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2023 Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania
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. 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 Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Our analysis looked at 26 schools in Pennsylvania to see which undergraduate certificate programs offered the best value experiences for trade school students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
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 Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Butler County Community College to be the best value school for trade school students who want to pursue a undergraduate certificate in Pennsylvania. Butler, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 26 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BC3 are $11,550 per year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $7,957 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that BC3 does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 33% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, BC3 also did well on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Pennsylvania list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Community College of Allegheny County is a great place for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Community College of Allegheny County is a fairly large public school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 539 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CCAC are $12,223 per year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $12,361 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at CCAC. In 2020-2021 about 44% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Harrisburg Area Community College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania list. HACC is a fairly large public school situated in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 258 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
HACC undergraduate students pay an average of $10,148 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,497 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at HACC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 52% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Lehigh Carbon Community College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania list. Schnecksville, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 83 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at LCCC are $12,960 a year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $12,744 in loans while pursuing their degree.
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 73% took at least some of their classes online.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania list. Lancaster, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 22 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology are $8,450 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 94% took at least some of their classes online.
Laurel Business Institute did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, the very small private for-profit school handed out 64 undergraduate certificate awards in 2021-2022.
LBI undergraduate students pay an average of $11,470 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,973 in student loans.
LBI does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 47% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Montgomery County Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania list. Montco is a medium-sized public school situated in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. It awarded 159 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Montco are $15,390 a year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $9,252 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Montco. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 75% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Luzerne County Community College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania list. Luzerne County Community College is located in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 45 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
Luzerne County Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $15,060 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Luzerne County Community College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 48% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Northampton County Area Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #9 on the list. Northampton Community College is a public institution located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 90 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Northampton Community College are $14,820 a year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $19,808 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Northampton 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.
Penn Commercial Business/Technical School came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Penn Commercial is a private for-profit institution located in Washington, Pennsylvania. The school has a very small population, and it awarded 112 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Penn Commercial are $12,116 a year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $7,751 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Bucks County Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #11 on the list. This medium-sized public school is located in Newtown, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 66 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Bucks County Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $13,384 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $11,499 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Bucks County Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 81% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Laurel Technical Institute landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate trade school programs. Laurel Technical Institute is a very small private for-profit school located in Hermitage, Pennsylvania that handed out 27 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at LTI Sharon are $11,470 a year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $9,320 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at LTI Sharon. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 77% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #13, Laurel Technical Institute did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate. LTI - Meadville is a very small private for-profit school situated in MEADVILLE, Pennsylvania. It awarded 28 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
LTI - Meadville undergraduate students pay an average of $11,470 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $9,320 in student loans.
LTI - Meadville does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 45% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #14, Delaware County Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate. Delaware County Community College is located in Media, Pennsylvania and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 237 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Delaware County Community College are $14,400 per year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $6,621 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Delaware County Community College does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 82% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Pittsburgh Technical College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Oakdale, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out undergraduate certificates to 138 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Pittsburgh Technical College are $16,974 per year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,752 in student loans.
Pittsburgh 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. 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.
Reading Area Community College landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate trade school programs. Reading, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 14 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at RACC are $11,580 per year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $18,720 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at RACC. In 2020-2021 about 51% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Johnson College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #17 on the list. This very small private not-for-profit school is located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 14 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Johnson College undergraduate students pay an average of $20,025 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $7,159 in student loans.
Johnson 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.
Johnson College did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Pennsylvania list.
Pennsylvania College of Technology did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #18 on the list. This small public school is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 32 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Penn College undergraduate students pay an average of $25,680 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Penn College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 47% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Community College of Beaver County ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania list. This small public school is located in Monaca, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 17 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CCBC are $19,350 per year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $25,683 in student loans.
CCBC 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 60% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Thomas Jefferson University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #20 on the list. Thomas Jefferson University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 12 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Thomas Jefferson University are $44,200 per year.
Online courses are available at Thomas Jefferson University, 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 68% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Thomas Jefferson University did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Pennsylvania list.
Drexel University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 181 undergraduate certificate awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Drexel are $58,965 a year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Drexel. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 41% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Drexel is ranked #4 for overall quality in Pennsylvania.
With a ranking of #22, McCann School of Business & Technology did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate. Lewisburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out undergraduate certificates to 59 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at McCann School of Business & Technology are $0 a year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $14,816 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that McCann School of Business & Technology does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 32% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Lincoln Technical Institute - Allentown landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate trade school programs. Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the very small private for-profit school handed out 228 undergraduate certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lincoln Tech - Allentown are $0 per year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $12,737 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Lincoln Tech - Allentown also made our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Pennsylvania list, coming in at #1.
YTI Career Institute-York did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #22 on the list. York, Pennsylvania is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out undergraduate certificates to 147 students in 2021-2022.
YTI undergraduate students pay an average of $0 in tuition and fees each year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $9,926 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
YTI 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 89% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
YTI did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Pennsylvania list.
Berks Technical Institute came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, the very small private for-profit school handed out 77 undergraduate certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Berks Technical Institute are $0 per year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $13,194 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Berks Technical Institute 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 3% took at least some of their classes online.
Best Value Trade Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Middle Atlantic 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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