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2023 Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Colorado
Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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 Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Colorado ranking. This report analyzed 21 schools in Colorado 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.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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Top Value Trade Associate Degree Schools in Colorado
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Aims Community College the best value school in Colorado for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Greeley, Colorado, the medium-sized public school handed out 686 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Aims Community College are $10,850 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,156 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Aims Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 44% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Aims Community College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #4 on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Colorado list.
Out of the 21 schools in Colorado that were part of this year’s value ranking, Colorado Northwestern Community College landed the # 2 spot on the list. CNCC is a public institution located in Rangely, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 137 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CNCC are $6,740 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $12,923 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at CNCC. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 25% took at least some of their classes online.
CNCC did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Colorado list.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Community College of Aurora. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Colorado list. Located in Aurora, Colorado, the medium-sized public school awarded 620 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CCA are $15,832 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,334 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that CCA does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 22% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
CCA also took the #2 spot in our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Colorado rankings.
The excellent associate degree programs at Morgan Community College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value trade school schools in Colorado. Morgan Community College is a public institution located in Fort Morgan, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 134 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Morgan Community College are $15,579 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $9,552 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Morgan 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. In fact, around 51% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arapahoe Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Colorado list. Located in Littleton, Colorado, the fairly large public school awarded 754 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Arapahoe Community College are $15,502 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $15,611 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out Arapahoe Community College. Every undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Red Rocks 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 #6 on the list. Red Rocks Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Lakewood, Colorado. It awarded 593 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Red Rocks Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $16,135 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $14,553 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Red Rocks Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 51% took at least some of their classes online.
Red Rocks Community College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Colorado list.
Front Range Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Colorado list. This fairly large public school is located in Westminster, Colorado, and it awarded 1,906 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at FRCC are $15,776 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $18,200 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at FRCC. During the 2020-2021 year, about 33% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #8, Otero Junior College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. La Junta, Colorado is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 187 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Otero JC are $6,730 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $17,572 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 Otero JC does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 32% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Pikes Peak Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Colorado ranking. This fairly large public school is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and it awarded 1,611 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at PPCC are $15,714 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,660 in student loans.
PPCC 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 51% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Community College of Denver 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 #10 on the list. CCD is a medium-sized public school situated in Denver, Colorado. It awarded 728 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at CCD are $16,235 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,939 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at CCD. During the 2020-2021 year, about 59% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #11, Pueblo Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. This medium-sized public school is located in Pueblo, Colorado, and it awarded 660 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Pueblo Community College are $16,275 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $14,253 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Pueblo Community College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 33% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Trinidad State Junior College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. Trinidad State Junior College is located in Trinidad, Colorado and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 241 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Trinidad State Junior College are $8,360 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $12,954 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 Trinidad State Junior College does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 15% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Colorado Mountain 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 #13 on the list. Colorado Mountain College is a medium-sized public school located in Glenwood Springs, Colorado that handed out 484 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Colorado Mountain College are $11,820 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,854 in student loans.
Colorado Mountain College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 27% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #14, Northeastern Junior College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. NJC is a small public school situated in Sterling, Colorado. It awarded 215 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at NJC are $7,691 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $14,090 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since NJC does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 30% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #15, Colorado Mesa University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Grand Junction, Colorado, the medium-sized public school handed out 220 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Colorado Mesa are $23,019 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $21,002 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 Colorado Mesa does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 43% took at least some of their classes online.
DeVry University - Colorado landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. Westminster, Colorado is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at DeVry University - Colorado are $15,032 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $29,404 in loans while pursuing their degree.
DeVry University - Colorado is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
With a ranking of #18, IBMC College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. IBMC is a very small private for-profit school situated in Fort Collins, Colorado. It awarded 7 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
IBMC undergraduate students pay an average of $14,960 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $23,848 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Colorado Christian University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Colorado ranking. Located in Lakewood, Colorado, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 210 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at CCU are $26,846 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $29,911 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at CCU. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 49% took at least some of their classes online.
Intellitec College - Grand Junction landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. Located in Grand Junction, Colorado, the small private for-profit school handed out 77 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Intellitec College - Grand Junction are $0 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,919 in student loans.
Intellitec College - Colorado Springs 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 #20 on the list. Colorado Springs, Colorado is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 72 students in 2021-2022.
Intellitec College - Colorado Springs undergraduate students pay an average of $0 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $16,618 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 21 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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