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2023 Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Texas
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. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses.
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 Texas ranking. Our analysis looked at 49 schools in Texas 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.
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 Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Texas
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Lamar State College - Port Arthur to be the best value school for trade school students who want to pursue a undergraduate certificate in Texas. Port Arthur, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 55 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Lamar State College - Port Arthur are $7,890 a year.
Lamar State College - Port Arthur 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, 30% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Out of the 49 schools in Texas that were part of this year’s value ranking, Galveston College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Galveston College is a small public school situated in Galveston, Texas. It awarded 153 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Galveston College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,726 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,060 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Galveston College. 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.
Galveston College also took the #5 spot in our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Texas rankings.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend El Centro College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Texas list. El Centro College is a public institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 468 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at El Centro College are $6,000 a year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $12,885 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that El Centro College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 70% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
El Centro College also made our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Texas list, coming in at #1.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Lamar Institute of Technology is a great place for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Located in Beaumont, Texas, the small public school awarded 93 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2021-2022.
Lamar Institute of Technology undergraduate students pay an average of $12,636 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,077 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Lamar Institute of Technology, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 54% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Panola College is a great place for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Located in Carthage, Texas, the small public school awarded 399 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2021-2022.
Panola College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,896 in tuition and fees each year.
Panola 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, 71% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Panola College also claimed a spot on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Texas list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
With a ranking of #6, Collin County Community College District did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate. Collin County Community College District is a large public school located in McKinney, Texas that handed out 790 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Collin County Community College District are $5,614 per year.
Collin County Community College District does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 40% took at least some of their classes online.
Lee College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Texas ranking. Lee College is a medium-sized public school located in Baytown, Texas that handed out 112 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lee College are $4,302 per year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,420 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Lee College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 40% 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, Lee College is ranked #4 for overall quality in Texas.
With a ranking of #8, Amarillo College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate. Amarillo College is a medium-sized public school located in Amarillo, Texas that handed out 432 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Amarillo College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,704 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $14,393 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Amarillo College does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 55% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Alvin 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. Alvin is a public institution located in Alvin, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 284 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Alvin are $4,010 per year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $5,574 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Alvin. In fact, around 33% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
San Jacinto Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Texas ranking. Pasadena, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 1,885 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at San Jacinto College are $5,040 a year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $9,340 in student loans.
San Jacinto College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 66% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #11, Tarrant County College District did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate. Tarrant County College District is a large public school located in Fort Worth, Texas that handed out 736 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Tarrant County College are $8,235 per year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,679 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Tarrant County 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 44% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Victoria College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate trade school programs. This small public school is located in Victoria, Texas, and it awarded 98 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Victoria College are $5,112 a year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $9,804 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Victoria College does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 67% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Victoria College also did well on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Texas list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Wharton County Junior College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Texas ranking. Located in Wharton, Texas, the medium-sized public school handed out 147 undergraduate certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Wharton County Junior College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,052 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $6,641 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Wharton County Junior College does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 49% took at least some of their classes online.
Lamar State College - Orange 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 #14 on the list. Lamar State College - Orange is located in Orange, Texas and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 346 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lamar State College - Orange are $13,824 per year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $10,867 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Lamar State College - Orange. In 2020-2021 about 74% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
McLennan Community College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Texas ranking. Located in Waco, Texas, the medium-sized public school handed out 169 undergraduate certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MCC are $5,910 per year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $10,398 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that MCC does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 57% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, MCC also did well on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Texas list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
With a ranking of #16, College of the Mainland did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate. COM is a small public school situated in Texas City, Texas. It awarded 68 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at COM are $3,873 per year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $6,175 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that COM does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 41% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #17, The University of Texas at Brownsville did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate. The University of Texas at Brownsville is a medium-sized public school situated in Brownsville, Texas. It awarded 17 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
The University of Texas at Brownsville undergraduate students pay an average of $4,948 in tuition and fees each year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $8,000 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
The University of Texas at Brownsville does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 73% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #18, El Paso Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate. This large public school is located in El Paso, Texas, and it awarded 412 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at El Paso Community College are $5,314 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at El Paso Community College. In fact, around 59% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Tyler Junior College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate trade school programs. Located in Tyler, Texas, the fairly large public school awarded 309 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Tyler Junior College are $4,440 a year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $10,998 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Tyler Junior 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 58% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Clarendon College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Texas ranking. Located in Clarendon, Texas, the small public school awarded 116 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Clarendon College are $5,400 a year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $12,235 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Clarendon College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 71% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #21, North Central Texas College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate. North Central Texas College is a medium-sized public school located in Gainesville, Texas that handed out 498 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
NCTC undergraduate students pay an average of $7,200 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $9,660 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since NCTC does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 67% took at least some of their classes online.
In addition to its great value ranking, NCTC is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Trade Schools in Texas list.
Central Texas College landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate trade school programs. Central Texas College is a public institution located in Killeen, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 605 undergraduate certificates in 2021-2022.
Central Texas College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,500 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $8,767 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Central Texas College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 71% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #23, Angelina College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their undergraduate certificate. Lufkin, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 325 students in 2021-2022.
AC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,150 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since AC does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 71% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Odessa College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Texas list. Odessa, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 240 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Odessa College are $4,566 per year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $8,170 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Odessa College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 66% took at least some of their classes online.
Temple 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 #25 on the list. Temple College is located in Temple, Texas and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 42 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Temple College are $6,576 a year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $13,661 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Temple College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 64% took at least some of their classes online.
Best Value Trade Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Southwest 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.