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2023 Best Basic Certificate 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Trade College Search has created its Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 809 schools in the United States to see which basic certificate programs offered the best educational experiences for trade school students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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Top Trade Basic Certificate Schools in the United States
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Saint Vincent College to be the best school for trade school students who want to pursue a basic certificate in the United States. Located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 15 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Saint Vincent, expect to pay an average of $39,903 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid.
Saint Vincent does offer online classes for certain degree levels. 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.
The excellent basic certificate programs at University of Providence helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best trade school schools in the United States. University of Providence is located in Great Falls, Montana and has a very small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 48 basic certificates to qualified students.
If you want to attend University of Providence, expect to pay an average of $27,606 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out University of Providence. Every undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Columbia Southern University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools list. Columbia Southern University is a private for-profit institution located in Orange Beach, Alabama. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 134 basic certificates 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.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Columbia Southern University. Every undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Bismarck State College is a great place for trade school students working on their basic certificate. This small public school is located in Bismarck, North Dakota, and it awarded 90 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from North Dakota pay an average of $5,143 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend BSC. Out-of-state students pay an average of $7,227.
Online courses are available at BSC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2020-2021 about 65% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Out of the 809 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, North Hennepin Community College landed the # 5 spot on the list. North Hennepin Community College is located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 578 basic certificates to qualified students.
If you want to attend North Hennepin Community College, expect to pay an average of $5,050 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid.
Some students may be able to take online classes at North Hennepin Community College. In 2020-2021 about 82% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #7, National University did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since National University does offer online classes for certain majors. 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.
University of Minnesota - Crookston did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #8 on the list. UMN Crookston is a public institution located in Crookston, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
UMN Crookston does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $13,010. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at UMN Crookston. In 2020-2021 about 57% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Panola College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools ranking. Panola College is a public institution located in Carthage, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 150 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $3,840 in tuition and fees if they attend Panola College full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $4,896.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Panola College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 71% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Santa Barbara City College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools ranking. SBCC is located in Santa Barbara, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 119 basic certificates to qualified students.
In-state students pay an average of $1,234 in tuition and fees if they attend SBCC full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,322.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at SBCC. In fact, around 80% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Madison Area Technical College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate trade school programs. This fairly large public school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 1,263 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Students from Wisconsin who attend Madison College full time pay an average of $4,607 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $6,812.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Madison College. In 2020-2021 about 67% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Bethel University Minnesota ranked #12 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools list. Bethel University Minnesota is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 15 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Bethel University Minnesota, expect to pay an average of $41,270 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid.
Bethel University Minnesota does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 52% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Thomas Jefferson University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools list. Thomas Jefferson University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 19 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Thomas Jefferson University is $44,200. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Thomas Jefferson University does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 68% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Merced College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools ranking. Located in Merced, California, the fairly large public school handed out 287 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Merced Community College District is $1,194. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,890.
Merced Community College District 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 2020-2021.
Eastern Kentucky University landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate trade school programs. Richmond, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 127 students in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Eastern is $9,844. Out-of-state students pay an average of $20,222.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Eastern. In 2020-2021 about 71% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Bunker Hill Community College landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate trade school programs. BHCC is a medium-sized public school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 204 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at BHCC is $5,280. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $10,224.
One thing to take note of is that BHCC does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 96% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of North Dakota ranked #17 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools list. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the fairly large public school awarded 257 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
Students from North Dakota who attend UND full time pay an average of $10,951 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $15,570.
Some students may be able to take online classes at UND. During the 2020-2021 year, about 69% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Crafton Hills College landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate trade school programs. Crafton Hills College is a medium-sized public school located in Yucaipa, California that handed out 216 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Students from California who attend CHC full time pay an average of $1,182 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,942.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since CHC does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 78% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
North Seattle College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools ranking. North Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 180 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at North Seattle is $5,058. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $5,547.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since North Seattle does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2020-2021 year, about 45% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #20, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 636 students in 2021-2022.
Students from Indiana who attend IUPUI full time pay an average of $10,144 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $32,582.
IUPUI does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 62% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Report
Rasmussen University - Florida landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate trade school programs. Rasmussen University - Florida is a medium-sized private for-profit school situated in Ocala, Florida. It awarded 625 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $13,842 to cover tuition and fees at Rasmussen University - Florida. The school does not offer an in-state discount.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Rasmussen University - Florida. In fact, around 93% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools ranking. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 994 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Indiana pay an average of $9,992 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Purdue. Out-of-state students pay an average of $28,794.
Purdue does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 49% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Grand Valley State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools list. Located in Allendale, Michigan, the large public school handed out 191 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since GVSU does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2020-2021 year, about 46% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Fox Valley Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #24 on the list. FVTC is a fairly large public school situated in Appleton, Wisconsin. It awarded 1,945 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Wisconsin pay an average of $4,826 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend FVTC. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $6,977.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at FVTC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 31% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Columbia Gorge Community College landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate trade school programs. Located in The Dalles, Oregon, the small public school awarded 30 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $5,472 in tuition and fees if they attend Columbia Gorge Community College full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,008.
One thing to take note of is that Columbia Gorge Community College does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 51% 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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