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