Find Trade Colleges
2023 Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina
Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for trade school students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience.
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 North Carolina to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 42 schools in North Carolina 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.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. 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.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Featured schools near , edit
Top Value Trade Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Craven Community College the best value school in North Carolina for trade school students working on their associate degree. This small public school is located in New Bern, North Carolina, and it awarded 660 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Craven Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,630 in tuition and fees each year.
Craven Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 73% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Craven Community College is ranked #1 for overall quality in North Carolina.
Out of the 42 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s value ranking, Pitt Community College landed the # 2 spot on the list. This medium-sized public school is located in Winterville, North Carolina, and it awarded 1,062 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Pitt Community College are $6,548 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,749 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Pitt 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 77% took at least some of their classes online.
In addition to its great value ranking, Pitt Community College is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in North Carolina list.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means South Piedmont Community College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. Located in Polkton, North Carolina, the small public school awarded 300 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at South Piedmont Community College are $6,623 a year.
One thing to take note of is that South Piedmont Community College does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 76% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Out of the 42 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s value ranking, Vance-Granville Community College landed the # 4 spot on the list. This small public school is located in Henderson, North Carolina, and it awarded 424 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Vance-Granville Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,552 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Vance-Granville Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2020-2021 year, about 84% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Forsyth Technical Community College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina list. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the medium-sized public school awarded 1,113 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Forsyth Tech are $7,168 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $15,817 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Forsyth Tech does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 73% took at least some of their classes online.
Richmond Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking. Richmond Community College is located in Hamlet, North Carolina and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 391 associate degrees to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Richmond Community College are $8,680 per year.
Richmond Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 57% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Richmond Community College is ranked #3 for overall quality in North Carolina.
With a ranking of #7, Brunswick Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. This small public school is located in Bolivia, North Carolina, and it awarded 282 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Brunswick Community College are $8,676 per year.
Online courses are available at Brunswick 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 95% took at least some of their classes online.
Brunswick Community College also took the #4 spot in our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in North Carolina rankings.
Montgomery 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 #8 on the list. Troy, North Carolina is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 114 students in 2021-2022.
MCC undergraduate students pay an average of $8,682 in tuition and fees each year.
MCC 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 48% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
MCC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in North Carolina list.
Lenoir 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 #9 on the list. Located in Kinston, North Carolina, the small public school awarded 392 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Lenoir Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,712 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that Lenoir Community College does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 95% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Lenoir Community College also did well on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in North Carolina list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
With a ranking of #10, College of the Albemarle did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. College of the Albemarle is a small public school situated in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. It awarded 349 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at College of the Albemarle are $7,346 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at College of the Albemarle. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 97% took at least some of their classes online.
Alamance Community College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. ACC is a small public school situated in Graham, North Carolina. It awarded 573 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at ACC are $8,642 a year.
ACC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 94% took at least some of their classes online.
Davidson County Community College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina list. DCCC is located in Thomasville, North Carolina and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 522 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at DCCC are $7,852 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $15,605 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at DCCC. 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.
Central Piedmont Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina list. Charlotte, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 2,459 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Central Piedmont Community College are $8,936 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $6,146 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Central Piedmont 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 2020-2021 about 97% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Central Piedmont Community College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #2 on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in North Carolina list.
Surry Community College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking. Dobson, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 451 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Surry Community College are $8,807 per year.
Surry 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. 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.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Surry Community College is ranked #5 for overall quality in North Carolina.
Durham Technical Community College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 510 students in 2021-2022.
Durham Technical Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,474 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $20,349 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Durham Technical 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 2020-2021 about 89% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #16, Southwestern Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Southwestern Community College is a small public school located in Sylva, North Carolina that handed out 364 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southwestern Community College are $7,221 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $13,091 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at Southwestern 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 62% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Johnston 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 #17 on the list. Located in Smithfield, North Carolina, the small public school awarded 671 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Johnston Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,801 in tuition and fees each year.
Johnston Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 81% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina ranking. Located in Salisbury, North Carolina, the medium-sized public school handed out 810 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College are $6,632 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $10,696 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 Rowan-Cabarrus Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 82% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Cleveland Community College landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. This small public school is located in Shelby, North Carolina, and it awarded 467 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cleveland Community College are $8,746 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Cleveland Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 68% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Guilford Technical Community College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina list. Guilford Technical Community College is a public institution located in Jamestown, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,431 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Guilford Technical Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,695 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,790 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Guilford Technical Community College does offer online classes in some areas. 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.
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. Hudson, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 795 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CCCTI are $8,681 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $9,864 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at CCCTI. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 66% took at least some of their classes online.
Catawba Valley Community College landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. CVCC is a small public school situated in Hickory, North Carolina. It awarded 938 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CVCC are $7,743 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $8,351 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at CVCC. During the 2020-2021 year, about 88% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #23, Wayne Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Goldsboro, North Carolina, the small public school handed out 499 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Wayne Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,668 in tuition and fees each year.
Wayne Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 79% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Beaufort County Community College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina list. This small public school is located in Washington, North Carolina, and it awarded 330 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Beaufort County Community College are $8,662 per year.
Online courses are available at Beaufort County Community College, 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 63% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Central Carolina Community College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina list. Central Carolina Community College is located in Sanford, North Carolina and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 615 associate degrees to qualified students.
Central Carolina Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,698 in tuition and fees each year.
Online courses are available at Central Carolina 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 84% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Best Value Trade Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
View Best Value Trade Associate Degree Schools Nationwide >
More North Carolina Rankings
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.
TradeCollege.org provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. TradeCollege.org is a for-profit site, and the displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© TradeCollege.org – All Rights Reserved.