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2023 Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Virginia
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for trade school students. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent.
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 in Virginia ranking. Our analysis looked at 23 schools in Virginia 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 Virginia
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Danville Community College the best school in Virginia for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Located in Danville, Virginia, the small public school handed out 325 basic certificate awards 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.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Danville Community College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 49% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Piedmont Virginia Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Virginia list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 212 students in 2021-2022.
Students from Virginia who attend PVCC full time pay an average of $4,790 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $10,793.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since PVCC does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2020-2021 year, about 56% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Out of the 23 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, ECPI University landed the # 3 spot on the list. This fairly large private for-profit school is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and it awarded 38 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
ECPI University does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $18,484. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid.
ECPI University does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 47% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Wytheville Community College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Virginia list. WCC is a small public school situated in Wytheville, Virginia. It awarded 123 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Virginia pay an average of $4,725 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend WCC. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $10,728.
Online courses are available at WCC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 61% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
The excellent basic certificate programs at Mountain Empire Community College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best trade school schools in Virginia. This small public school is located in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, and it awarded 499 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Students from Virginia who attend MECC full time pay an average of $4,725 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $10,728.
Online courses are available at MECC, 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 74% took at least some of their classes online.
Tidewater Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Virginia ranking. Tidewater Community College is a fairly large public school located in Norfolk, Virginia that handed out 1,133 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Virginia pay an average of $5,561 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Tidewater Community College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $11,564.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Tidewater Community College. In fact, around 82% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Southside Virginia Community College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate trade school programs. Southside Virginia Community College is a small public school situated in Alberta, Virginia. It awarded 301 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Virginia pay an average of $4,695 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Southside Virginia Community College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,698.
Southside Virginia Community 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 59% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #8, Liberty University did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Liberty University is a large private not-for-profit school located in Lynchburg, Virginia that handed out 364 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Liberty University, expect to pay an average of $16,203 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid.
Liberty University does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 87% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #9, Northern Virginia Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Located in Annandale, Virginia, the large public school handed out 892 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Virginia pay an average of $5,565 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Northern Virginia Community College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $11,648.
Northern Virginia Community 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. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 63% took at least some of their classes online.
Blue Ridge Community College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate trade school programs. Located in Weyers Cave, Virginia, the small public school awarded 551 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Virginia pay an average of $5,364 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend BRCC. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $11,367.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at BRCC. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 62% took at least some of their classes online.
Thomas Nelson Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Virginia ranking. TNCC is located in Hampton, Virginia and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 205 basic certificates to qualified students.
In-state students pay an average of $4,806 in tuition and fees if they attend TNCC full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,809.
Some students may be able to take online classes at TNCC. In 2020-2021 about 74% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #12, Lord Fairfax Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Middletown, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 281 students in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Lord Fairfax Community College is $4,739. Out-of-state students pay an average of $10,742.
One thing to take note of is that Lord Fairfax Community College does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 50% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Central Virginia Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Virginia ranking. Central Virginia Community College is located in Lynchburg, Virginia and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 366 basic certificates to qualified students.
Students from Virginia who attend Central Virginia Community College full time pay an average of $4,853 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,856.
Online courses are available at Central Virginia Community College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 54% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Virginia Highlands Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Virginia list. VHCC is a public institution located in Abingdon, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 187 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Students from Virginia who attend VHCC full time pay an average of $4,725 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,728.
One thing to take note of is that VHCC does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 60% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Virginia Western Community 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 #15 on the list. Virginia Western Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Roanoke, Virginia that handed out 484 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Virginia Western Community College is $5,103. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $11,106.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Virginia Western Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 55% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Southwest Virginia Community College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Virginia list. Located in Cedar Bluff, Virginia, the small public school awarded 219 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Virginia pay an average of $4,733 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Southwest Virginia. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $10,736.
One thing to take note of is that Southwest Virginia does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 78% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Patrick Henry Community College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Virginia ranking. Patrick Henry is located in Martinsville, Virginia and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 81 basic certificates to qualified students.
In-state students pay an average of $4,720 in tuition and fees if they attend Patrick Henry full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $10,723.
One thing to take note of is that Patrick Henry does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 72% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Reynolds Community College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Virginia list. Richmond, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 374 students in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Reynolds Community College is $4,998. Out-of-state students pay an average of $11,001.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Reynolds Community College. In fact, around 65% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
New River Community College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Virginia ranking. NRCC is located in Dublin, Virginia and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 335 basic certificates to qualified students.
Full-time students from Virginia pay an average of $4,697 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend NRCC. Out-of-state students pay an average of $10,699.
NRCC 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, 59% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #20, John Tyler Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. This medium-sized public school is located in Chester, Virginia, and it awarded 283 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Students from Virginia who attend John Tyler Community College full time pay an average of $4,800 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $10,803.
John Tyler Community 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 56% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Paul D Camp Community College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Virginia list. Paul D Camp Community College is a small public school situated in Franklin, Virginia. It awarded 64 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Students from Virginia who attend Paul D Camp Community College full time pay an average of $4,730 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $10,733.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Paul D Camp Community 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 #22, Germanna Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Located in Locust Grove, Virginia, the medium-sized public school handed out 346 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Germanna Community College is $4,913. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,916.
One thing to take note of is that Germanna Community College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 71% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Rappahannock Community 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 #23 on the list. RCC is a public institution located in Glenns, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 398 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $4,820 in tuition and fees if they attend RCC full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,823.
RCC 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 51% took at least some of their classes online.
Best Trade Basic Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 23 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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