2023 Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which trade school program is right for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Trade College Search has created the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 131 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for trade school students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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Top Value Trade Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Northcentral Technical College to be the best value school for trade school students who want to pursue a associate degree in the Great Lakes Region . Located in Wausau, Wisconsin, the medium-sized public school awarded 478 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at North Central Technical College are $5,512 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $9,408 in student loans.
North Central Technical College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 52% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
North Central Technical College also claimed a spot on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
The excellent associate degree programs at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value trade school schools in the Great Lakes Region . Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is a small public school located in Fennimore, Wisconsin that handed out 220 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southwest Tech are $6,731 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $10,841 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Southwest Tech. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 35% took at least some of their classes online.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Southwest Tech is ranked #4 for overall quality in the Great Lakes Region .
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Wayne County Community College District is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. This fairly large public school is located in Detroit, Michigan, and it awarded 1,042 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WCCCD are $3,998 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $14,009 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at WCCCD, 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, 27% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Oakland Community College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. This fairly large public school is located in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 1,666 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Oakland Community College are $5,400 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,433 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Oakland Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 41% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Washington State Community College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. WSCC is a small public school situated in Marietta, Ohio. It awarded 307 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at WSCC are $4,152 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $14,048 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at WSCC. During the 2020-2021 year, about 58% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Western Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Western Technical College is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 624 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Western Technical College are $6,788 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,730 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Western Technical College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 63% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Western Technical College also claimed a spot on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Madison Area Technical College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. Madison College is located in Madison, Wisconsin and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,366 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Madison College are $6,812 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $17,344 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Madison College. In fact, around 67% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Madison College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Chippewa Valley Technical College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Chippewa Valley Technical College is a medium-sized public school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 796 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
CVTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,793 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $16,093 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that CVTC does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 47% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
In addition to its great value ranking, CVTC is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Waukesha County Technical College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, the medium-sized public school handed out 641 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WCTC are $6,722 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $17,845 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since WCTC does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 22% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, WCTC also did well on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
With a ranking of #10, Fox Valley Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. FVTC is located in Appleton, Wisconsin and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,009 associate degrees to qualified students.
FVTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,977 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $11,433 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at FVTC, 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 31% took at least some of their classes online.
In addition to its great value ranking, FVTC is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Moraine Park Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #11 on the list. This small public school is located in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and it awarded 450 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Moraine Park Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,793 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $12,604 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Moraine Park Technical College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 42% took at least some of their classes online.
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the fairly large public school handed out 948 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at NWTC are $6,965 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $15,597 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at NWTC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 41% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
NWTC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
With a ranking of #13, Blackhawk Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. BTC is a small public school situated in Janesville, Wisconsin. It awarded 221 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
BTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,793 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $12,545 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at BTC. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 45% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #14, Ivy Tech Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Ivy Tech Community College is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8,655 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Ivy Tech Community College are $8,927 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $11,835 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Ivy Tech Community College, 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 33% took at least some of their classes online.
In addition to its great value ranking, Ivy Tech Community College is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, the medium-sized public school awarded 1,009 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Cincinnati State are $9,558 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $14,555 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Cincinnati State, 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 57% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Cincinnati State also did well on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full report on Cincinnati State Technical and Community College
Lakeshore Technical College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Cleveland, Wisconsin, the small public school handed out 270 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
LTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,326 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $9,782 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that LTC does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 66% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #17, Gateway Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Gateway Technical College is a medium-sized public school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 654 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Gateway Technical College are $6,917 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,800 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Gateway Technical College. In fact, around 36% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #18, James A Rhodes State College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. James A Rhodes State College is a small public school located in Lima, Ohio that handed out 301 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Rhodes State College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,742 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,353 in student loans.
Rhodes State 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 35% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Rhodes State College also claimed a spot on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Alpena Community College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Alpena Community College is a public institution located in Alpena, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 197 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Alpena Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,995 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Alpena Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 45% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Delta College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in University Center, Michigan, the medium-sized public school handed out 901 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Delta College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,250 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $12,609 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Delta College does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 66% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Mid-State Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #21 on the list. Mid-State is a small public school situated in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. It awarded 239 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Mid-State are $6,850 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $10,482 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Mid-State does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 64% took at least some of their classes online.
Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Shell Lake, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 340 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at WITC are $6,624 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,381 in student loans.
Online courses are available at WITC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2020-2021 about 73% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Schoolcraft College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized public school is located in Livonia, Michigan, and it awarded 1,043 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Schoolcraft College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,652 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,741 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Schoolcraft College. In fact, around 54% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Milwaukee Area Technical College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 1,217 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MATC are $7,018 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $16,866 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since MATC does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 60% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Southwestern Illinois College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #25 on the list. Located in Belleville, Illinois, the medium-sized public school awarded 1,100 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SWIC are $6,210 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $7,566 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
SWIC 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, 45% 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
- 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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