Find Trade Colleges
2023 Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Washington
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for trade school students. 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Washington ranking. This report analyzed 42 schools in Washington to see which ones were the most popular associate degree programs for trade school students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school on the list.
Most Popular Trade Associate Degree Schools in Washington
Learn more about these popular schools below:
Our analysis found Clover Park Technical College to be the most popular school for trade school students who want to pursue a associate degree in Washington. CPTC is a public institution located in Lakewood, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 463 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend CPTC, expect to pay an average of $5,979 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,933 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 47% were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since CPTC does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2020-2021 year, about 43% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Out of the 42 schools in Washington that were part of this year’s ranking, Spokane Community College landed the # 2 spot on the list. This medium-sized public school is located in Spokane, Washington, and it awarded 1,134 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Washington pay an average of $3,928 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Spokane Community College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $5,278. Associate Degree recipients from Spokane Community College accumulate an average of $18,221 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 60% of those degree recipients were women.
Spokane Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 50% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Bellingham Technical College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree. Bellingham Vocational Technical Institute is a public institution located in Bellingham, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 389 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Washington who attend Bellingham Vocational Technical Institute full time pay an average of $4,095 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $5,357. Around 42% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Bellingham Vocational Technical Institute. 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.
The excellent associate degree programs at Olympic College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular trade school schools in Washington. OC is located in Bremerton, Washington and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,230 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at OC is $4,472. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,740. On average, associate degree students take out $12,828 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 54% of those degree recipients were women.
OC 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 91% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
The excellent associate degree programs at Bates Technical College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular trade school schools in Washington. Bates Technical College is located in Tacoma, Washington and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 255 associate degrees to qualified students.
Full-time students from Washington pay an average of $5,361 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Bates Technical College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $11,110. Of those students who received their degree, 51% were women.
One thing to take note of is that Bates Technical College does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 32% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Green River College ranked #6 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Washington list. This medium-sized public school is located in Auburn, Washington, and it awarded 1,312 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Washington pay an average of $4,434 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend GRC. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $4,916. Of those students who received their degree, 57% were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at GRC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 88% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Lake Washington Institute of Technology ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Washington list. Located in Kirkland, Washington, the small public school handed out 497 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at LWTech is $4,710. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $10,390. On average, associate degree students take out $12,874 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 60% were women.
LWTech does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 54% took at least some of their classes online.
Renton Technical College ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Washington list. Renton Technical College is a small public school situated in Renton, Washington. It awarded 207 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Renton Technical College is $5,784. Out-of-state students pay an average of $6,252. On average, associate degree students take out $15,869 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 58% of those degree recipients were women.
Renton 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, 49% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #9, Clark College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Clark College is located in Vancouver, Washington and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,332 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Clark College is $4,529. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $10,133. On average, associate degree students take out $13,817 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 61% were women.
Online courses are available at Clark 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 91% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Walla Walla Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Washington ranking. This small public school is located in Walla Walla, Washington, and it awarded 571 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
On average, associate degree students take out $13,364 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 63% were women.
Walla Walla Community 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 55% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Pima Medical Institute - Seattle ranked #11 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Washington list. PMI Seattle is a very small private for-profit school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 117 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Associate Degree recipients from PMI Seattle accumulate an average of $24,355 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 68% of those degree recipients were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at PMI Seattle. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 4% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #12, Charter College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Charter College is located in Vancouver, Washington and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 214 associate degrees to qualified students.
Associate Degree recipients from Charter College accumulate an average of $22,050 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 75% of those degree recipients were women.
Charter College is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
With a ranking of #13, South Puget Sound Community College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Olympia, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 1,056 students in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $4,938 in tuition and fees if they attend South Puget Sound Community College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $10,687. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,240 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 60% were women.
Online courses are available at South Puget Sound 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 85% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Everett Community College landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree trade school programs. Everett Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Everett, Washington that handed out 1,060 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Everett Community College is $4,152. Out-of-state students pay an average of $9,831. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,892 in student loans. Around 61% of those degree recipients were women.
Online courses are available at Everett 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 86% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Bellevue College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Washington ranking. Bellevue, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 1,783 students in 2021-2022.
Students from Washington who attend BC full time pay an average of $4,159 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,838. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,298 in student loans. Around 59% of those degree recipients were women.
BC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 92% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #16, Columbia Basin College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Pasco, Washington, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,225 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Students from Washington who attend CBC full time pay an average of $5,959 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,738. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,781 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 63% were women.
CBC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 84% took at least some of their classes online.
Skagit Valley College ranked #16 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Washington list. Skagit Valley College is a small public school situated in Mount Vernon, Washington. It awarded 626 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Washington pay an average of $4,748 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Skagit Valley College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,888. On average, associate degree students take out $13,970 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 60% of those degree recipients were women.
Skagit Valley 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, 64% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Shoreline Community College ranked #18 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Washington list. Shoreline, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 746 students in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Shoreline Community College is $4,256. Out-of-state students pay an average of $7,082. Associate Degree recipients from Shoreline Community College accumulate an average of $15,170 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 56% of those degree recipients were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Shoreline Community College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 47% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Seattle Central College ranked #19 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Washington list. This small public school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 840 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Seattle Central is $4,865. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $5,354. Associate Degree recipients from Seattle Central accumulate an average of $12,264 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 61% of those degree recipients were women.
One thing to take note of is that Seattle Central does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 63% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Yakima Valley College landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree trade school programs. YVC is a small public school situated in Yakima, Washington. It awarded 697 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $4,998 in tuition and fees if they attend YVC full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $5,488. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,351 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 72% were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at YVC. In fact, around 99% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Tacoma Community College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Washington ranking. Tacoma Community College is a public institution located in Tacoma, Washington. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,051 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $4,901 in tuition and fees if they attend Tacoma Community College full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,649. Associate Degree recipients from Tacoma Community College accumulate an average of $15,114 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 65% were women.
Tacoma Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 92% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Big Bend Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #22 on the list. Big Bend Community College is located in Moses Lake, Washington and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 447 associate degrees to qualified students.
Full-time students from Washington pay an average of $4,744 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Big Bend Community College. Out-of-state students pay an average of $5,234. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,378 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 60% were women.
Online courses are available at Big Bend 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 74% took at least some of their classes online.
Whatcom Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #23 on the list. This small public school is located in Bellingham, Washington, and it awarded 744 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Washington pay an average of $4,982 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Whatcom Community College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $10,731. Associate Degree recipients from Whatcom Community College accumulate an average of $13,326 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 61% were women.
Online courses are available at Whatcom 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 86% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Spokane Falls Community College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Washington ranking. Spokane, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 1,031 students in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $3,928 in tuition and fees if they attend Spokane Falls Community College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $5,278. Associate Degree recipients from Spokane Falls Community College accumulate an average of $14,767 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 63% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Spokane Falls Community College. In 2020-2021 about 75% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Pima Medical Institute - Renton came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in Washington ranking. Renton, Washington is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 60 students in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,781 in student loans. Around 78% of those degree recipients were women.
One thing to take note of is that PMI Renton does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 4% took at least some of their classes online.
Most Popular Trade School Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region
View Most Popular Trade School Associate Degree Schools Nationwide >
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.
TradeCollege.org provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. TradeCollege.org is a for-profit site, and the displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© TradeCollege.org – All Rights Reserved.