #12 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. Lamar Institute of Technology is a small public school located in Beaumont, Texas that handed out 586 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Texas who attend Lamar Institute of Technology full time pay an average of $2,844 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $12,636. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,457 in student loans.
Lamar Institute of Technology does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 54% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Galveston College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. This small public school is located in Galveston, Texas, and it awarded 349 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Texas pay an average of $3,266 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Galveston College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $5,726. On average, associate degree students take out $12,575 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at Galveston College, 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, 69% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #14, Southwestern Oklahoma State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. This small public school is located in Weatherford, Oklahoma, and it awarded 119 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Oklahoma who attend SWOSU full time pay an average of $8,130 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $15,240. On average, associate degree students take out $17,486 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at SWOSU. In 2020-2021 about 71% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Victoria 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 #15 on the list. Victoria, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 347 students in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $4,056 in tuition and fees if they attend Victoria College full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $5,112. Associate Degree recipients from Victoria College accumulate an average of $11,658 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Victoria College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 67% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Remington College - Dallas Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Dallas, Texas, the very small private not-for-profit school awarded 36 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
On average, associate degree students take out $20,655 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, Remington College - Dallas Campus is an excellent choice, since the school is online.
With a ranking of #17, Remington College - Houston Southeast Campus did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Remington College - Houston Southeast Campus is a private not-for-profit institution located in Webster, Texas. The school has a very small population, and it awarded 12 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
On average, associate degree students take out $20,888 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, Remington College - Houston Southeast Campus is an excellent choice, since the school is online.
Read full report on Remington College - Houston Southeast Campus
Temple College landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Located in Temple, Texas, the small public school handed out 660 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Temple College is $4,656. Out-of-state students pay an average of $6,576. On average, associate degree students take out $14,725 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Temple College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 64% took at least some of their classes online.
Oklahoma City 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 #19 on the list. OCCC is a public institution located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,746 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at OCCC is $4,059. Out-of-state students pay an average of $9,810. Associate Degree recipients from OCCC accumulate an average of $11,591 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 OCCC does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 6% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Murray 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 #20 on the list. Murray State College is located in Tishomingo, Oklahoma and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 361 associate degrees to qualified students.
Full-time students from Oklahoma pay an average of $6,630 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Murray State College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,830. Associate Degree recipients from Murray State College accumulate an average of $18,728 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Murray State College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2020-2021 year, about 83% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City 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. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 737 students in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at OSU-OKC is $3,779. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,564. On average, associate degree students take out $18,145 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at OSU-OKC. 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.
South Texas College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. McAllen, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 3,702 students in 2021-2022.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since South Texas College does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 58% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #23, GateWay Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, the small public school handed out 662 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Arizona pay an average of $2,070 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend GateWay Community College. Out-of-state students pay an average of $7,854. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $9,353 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that GateWay Community College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 57% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Austin Community College District ranked #24 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. Austin Community College District is a large public school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 4,621 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Texas who attend Austin Community College District full time pay an average of $8,580 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $10,590. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,045 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Austin Community College District does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 76% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Alvin Community College landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Alvin is a public institution located in Alvin, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 778 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Texas pay an average of $2,834 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Alvin. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $4,010. Associate Degree recipients from Alvin accumulate an average of $6,112 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 Alvin does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 33% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
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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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