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.
Trinidad State Junior College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,360 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Trinidad State Junior College. In fact, around 15% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Trinidad State Junior College also is in the top 15% of our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Western Wyoming Community College is a great place for trade school students working on their basic certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. WWCC is located in Rock Springs, Wyoming and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 35 basic certificates to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WWCC are $8,640 per year.
WWCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 55% 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, WWCC is ranked #3 for overall quality in the Rocky Mountains Region .
The excellent basic certificate programs at Colorado Northwestern Community College helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value trade school schools in the Rocky Mountains Region . Colorado Northwestern Community College is a small public school located in Rangely, Colorado that handed out 65 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
CNCC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,740 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since CNCC does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 25% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Otero Junior College is a great place for trade school students working on their basic certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Located in La Junta, Colorado, the very small public school handed out 94 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Otero JC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,730 in tuition and fees each year.
Otero JC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 32% took at least some of their classes online.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Northeastern Junior College is a great place for trade school students working on their basic certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. NJC is a public institution located in Sterling, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 273 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NJC are $7,691 per year.
Online courses are available at NJC, 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, 30% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
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 Community College is a very small public school located in Lamar, Colorado that handed out 79 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at LCC are $6,720 a year.
One thing to take note of is that LCC does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 19% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Laramie County Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the small public school handed out 222 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
LCCC undergraduate students pay an average of $10,913 in tuition and fees each year.
LCCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 48% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
LCCC did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
College of Southern Idaho came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. 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.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at College of Southern Idaho are $6,840 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at College of Southern Idaho. In fact, around 39% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #9, Red Rocks Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Red Rocks Community College is a public institution located in Lakewood, Colorado. The school has a medium-sized population, 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.
Red Rocks 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, 51% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Red Rocks Community College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #2 on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
Casper College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Casper College is a small public school located in Casper, Wyoming that handed out 36 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Casper College are $8,568 per year.
Casper 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 54% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
College of Western Idaho came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. College of Western Idaho is a medium-sized public school located in Nampa, Idaho that handed out 228 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at CWI are $7,344 a year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at CWI. 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. Located in Great Falls, Montana, the very small private not-for-profit school awarded 48 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at University of Providence are $27,606 a 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.
University of Providence also made our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list, coming in at #1.
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 public institution located in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 647 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Colorado Mountain College undergraduate students pay an average of $11,820 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Colorado Mountain College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 27% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Colorado Mountain College also did well on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Aims Community College landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. Aims Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Greeley, Colorado. It awarded 819 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Aims Community College are $10,850 a year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Aims Community College. In 2020-2021 about 44% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Pikes Peak Community College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. 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.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at PPCC. 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.
PPCC 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.
Weber State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Weber State University is a large public school located in Ogden, Utah that handed out 283 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at WSU are $17,084 a year.
WSU does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 47% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
WSU also took the #5 spot in our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region rankings.
Front Range 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 #17 on the list. This fairly large public school is located in Westminster, Colorado, and it awarded 3,473 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at FRCC are $15,776 per year.
FRCC 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. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 33% took at least some of their classes online.
FRCC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region list.
North Idaho College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. NIC is a small public school situated in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. It awarded 83 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NIC are $8,736 per 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.
With a ranking of #19, Northern Wyoming Community College District did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Northern Wyoming Community College District is a small public school situated in Sheridan, Wyoming. It awarded 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.
Northern Wyoming Community College District 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 37% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #20, Morgan Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Fort Morgan, Colorado is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 69 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Morgan Community College are $15,579 a year.
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.
IBMC College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. 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 came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Community College of Aurora is a medium-sized public school located in Aurora, Colorado that handed out 298 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CCA are $15,832 per year.
CCA 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, 22% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
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. Northwest Community College is located in Powell, Wyoming and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 18 basic certificates to qualified students.
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 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, 61% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Snow College ranked #24 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 Ephraim, Utah, and it awarded 239 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Snow College are $14,130 a year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Snow College. In 2020-2021 about 69% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #25, Salt Lake Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Salt Lake Community College is a large public school located in Salt Lake City, Utah that handed out 715 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Salt Lake Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $13,701 in tuition and fees each year.
Salt Lake Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. 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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