2023 Best Bachelor's Degree Trade Schools
There are so many trade school programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one 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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Best Bachelor's Degree Trade Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 862 schools in the United States to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for trade school students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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Top Trade Bachelor's Degree Schools in the United States
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Stanford University the best school in the United States for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 1,699 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $58,416 to cover tuition and fees at Stanford. The school does not offer an in-state discount. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Stanford accumulate an average of $14,541 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best trade school schools in the United States. RPI is a private not-for-profit institution located in Troy, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,566 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
RPI does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $60,074. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $22,160 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Grantham University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools list. Located in LIttle Rock, Arkansas, the medium-sized public school handed out 569 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Grantham University is $8,280. 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 bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $32,063 in student loans.
Grantham University is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Out of the 862 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Stephens College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Stephens is a private not-for-profit institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a very small population, and it awarded 92 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Stephens does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $25,586. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $30,638 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Stephens, 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 18% took at least some of their classes online.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Ottawa University - Online is a great place for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Ottawa University - Online is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ottawa, Kansas. The school has a very small population, and it awarded 74 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Ottawa University - Online does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $12,676. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,495 in student loans.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Ottawa University - Online. Every undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Columbia Southern University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree trade school programs. Located in Orange Beach, Alabama, the fairly large private for-profit school awarded 2,691 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
Columbia Southern University does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $6,015. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Columbia Southern University accumulate an average of $24,110 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Since Columbia Southern University 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 #7, Dakota State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Dakota State is a small public school situated in Madison, South Dakota. It awarded 353 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from South Dakota who attend Dakota State full time pay an average of $9,633 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $12,735. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Dakota State accumulate an average of $23,873 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 Dakota State does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 72% took at least some of their classes online.
Miami University - Hamilton ranked #8 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools list. This small public school is located in Hamilton, Ohio, and it awarded 411 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $6,704 in tuition and fees if they attend Miami University - Hamilton full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $17,490. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,929 in student loans.
Miami University - Hamilton 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 85% took at least some of their classes online.
Waldorf University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. This small private for-profit school is located in Forest City, Iowa, and it awarded 592 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $24,526 to cover tuition and fees at Waldorf. The school does not offer an in-state discount. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Waldorf accumulate an average of $22,767 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Waldorf. During the 2020-2021 year, about 69% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Elizabethtown College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree trade school programs. Etown is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 417 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Etown, expect to pay an average of $35,700 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Etown accumulate an average of $25,050 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Etown. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 26% took at least some of their classes online.
Ottawa University - Milwaukee did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. Ottawa University - Milwaukee is a very small private not-for-profit school located in Brookfield, Wisconsin that handed out 40 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Ottawa University - Milwaukee, expect to pay an average of $12,676 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,339 in student loans.
Ottawa University - Milwaukee 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 98% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Georgetown University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree trade school programs. Georgetown is located in Washington, District of Columbia and has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2,223 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
Georgetown does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $62,051. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $15,635 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at Georgetown, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2020-2021 about 39% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of St Francis landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree trade school programs. Located in Joliet, Illinois, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 437 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $23,804 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at University of Saint Francis. In 2020-2021 about 79% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of Pennsylvania landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree trade school programs. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,554 students in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $63,452 to cover tuition and fees at UPenn. The school does not offer an in-state discount. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,106 in student loans.
UPenn does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 13% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree trade school programs. Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses is a small private not-for-profit school located in Angola, Indiana that handed out 76 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Trine accumulate an average of $19,074 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Trine is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Read full report on Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses
With a ranking of #16, Virginia Tech did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia. It awarded 7,289 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Virginia Tech is $14,666. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $34,920. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Virginia Tech accumulate an average of $20,726 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Virginia Tech. During the 2020-2021 year, about 60% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Ottawa University - Kansas City came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools ranking. Overland Park, Kansas is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 80 students in 2021-2022.
Ottawa University - Kansas City does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $12,622. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,495 in student loans.
Ottawa University - Kansas City is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
With a ranking of #18, New Jersey Institute of Technology did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Newark, New Jersey, the fairly large public school handed out 1,869 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from New Jersey pay an average of $18,512 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend NJIT. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $34,972. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from NJIT accumulate an average of $22,430 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at NJIT. In fact, around 29% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #19, Clemson University did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Clemson is located in Clemson, South Carolina and has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5,123 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Clemson is $15,558. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $39,502. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $20,939 in student loans.
Clemson does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 49% took at least some of their classes online.
University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree trade school programs. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, the large public school awarded 5,483 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
Students from Virginia who attend University of Virginia full time pay an average of $21,425 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $57,374. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $16,901 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that University of Virginia does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 22% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Ottawa University - Phoenix ranked #21 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools list. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, the very small private not-for-profit school awarded 146 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
Ottawa University - Phoenix does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $13,341. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,495 in student loans.
Ottawa University - Phoenix 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, 97% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #22 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools list. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 1,300 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $8,135 in tuition and fees if they attend UW - River Falls full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $16,128. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $20,247 in student loans.
Online courses are available at UW - River Falls, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2020-2021 about 77% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools ranking. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, the large public school handed out 8,676 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Indiana pay an average of $9,992 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Purdue. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $28,794. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,439 in student loans.
Purdue 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 49% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #24, Wagner College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Staten Island, New York, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 396 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $51,260 to cover tuition and fees at Wagner. The school does not offer an in-state discount. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $21,906 in student loans.
Clarkson University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools ranking. Clarkson is a private not-for-profit institution located in Potsdam, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 702 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Clarkson is $56,258. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from Clarkson accumulate an average of $23,260 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Clarkson 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 16% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
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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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