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2023 Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate 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.
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 Basic Certificate Schools in North Carolina ranking. This report analyzed 39 schools in North Carolina 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 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 basic certificate. Craven Community College is a public institution located in New Bern, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 443 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Craven Community College are $6,630 per year.
One thing to take note of is that Craven Community College does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 73% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Craven Community College is ranked #2 for overall quality in North Carolina.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Pitt Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in North Carolina list. Winterville, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 443 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Pitt Community College are $6,548 a year.
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. During the 2020-2021 year, about 77% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
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 basic certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Located in Polkton, North Carolina, the small public school awarded 234 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate 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.
Online courses are available at South Piedmont 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 76% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
The excellent basic certificate programs at Durham Technical Community College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value trade school schools in North Carolina. Located in Durham, North Carolina, the small public school handed out 346 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Durham Technical Community College are $7,474 a year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Durham Technical Community College. In fact, around 89% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Durham Technical Community College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina list.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Forsyth Technical Community College is a great place for trade school students working on their basic certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. This medium-sized public school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 644 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Forsyth Tech are $7,168 a year.
One thing to take note of is that Forsyth Tech does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 73% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Vance-Granville 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 #6 on the list. Vance-Granville Community College is a small public school located in Henderson, North Carolina that handed out 102 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Vance-Granville Community College are $6,552 per year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Vance-Granville Community College. In 2020-2021 about 84% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Wayne Community College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. Wayne Community College is located in Goldsboro, North Carolina and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 786 basic certificates to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Wayne Community College are $8,668 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Wayne Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 79% took at least some of their classes online.
Wayne Community College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #1 on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina list.
Alamance 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 #8 on the list. Graham, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 633 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at ACC are $8,642 a year.
One thing to take note of is that ACC does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 94% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Guilford Technical 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 #9 on the list. Guilford Technical Community College is a public institution located in Jamestown, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 957 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Guilford Technical Community College are $7,695 a year.
Online courses are available at Guilford Technical 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 61% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Montgomery Community College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. MCC is a public institution located in Troy, North Carolina. The school has a very small population, and it awarded 158 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
MCC undergraduate students pay an average of $8,682 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at MCC. In fact, around 48% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
MCC did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina list.
Davidson County Community College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. Located in Thomasville, North Carolina, the small public school handed out 919 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at DCCC are $7,852 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since DCCC 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.
Beaufort County Community College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. Located in Washington, North Carolina, the small public school handed out 319 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Beaufort County Community College are $8,662 per year.
Beaufort County Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 63% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Beaufort County Community College also did well on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Central Piedmont Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in North Carolina ranking. Central Piedmont Community College is located in Charlotte, North Carolina and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,470 basic certificates to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Central Piedmont Community College are $8,936 a year.
Online courses are available at Central Piedmont Community College, 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, 97% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Central Piedmont Community College also took the #3 spot in our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina rankings.
Central Carolina Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in North Carolina list. Central Carolina Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Sanford, North Carolina. It awarded 418 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Central Carolina Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,698 in tuition and fees each year.
Central Carolina Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 84% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Richmond 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 #15 on the list. Richmond Community College is a small public school situated in Hamlet, North Carolina. It awarded 366 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Richmond Community College are $8,680 a year.
Online courses are available at Richmond 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 57% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Catawba Valley Community College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in North Carolina ranking. CVCC is a small public school situated in Hickory, North Carolina. It awarded 752 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
CVCC undergraduate students pay an average of $7,743 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at CVCC. In 2020-2021 about 88% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Gaston College landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. Located in Dallas, North Carolina, the medium-sized public school awarded 2,549 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Gaston College are $9,330 per year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Gaston College. In fact, around 93% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Gaston College is ranked #4 for overall quality in North Carolina.
With a ranking of #18, Isothermal Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. This small public school is located in Spindale, North Carolina, and it awarded 547 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at ICC are $6,638 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since ICC does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 79% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #19, Lenoir Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Lenoir Community College is a small public school situated in Kinston, North Carolina. It awarded 474 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Lenoir Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,712 in tuition and fees each year.
Online courses are available at Lenoir Community College, 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, 95% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Southwestern Community College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in North Carolina list. Southwestern Community College is located in Sylva, North Carolina and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 352 basic certificates to qualified students.
Southwestern Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,221 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Southwestern Community College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 62% took at least some of their classes online.
College of the Albemarle landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. Elizabeth City, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 216 students in 2021-2022.
College of the Albemarle undergraduate students pay an average of $7,346 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that College of the Albemarle does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 97% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Surry Community College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in North Carolina ranking. Surry Community College is a public institution located in Dobson, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 265 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Surry Community College are $8,807 a year.
Online courses are available at Surry 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 55% took at least some of their classes online.
Nash Community College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in North Carolina list. Nash Community College is a small public school located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina that handed out 328 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Nash Community College are $8,834 a year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Nash Community College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 87% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Nash Community College also claimed a spot on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in North Carolina list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
With a ranking of #24, Wake Technical Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, the large public school awarded 3,202 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Wake Technical Community College are $8,912 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Wake Technical Community College. In fact, around 77% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Johnston Community College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in North Carolina list. Smithfield, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 409 students in 2021-2022.
Johnston Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,801 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Johnston Community College. 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.
Best Value Trade Basic Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region
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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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