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2023 Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region
With all the trade school programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Our analysis looked at 201 schools in the Southeast Region 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 Southeast Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Columbia Southern University to be the best school for trade school students who want to pursue a basic certificate in the Southeast Region . Columbia Southern University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in Orange Beach, Alabama that handed out 134 basic certificates 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.
Columbia Southern University is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
The excellent basic certificate programs at Rasmussen University - Florida helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best trade school schools in the Southeast Region . This medium-sized private for-profit school is located in Ocala, Florida, and it awarded 625 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Rasmussen University - Florida, expect to pay an average of $13,842 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid.
Rasmussen University - Florida does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 93% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Elizabethtown Community and Technical College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region list. Elizabethtown Community and Technical College is located in Elizabethtown, Kentucky and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2,206 basic certificates to qualified students.
Students from Kentucky who attend Elizabethtown Community and Technical College full time pay an average of $4,560 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $15,480.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 63% 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 Pierpont Community and Technical College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region list. Pierpont Community and Technical College is located in Fairmont, West Virginia and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 272 basic certificates to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Pierpont Community and Technical College is $5,086. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $12,056.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Pierpont Community and Technical College does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 75% took at least some of their classes online.
Read full report on Pierpont Community and Technical College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Bluegrass Community and Technical College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region list. Bluegrass Community and Technical College is a public institution located in Lexington, Kentucky. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3,006 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Kentucky pay an average of $4,640 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Bluegrass Community and Technical College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $15,560.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Bluegrass Community and Technical College. In fact, around 72% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Coastal Pines Technical College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate trade school programs. Coastal Pines Technical College is located in Waycross, Georgia and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,120 basic certificates to qualified students.
In-state students pay an average of $2,759 in tuition and fees if they attend Coastal Pines Technical College full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $4,906.
One thing to take note of is that Coastal Pines Technical College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 39% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Kennesaw State University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate trade school programs. Kennesaw, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 98 students in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Georgia pay an average of $5,786 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend KSU Georgia. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $17,040.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since KSU Georgia does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2020-2021 year, about 57% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #8, Danville Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Danville Community College is a small public school located in Danville, Virginia that handed out 325 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $4,725 in tuition and fees if they attend Danville Community College full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,728.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Danville Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 49% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
College of Business and Technology-Flagler came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. CBT College - Flagler is located in Miami, Florida and has a very small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 141 basic certificates to qualified students.
If you want to attend CBT College - Flagler, expect to pay an average of $13,152 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at CBT College - Flagler. In 2020-2021 about 10% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate trade school programs. Georgia Northwestern Technical College is located in Rome, Georgia and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2,064 basic certificates to qualified students.
Full-time students from Georgia pay an average of $3,112 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Georgia Northwestern Technical College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $5,512.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Georgia Northwestern Technical College. In fact, around 68% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Florida SouthWestern State 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 #11 on the list. FSW is a public institution located in Fort Myers, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 268 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at FSW is $3,401. Out-of-state students pay an average of $12,979.
FSW does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 63% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Chattahoochee Technical College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Chattahoochee Technical College is a medium-sized public school situated in Marietta, Georgia. It awarded 3,377 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $3,252 in tuition and fees if they attend Chattahoochee Technical College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $5,652.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Chattahoochee Technical College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 56% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #13, Northern Kentucky University did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. NKU is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 16 basic certificates to qualified students.
Full-time students from Kentucky pay an average of $10,592 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend NKU. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $20,848.
Online courses are available at NKU, 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 69% took at least some of their classes online.
Trident Technical College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region list. Trident Technical College is a fairly large public school situated in Charleston, South Carolina. It awarded 1,107 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $5,059 in tuition and fees if they attend Trident Technical College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,606.
Trident Technical 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. In fact, around 75% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #15, Piedmont Virginia Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, the medium-sized public school handed out 212 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Virginia pay an average of $4,790 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend PVCC. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $10,793.
Some students may be able to take online classes at PVCC. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 56% took at least some of their classes online.
Madisonville Community College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Madisonville Community College is a small public school located in Madisonville, Kentucky that handed out 1,083 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Students from Kentucky who attend Madisonville Community College full time pay an average of $4,560 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $15,480.
Online courses are available at Madisonville Community College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2020-2021 about 55% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Valencia 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 #17 on the list. Valencia College is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7,875 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Valencia College is $2,474. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $9,383.
One thing to take note of is that Valencia College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 84% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #18, Remington College - Lafayette Campus did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Located in Lafayette, Louisiana, the very small private not-for-profit school handed out 89 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Remington College - Lafayette 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.
Jefferson Community and Technical College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate trade school programs. Jefferson Community and Technical College is a fairly large public school situated in Louisville, Kentucky. It awarded 2,430 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Students from Kentucky who attend Jefferson Community and Technical College full time pay an average of $4,640 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $15,560.
Jefferson Community and Technical 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. In fact, around 53% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #20, Gwinnett Technical College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. GTC is a medium-sized public school situated in Lawrenceville, Georgia. It awarded 2,076 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Georgia pay an average of $3,286 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend GTC. Out-of-state students pay an average of $5,686.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at GTC. In fact, around 62% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Lanier Technical College landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate trade school programs. Lanier Technical College is a medium-sized public school situated in Gainesville, Georgia. It awarded 1,030 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Georgia pay an average of $3,666 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Lanier Technical College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $6,666.
Lanier Technical College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 44% took at least some of their classes online.
Motlow State Community College landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate trade school programs. Tullahoma, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 94 students in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $4,416 in tuition and fees if they attend Motlow full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $17,232.
One thing to take note of is that Motlow does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 76% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Athens Technical College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Athens Technical College is located in Athens, Georgia and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,174 basic certificates to qualified students.
In-state students pay an average of $3,062 in tuition and fees if they attend Athens Technical College full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $5,462.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Athens Technical College. In 2020-2021 about 44% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Oconee Fall Line Technical College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region list. OFTC is located in Sandersville, Georgia and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 800 basic certificates to qualified students.
Students from Georgia who attend OFTC full time pay an average of $3,072 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $5,472.
OFTC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 56% took at least some of their classes online.
ECPI University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southeast Region list. ECPI University is a private for-profit institution located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at ECPI University is $18,484. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at ECPI University. In fact, around 47% 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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