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2023 Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southwest Region
With all the trade school programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best 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 in the Southwest Region ranking. This report analyzed 71 schools in the Southwest Region to see which ones offered the best basic certificate programs for trade school students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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Top Trade Basic Certificate Schools in the Southwest Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Panola College the best school in the Southwest Region for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Panola College is a small public school situated in Carthage, Texas. It awarded 150 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Students from Texas who attend Panola College full time pay an average of $3,840 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $4,896.
One thing to take note of is that Panola College does offer online classes in some areas. 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.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means El Centro College is a great place for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Located in Dallas, Texas, the large public school handed out 2,819 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Some students may be able to take online classes at El Centro College. In fact, around 70% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Galveston College is a great place for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Galveston College is located in Galveston, Texas and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 168 basic certificates to qualified students.
In-state students pay an average of $3,266 in tuition and fees if they attend Galveston College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $5,726.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Galveston College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 69% took at least some of their classes online.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend McLennan Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. MCC is a public institution located in Waco, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 346 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $4,200 in tuition and fees if they attend MCC full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $5,910.
Some students may be able to take online classes at MCC. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 57% took at least some of their classes online.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of Phoenix - Arizona is a great place for trade school students working on their basic certificate. UOPX - Arizona is located in Phoenix, Arizona and has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 4,818 basic certificates to qualified students.
Some students may be able to take online classes at UOPX - Arizona. In fact, around 100% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Northeast Texas 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 #6 on the list. Northeast Texas Community College is a small public school located in Mount Pleasant, Texas that handed out 266 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at NTCC is $5,009. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $6,449.
NTCC 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 65% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Remington College - Dallas Campus landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate trade school programs. Located in Dallas, Texas, the very small private not-for-profit school handed out 104 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
If you are interested in distance education, Remington College - Dallas Campus is an excellent choice, since the school is online.
Lee 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 #8 on the list. Lee College is located in Baytown, Texas and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2,298 basic certificates to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Lee College is $3,882. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $4,302.
Lee College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 40% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #9, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. ASU - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,172 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at ASU - Tempe is $11,618. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $30,592.
Some students may be able to take online classes at ASU - Tempe. In 2020-2021 about 62% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Central Arizona College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate trade school programs. This small public school is located in Coolidge, Arizona, and it awarded 248 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Pinal County Community College. In fact, around 84% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Remington College - Fort Worth Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. Remington College - Fort Worth Campus is a very small private not-for-profit school situated in Fort Worth, Texas. It awarded 72 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Since Remington College - Fort Worth Campus 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.
Victoria College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in Victoria, Texas, the small public school awarded 155 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
Students from Texas who attend Victoria College full time pay an average of $4,056 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $5,112.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Victoria College. In fact, around 67% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Remington College - Houston Southeast Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in Webster, Texas, the very small private not-for-profit school awarded 49 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
Remington College - Houston Southeast Campus is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
Remington College - North Houston Campus landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate trade school programs. Located in Houston, Texas, the very small private not-for-profit school handed out 98 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Remington College - North Houston Campus is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
With a ranking of #15, Lone Star College System did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Located in The Woodlands, Texas, the large public school handed out 1,579 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Some students may be able to take online classes at North Harris Montgomery. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 67% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Eastern Arizona College landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best basic certificate trade school programs. This small public school is located in Thatcher, Arizona, and it awarded 486 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Eastern Arizona 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 2020-2021 about 24% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
GateWay 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 #17 on the list. GateWay Community College is a small public school situated in Phoenix, Arizona. It awarded 928 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Arizona pay an average of $2,070 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend GateWay Community College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,854.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since GateWay Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 57% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #18, Midland College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Midland College is located in Midland, Texas and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 374 basic certificates to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Midland College is $4,650. Out-of-state students pay an average of $5,880.
One thing to take note of is that Midland College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 52% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Wharton County Junior College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. Wharton County Junior College is a public institution located in Wharton, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 138 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Wharton County Junior College is $3,804. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $5,052.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Wharton County Junior College does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 49% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Collin County Community College District came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. This large public school is located in McKinney, Texas, and it awarded 1,100 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $3,514 in tuition and fees if they attend Collin County Community College District full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $5,614.
Collin County Community College District does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 40% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #21, South Texas College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Located in McAllen, Texas, the large public school handed out 967 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at South Texas College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 58% took at least some of their classes online.
Clovis Community College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Clovis, New Mexico, the small public school handed out 365 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Students from New Mexico who attend Clovis Community College full time pay an average of $1,736 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $3,224.
Online courses are available at Clovis 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, 56% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #23, Texas State Technical College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Texas State Technical College is a fairly large public school located in Waco, Texas that handed out 216 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Some students may be able to take online classes at TSTC. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 94% took at least some of their classes online.
Weatherford College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. Weatherford College is a medium-sized public school situated in Weatherford, Texas. It awarded 118 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Texas pay an average of $6,300 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Weatherford College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $8,610.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Weatherford College does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 33% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Lamar Institute of Technology came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Beaumont, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 289 students in 2021-2022.
Students from Texas who attend Lamar Institute of Technology full time pay an average of $2,844 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $12,636.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Lamar Institute of Technology does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 54% 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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