2023 Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
It's not easy to decide which trade school program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Trade College Search has created the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 91 schools in the Plains States 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.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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Top Value Trade Basic Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named North Hennepin Community College the best value school in the Plains States Region for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, the small public school handed out 578 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at North Hennepin Community College are $5,050 per year.
North Hennepin Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 82% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
North Hennepin Community College also made our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Plains States Region list, coming in at #2.
Out of the 91 schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s value ranking, Hutchinson Community College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Hutchinson Community College is a small public school situated in Hutchinson, Kansas. It awarded 572 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Hutchinson Community College are $4,530 per year.
Online courses are available at Hutchinson 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 46% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Bismarck State College is a great place for trade school students working on their basic certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Bismarck, North Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 90 students in 2021-2022.
BSC undergraduate students pay an average of $7,227 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at BSC. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 65% took at least some of their classes online.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, BSC is ranked #1 for overall quality in the Plains States Region .
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Neosho County Community College is a great place for trade school students working on their basic certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Neosho County Community College is a small public school situated in Chanute, Kansas. It awarded 333 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Neosho County Community College are $4,416 a year.
Neosho County Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 39% took at least some of their classes online.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Rochester Community and Technical College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list. Rochester, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 123 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Rochester Community and Technical College are $5,670 a year.
One thing to take note of is that Rochester Community and Technical College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 61% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Rochester Community and Technical College also is in the top 10% of our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Plains States Region ranking.
Read full report on Rochester Community and Technical College
Southeast Community College Area landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, the medium-sized public school handed out 133 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Southeast Community College are $3,864 a year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Southeast Community College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 38% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Central Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Grand Island, Nebraska, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,309 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Central Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,710 in tuition and fees each year.
Online courses are available at Central 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, 72% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #8, Northeast Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Northeast is a public institution located in Norfolk, Nebraska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 129 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Northeast are $5,130 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Northeast does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 39% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Garden City Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list. Garden City Community College is a public institution located in Garden City, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 265 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Garden City Community College are $4,110 per year.
One thing to take note of is that Garden City Community College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 53% took at least some of their classes online.
Johnson County Community College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. Johnson County Community College is a fairly large public school located in Overland Park, Kansas that handed out 855 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
JCCC undergraduate students pay an average of $5,472 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at JCCC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 58% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Western Iowa Tech Community College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list. Western Iowa Tech Community College is a public institution located in Sioux City, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 965 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Western Iowa Tech Community College are $4,946 a year.
One thing to take note of is that Western Iowa Tech Community College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 78% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #12, Anoka Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Anoka Technical College is a small public school located in Anoka, Minnesota that handed out 526 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Anoka Technical College are $6,075 per year.
Online courses are available at Anoka Technical 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 49% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Anoka Technical College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Plains States Region list.
Century College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. Century College is a public institution located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 477 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Century College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,105 in tuition and fees each year.
Century 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. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 72% took at least some of their classes online.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Century College also did well on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Metropolitan Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, the fairly large public school awarded 257 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
MCC undergraduate students pay an average of $4,815 in tuition and fees each year.
MCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 45% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Hennepin Technical 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. This small public school is located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and it awarded 730 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Hennepin Technical College are $5,881 per year.
Hennepin Technical 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.
With a ranking of #16, Northwest Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Located in Bemidji, Minnesota, the very small public school awarded 37 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at NTC are $6,226 a year.
One thing to take note of is that NTC does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 74% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
NTC 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 Plains States Region list.
Saint Paul College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the medium-sized public school handed out 448 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Saint Paul College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,318 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Saint Paul College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 64% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Dodge City Community College landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. This small public school is located in Dodge City, Kansas, and it awarded 129 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Dodge City Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,890 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Dodge City 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.
With a ranking of #18, Hawkeye 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 Waterloo, Iowa, and it awarded 81 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Hawkeye Community College are $6,583 per year.
One thing to take note of is that Hawkeye Community College does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 44% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Hawkeye Community College also claimed a spot on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
With a ranking of #20, Northland Community and Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Thief River Falls, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 167 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northland Community and Technical College are $6,244 per year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Northland Community and Technical 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.
Lake Area Technical Institute came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Watertown, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 62 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at LATI are $6,718 a year.
LATI does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 44% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
In addition to its great value ranking, LATI is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in the Plains States Region list.
With a ranking of #22, Barton County Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Barton County Community College is a small public school located in Great Bend, Kansas that handed out 313 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Barton Community College are $4,608 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Barton Community 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.
Seward County Community College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list. SCCC is located in Liberal, Kansas and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 145 basic certificates to qualified students.
SCCC undergraduate students pay an average of $4,928 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at SCCC. 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.
Inver Hills Community College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, the small public school awarded 248 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at IHCC are $6,007 per year.
One thing to take note of is that IHCC does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 78% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Cloud County Community College landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. Cloud County Community College is located in Concordia, Kansas and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 169 basic certificates to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Cloud County Community College are $3,570 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Cloud County Community College. In fact, around 39% 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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