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2023 Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region
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 the Southwest Region ranking. This report analyzed 87 schools in the Southwest 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.
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 the Southwest Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Lee College the best value school in the Southwest Region for trade school students working on their associate degree. Lee College is located in Baytown, Texas and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,267 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Lee College are $4,302 a year. On average, associate degree students take out $10,113 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Lee College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 40% took at least some of their classes online.
Lee 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 Southwest Region list.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Panola College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in Carthage, Texas, the small public school handed out 348 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Panola College are $4,896 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Panola College. 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.
Panola College also took the #2 spot in our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southwest Region rankings.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Central Arizona College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. Pinal County Community College is a public institution located in Coolidge, Arizona. The school has a small population, and it awarded 491 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Pinal County Community College are $3,000 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,534 in student loans.
Pinal County 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 84% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Pinal County Community College did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list.
Out of the 87 schools in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s value ranking, Alvin Community College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in Alvin, Texas, the medium-sized public school handed out 778 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Alvin are $4,010 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $6,112 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Alvin does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 33% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Clovis Community College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in Clovis, New Mexico, the small public school awarded 292 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Clovis Community College are $3,224 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,343 in student loans.
Clovis 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.
Victoria College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. Victoria College is a small public school situated in Victoria, Texas. It awarded 347 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Victoria College are $5,112 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $11,658 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Victoria College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. 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.
In addition to its great value ranking, Victoria College is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list.
El Centro 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 #7 on the list. El Centro College is a large public school located in Dallas, Texas that handed out 7,626 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at El Centro College are $6,000 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $15,059 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
El Centro College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 70% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
El Centro College also made our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list, coming in at #4.
Galveston College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. This small public school is located in Galveston, Texas, and it awarded 349 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Galveston College are $5,726 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,575 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Galveston College does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 69% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Galveston College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list.
College of the Mainland landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. College of the Mainland is a small public school located in Texas City, Texas that handed out 583 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
COM undergraduate students pay an average of $3,873 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $8,690 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at COM. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 41% took at least some of their classes online.
Tyler Junior 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 #10 on the list. Tyler, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 1,723 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Tyler Junior College are $4,440 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,813 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Tyler Junior College. In 2020-2021 about 58% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
The University of Texas at Brownsville came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. This medium-sized public school is located in Brownsville, Texas, and it awarded 1,102 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at The University of Texas at Brownsville are $4,948 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $11,404 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
The University of Texas at Brownsville 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 73% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
South Plains College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. South Plains College is a medium-sized public school situated in Levelland, Texas. It awarded 957 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at South Plains College are $4,857 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $16,033 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at South Plains 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 61% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #13, Wharton County Junior College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Wharton County Junior College is a medium-sized public school situated in Wharton, Texas. It awarded 580 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Wharton County Junior College are $5,052 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $11,556 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Wharton County Junior College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 49% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Northeast Texas Community College landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. NTCC is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 408 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NTCC are $6,449 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $15,117 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at NTCC. In 2020-2021 about 65% 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, NTCC is ranked #5 for overall quality in the Southwest Region .
With a ranking of #15, Amarillo College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Amarillo College is a medium-sized public school situated in Amarillo, Texas. It awarded 1,411 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Amarillo College are $4,704 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,653 in student loans.
Amarillo 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 55% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
San Jacinto 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 #16 on the list. San Jacinto College is a large public school situated in Pasadena, Texas. It awarded 5,788 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at San Jacinto College are $5,040 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $12,614 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 San Jacinto College does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 66% took at least some of their classes online.
San Juan 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. Farmington, New Mexico is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 595 students in 2021-2022.
SJC undergraduate students pay an average of $4,882 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $13,626 in loans while pursuing their degree.
SJC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 59% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
New Mexico State University - Carlsbad landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. Located in Carlsbad, New Mexico, the small public school awarded 130 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
NMSU Carlsbad undergraduate students pay an average of $4,008 in tuition and fees each year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $13,626 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
NMSU Carlsbad does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 59% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Collin County Community College District 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 #19 on the list. Located in McKinney, Texas, the large public school awarded 4,361 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Collin County Community College District undergraduate students pay an average of $5,614 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,085 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Collin County Community College District. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 40% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Houston 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 #20 on the list. Houston Community College is located in Houston, Texas and has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5,387 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Houston Community College are $5,460 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,178 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Houston Community College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 77% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Odessa College landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. This medium-sized public school is located in Odessa, Texas, and it awarded 1,130 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Odessa College are $4,566 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $8,711 in student loans.
Odessa 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 66% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Del Mar 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 #22 on the list. DMC is located in Corpus Christi, Texas and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,324 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at DMC are $5,990 a year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $6,385 in student loans.
DMC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 70% took at least some of their classes online.
University of New Mexico - Gallup Campus landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. University of New Mexico - Gallup Campus is a small public school located in Gallup, New Mexico that handed out 204 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
UNM Gallup undergraduate students pay an average of $5,422 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $14,575 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at UNM Gallup, 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, 66% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Read full report on University of New Mexico - Gallup Campus
Temple 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 #24 on the list. Temple College is a public institution located in Temple, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 660 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Temple College are $6,576 per year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $14,725 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Temple 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, 64% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Temple College also claimed a spot on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Midland College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. This medium-sized public school is located in Midland, Texas, and it awarded 468 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Midland College are $5,880 per year. On average, associate degree students take out $15,234 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Midland College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 52% 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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