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2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Texas
It's not easy to decide which trade school program to enroll in when you have so many options available. 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 Texas ranking. Our analysis looked at 51 schools in Texas to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for trade school students.
View our full ranking methodology.
Top Trade Associate Degree Schools in Texas
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Panola College the best school in Texas for trade school students working on their associate degree. Panola College is a small public school located in Carthage, Texas that handed out 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. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $4,896.
Panola 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 71% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Out of the 51 schools in Texas that were part of this year’s ranking, El Centro College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in Dallas, Texas, the large public school awarded 7,626 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students 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.
One thing to take note of is that El Centro College does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 70% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
The excellent associate degree programs at Northeast Texas Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best trade school schools in Texas. 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.
In-state students pay an average of $5,009 in tuition and fees if they attend NTCC full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $6,449. Associate Degree recipients from NTCC accumulate an average of $15,117 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
NTCC 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.
The excellent associate degree programs at Lee College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best trade school schools in Texas. Baytown, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 1,267 students in 2021-2022.
Students from Texas who attend Lee College full time pay an average of $3,882 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $4,302. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,113 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Lee College, 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 2020-2021 academic year, around 40% took at least some of their classes online.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Weatherford College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Weatherford, Texas, the medium-sized public school awarded 741 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $6,300 in tuition and fees if they attend Weatherford College full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $8,610. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,867 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Weatherford College. 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.
With a ranking of #6, Hallmark University did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Hallmark is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a very small population, and it awarded 148 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
On average, associate degree students take out $19,931 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Hallmark. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 54% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #7, Texas State Technical College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. TSTC is a public institution located in Waco, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,443 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,554 in student loans.
Online courses are available at TSTC, 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 94% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Lamar Institute of Technology landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Lamar Institute of Technology is a small public school situated in Beaumont, Texas. It awarded 586 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Lamar Institute of Technology is $2,844. 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.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Lamar Institute of Technology. In 2020-2021 about 54% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Galveston College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Texas list. Located in Galveston, Texas, the small public school handed out 349 associate degree awards 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. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $5,726. On average, associate degree students take out $12,575 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Galveston College. In 2020-2021 about 69% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Victoria College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Texas list. Victoria College is a public institution located in Victoria, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 347 associate degrees 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. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,658 in student loans.
Victoria College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 67% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #11, Remington College - Dallas Campus did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Remington College - Dallas Campus is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a very small population, and it awarded 36 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
On average, associate degree students take out $20,655 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Since Remington College - Dallas 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.
With a ranking of #12, Temple College 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 Temple, Texas, and it awarded 660 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Texas who attend Temple College full time pay an average of $4,656 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $6,576. Associate Degree recipients from Temple College accumulate an average of $14,725 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Temple College. In fact, around 64% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #13, South Texas College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. South Texas College is a public institution located in McAllen, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3,702 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at South Texas College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 58% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #14, Austin Community College District did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Austin, Texas, the large public school awarded 4,621 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Austin Community College District is $8,580. Out-of-state students 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.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Austin Community College District. During the 2020-2021 year, about 76% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Alvin Community College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Located in Alvin, Texas, the medium-sized public school handed out 778 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Alvin is $2,834. Out-of-state students 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.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Alvin. In fact, around 33% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Tarrant County College District 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. Located in Fort Worth, Texas, the large public school awarded 5,819 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Associate Degree recipients from Tarrant County College accumulate an average of $13,880 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Tarrant County College. In 2020-2021 about 44% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
The University of Texas at Brownsville came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Texas ranking. Located in Brownsville, Texas, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,102 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Texas pay an average of $3,748 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend The University of Texas at Brownsville. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $4,948. On average, associate degree students take out $11,404 in loans while pursuing their degree.
The University of Texas at Brownsville 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 73% took at least some of their classes online.
Remington College - Fort Worth Campus came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Texas ranking. Remington College - Fort Worth Campus is a very small private not-for-profit school located in Fort Worth, Texas that handed out 26 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,898 in student loans.
Remington College - Fort Worth Campus is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Navarro College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Navarro College is a public institution located in Corsicana, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 906 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Texas pay an average of $4,508 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Navarro College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $6,368. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,152 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Navarro College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 57% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Del Mar 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. Located in Corpus Christi, Texas, the medium-sized public school awarded 1,324 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at DMC is $4,880. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $5,990. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $6,385 in student loans.
DMC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 70% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Lone Star College System 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. North Harris Montgomery is located in The Woodlands, Texas and has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 8,774 associate degrees to qualified students.
On average, associate degree students take out $11,735 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at North Harris Montgomery. In fact, around 67% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Midland College landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Midland College is a medium-sized public school situated in Midland, Texas. It awarded 468 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Midland College is $4,650. Out-of-state students pay an average of $5,880. Associate Degree recipients from Midland College accumulate an average of $15,234 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Midland College. In 2020-2021 about 52% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
San Jacinto Community College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Texas list. Located in Pasadena, Texas, the large public school awarded 5,788 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Associate Degree recipients from San Jacinto College accumulate an average of $12,614 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at San Jacinto College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 66% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Wharton County Junior 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. Wharton, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 580 students in 2021-2022.
Students from Texas who attend Wharton County Junior College full time pay an average of $3,804 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $5,052. On average, associate degree students take out $11,556 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Wharton County Junior College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 49% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Houston Community College landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 5,387 students in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $4,344 in tuition and fees if they attend Houston Community College full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $5,460. Associate Degree recipients from Houston Community College accumulate an average of $19,178 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Houston Community College does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 77% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Best Trade Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region
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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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