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2023 Best Value Trade School Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
There are so many trade school programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Best Value Trade School Schools ranking. This report analyzed 1,440 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value 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. 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.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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Top Value Trade Schools in the United States
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Brigham Young University - Idaho to be the best value school for trade school students in the United States. BYU - I is located in Rexburg, Idaho and has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 8,121 degrees to qualified students.
BYU - I undergraduate students pay an average of $4,536 in tuition and fees each year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, BYU - I also did well on our Best Trade Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
The excellent programs at Columbia Southern University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value trade schools in the United States. Located in Orange Beach, Alabama, the fairly large private for-profit school handed out 5,998 degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Columbia Southern University are $6,015 a year.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Columbia Southern University is ranked #2 for overall quality in the United States.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Coahoma Community College is a great place for trade school students who want to get the most value for their educational dollar. Located in Clarksdale, Mississippi, the small public school awarded 553 diplomas to qualifed students in 2021-2022.
Coahoma Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $3,353 in tuition and fees each year.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Clovis Community College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Schools list. Located in Clovis, New Mexico, the small public school handed out 725 degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Clovis Community College are $3,224 a year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Panola College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Trade School Schools list. Panola College is located in Carthage, Texas and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 897 degrees to qualified students.
Panola College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,896 in tuition and fees each year.
Panola College also claimed a spot on our Best Trade Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
Southeast Community College Area landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value trade school programs. Lincoln, Nebraska is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out degrees to 1,344 students in 2021-2022.
Southeast Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $3,864 in tuition and fees each year.
North Seattle College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value trade school programs. North Seattle College is a small public school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 748 degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at North Seattle are $5,547 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, North Seattle is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Trade Schools list.
Lee College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students. It came in at #8 on the list. Lee College is a public institution located in Baytown, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3,677 degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lee College are $4,302 per year.
Highland Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Schools ranking. Highland Community College is a public institution located in Highland, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 601 degrees in 2021-2022.
Highland Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $3,330 in tuition and fees each year.
Seattle Central College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Schools ranking. Located in Seattle, Washington, the small public school awarded 1,229 diplomas to qualifed students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Seattle Central are $5,354 per year.
Seattle Central also claimed a spot on our Best Trade Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Cloud County Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students. It came in at #11 on the list. Cloud County Community College is a small public school situated in Concordia, Kansas. It awarded 471 degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cloud County Community College are $3,570 per year.
North Hennepin Community College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Schools list. Located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, the small public school handed out 1,207 degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at North Hennepin Community College are $5,050 a year.
In addition to its great value ranking, North Hennepin Community College is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Trade Schools list.
Hutchinson Community College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value trade school programs. Located in Hutchinson, Kansas, the small public school handed out 1,608 degrees in 2021-2022.
Hutchinson Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,530 in tuition and fees each year.
Coastal Pines Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students. It came in at #14 on the list. Coastal Pines Technical College is a small public school situated in Waycross, Georgia. It awarded 1,478 degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Coastal Pines Technical College are $4,906 a year.
Coastal Pines Technical College also claimed a spot on our Best Trade Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Neosho County Community College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Schools ranking. Located in Chanute, Kansas, the small public school awarded 791 diplomas to qualifed students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Neosho County Community College are $4,416 per year.
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Flex ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Schools list. UWM Flexible Option is a very small public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 132 degrees in 2021-2022.
UWM Flexible Option undergraduate students pay an average of $6,750 in tuition and fees each year.
UWM Flexible Option also claimed a spot on our Best Trade Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Read full report on University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Flex
Camden County College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Schools ranking. Camden County College is located in Blackwood, New Jersey and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,397 degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Camden County College are $3,744 a year.
Central Arizona College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students. It came in at #18 on the list. Pinal County Community College is located in Coolidge, Arizona and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,048 degrees to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Pinal County Community College are $3,000 per year.
Pinal County Community College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Trade Schools list.
Rochester Community and Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students. It came in at #19 on the list. Rochester Community and Technical College is a small public school situated in Rochester, Minnesota. It awarded 929 degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Rochester Community and Technical College are $5,670 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, Rochester Community and Technical College is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Trade Schools list.
Arkansas State University - Newport did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students. It came in at #20 on the list. ASUN is located in Newport, Arkansas and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,296 degrees to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ASUN are $4,416 per year.
Alvin Community College landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value trade school programs. Alvin, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out degrees to 1,253 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Alvin are $4,010 per year.
Galveston College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Schools list. Galveston, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out degrees to 677 students in 2021-2022.
Galveston College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,726 in tuition and fees each year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Galveston College also is in the top 20% of our Best Trade Schools ranking.
Bismarck State College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Schools ranking. Bismarck, North Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out degrees to 1,078 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BSC are $7,227 per year.
BSC also claimed a spot on our Best Trade Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
South Louisiana Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students. It came in at #24 on the list. South Louisiana Community College is located in Lafayette, Louisiana and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,646 degrees to qualified students.
South Louisiana Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,205 in tuition and fees each year.
Highlands College of Montana Tech ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Schools list. Highlands College of Montana Tech is a public institution located in Butte, Montana. The school has a very small population, and it awarded 139 degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Highlands College of Montana Tech are $9,642 a year.
Highlands College of Montana Tech also made our Best Trade Schools list, coming in at #1.
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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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