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2023 Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for trade school students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. This report analyzed 42 schools in the Rocky Mountains Region to see which ones offered the best value basic certificate 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.
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Top Value Trade Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Trinidad State Junior College to be the best value school for trade school students who want to pursue a basic certificate in the Rocky Mountains Region . This small public school is located in Trinidad, Colorado, and it awarded 339 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Trinidad State Junior College are $8,360 per year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Trinidad State Junior College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 15% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Trinidad State Junior College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Western Wyoming Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Western Wyoming Community College is a small public school located in Rock Springs, Wyoming that handed out 35 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at WWCC are $8,640 a year.
WWCC 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.
WWCC not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Colorado Northwestern Community College is a great place for trade school students working on their basic certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. CNCC is located in Rangely, Colorado and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 65 basic certificates to qualified students.
CNCC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,740 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that CNCC does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 25% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
The excellent basic certificate programs at Otero Junior College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value trade school schools in the Rocky Mountains Region . Otero JC is a public institution located in La Junta, Colorado. The school has a very small population, and it awarded 94 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Otero JC are $6,730 a year.
One thing to take note of is that Otero JC does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 32% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
The excellent basic certificate programs at Northeastern Junior College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value trade school schools in the Rocky Mountains Region . Located in Sterling, Colorado, the small public school handed out 273 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at NJC are $7,691 a year.
NJC 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 30% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #6, Lamar Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Lamar, Colorado is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 79 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at LCC are $6,720 per year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at LCC. During the 2020-2021 year, about 19% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #7, Laramie County Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. LCCC is a public institution located in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The school has a small population, and it awarded 222 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at LCCC are $10,913 a year.
Online courses are available at LCCC, 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 48% took at least some of their classes online.
LCCC also took the #4 spot in our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region rankings.
College of Southern Idaho ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Twin Falls, Idaho is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 280 students in 2021-2022.
College of Southern Idaho undergraduate students pay an average of $6,840 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that College of Southern Idaho does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 39% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Red Rocks Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. This medium-sized public school is located in Lakewood, Colorado, and it awarded 1,290 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Red Rocks Community College are $16,135 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Red Rocks Community College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 51% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Red Rocks Community College also took the #2 spot in our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region rankings.
With a ranking of #10, Casper College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Casper College is located in Casper, Wyoming and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 36 basic certificates to qualified students.
Casper College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,568 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Casper College does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 54% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #11, College of Western Idaho did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. CWI is a public institution located in Nampa, Idaho. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 228 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
CWI undergraduate students pay an average of $7,344 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that CWI does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 47% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of Providence came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. This very small private not-for-profit school is located in Great Falls, Montana, and it awarded 48 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of Providence are $27,606 per year.
University of Providence is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, University of Providence is ranked #1 for overall quality in the Rocky Mountains Region .
Colorado Mountain College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a basic certificate. 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 647 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Colorado Mountain College are $11,820 per year.
Colorado Mountain College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. 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.
In addition to its great value ranking, Colorado Mountain College is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
Aims Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #14 on the list. Aims Community College is a public institution located in Greeley, Colorado. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 819 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Aims Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $10,850 in tuition and fees each year.
Aims 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 44% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Pikes Peak Community College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. PPCC is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,253 basic certificates to qualified students.
PPCC undergraduate students pay an average of $15,714 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since PPCC does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 51% took at least some of their classes online.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, PPCC also did well on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Weber State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. This large public school is located in Ogden, Utah, and it awarded 283 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
WSU undergraduate students pay an average of $17,084 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at WSU. In 2020-2021 about 47% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
WSU also took the #5 spot in our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region rankings.
Front Range Community College landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. FRCC is a public institution located in Westminster, Colorado. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3,473 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at FRCC are $15,776 a year.
FRCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 33% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
In addition to its great value ranking, FRCC is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
North Idaho College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, the small public school handed out 83 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at NIC are $8,736 a year.
NIC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 72% took at least some of their classes online.
Northern Wyoming Community College District ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Northern Wyoming Community College District is a small public school located in Sheridan, Wyoming that handed out 34 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Northern Wyoming Community College District undergraduate students pay an average of $11,130 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Northern Wyoming Community College District. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 37% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Morgan Community College landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. Located in Fort Morgan, Colorado, the small public school handed out 69 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Morgan Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $15,579 in tuition and fees each year.
Online courses are available at Morgan Community College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 51% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
IBMC College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #20 on the list. IBMC is a private for-profit institution located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The school has a very small population, and it awarded 25 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at IBMC are $14,960 per year.
Community College of Aurora did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #22 on the list. Aurora, Colorado is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 298 students in 2021-2022.
CCA undergraduate students pay an average of $15,832 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since CCA 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.
Northwest College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #23 on the list. Located in Powell, Wyoming, the small public school awarded 18 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Northwest Community College are $11,162 a year.
Northwest Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 61% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Snow College landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. Located in Ephraim, Utah, the medium-sized public school awarded 239 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
Snow College undergraduate students pay an average of $14,130 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that Snow College does offer online classes in some areas. 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.
Salt Lake Community College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Salt Lake Community College is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 715 basic certificates to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Salt Lake Community College are $13,701 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Salt Lake Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 47% 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
- 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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