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2023 Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Plains States Region
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're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent.
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 the Plains States Region ranking. This report analyzed 176 schools in the Plains States Region 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.
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Most Popular Trade Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region of the U.S.
Learn more about these popular schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Southeast Community College Area the most popular school in the Plains States Region for trade school students working on their associate degree. Southeast Community College Area is a medium-sized public school located in Lincoln, Nebraska that handed out 1,022 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Southeast Community College is $3,276. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $3,864. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,132 in student loans. Around 47% of those degree recipients were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Southeast Community College. In 2020-2021 about 38% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
The excellent associate degree programs at State Technical College of Missouri helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular trade school schools in the Plains States Region . Linn, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 615 students in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at STC is $7,440. Out-of-state students pay an average of $13,320. On average, associate degree students take out $10,706 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 16% of those degree recipients were women.
One thing to take note of is that STC does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 28% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
You’ll be in good company if you attend St Catherine University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Plains States Region list. St Catherine University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 245 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $37,494 to cover tuition and fees at St. Kate’s. The school does not offer an in-state discount. Associate Degree recipients from St. Kate’s accumulate an average of $20,415 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 89% of those degree recipients were women.
St. Kate’s 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 56% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Ranken Technical College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 403 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Ranken Technical College is $16,960. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $12,617 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 6% of those degree recipients were women.
Online courses are available at Ranken Technical 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 70% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
The excellent associate degree programs at Hennepin Technical College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular trade school schools in the Plains States Region . Brooklyn Park, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 533 students in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $5,881 to cover tuition and fees at Hennepin Technical College. The school does not offer an in-state discount. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,370 in student loans. Around 33% of those degree recipients were women.
One thing to take note of is that Hennepin Technical College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 54% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Ozarks Technical Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Plains States Region list. OTC is a fairly large public school situated in Springfield, Missouri. It awarded 1,490 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Missouri who attend OTC full time pay an average of $5,216 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $6,368. Associate Degree recipients from OTC accumulate an average of $16,228 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 61% of those degree recipients were women.
Online courses are available at OTC, 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 53% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Kirkwood Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Plains States Region list. Cedar Rapids, Iowa is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 1,628 students in 2021-2022.
Students from Iowa who attend Kirkwood Community College full time pay an average of $5,700 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $7,604. Associate Degree recipients from Kirkwood Community College accumulate an average of $16,030 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 59% of those degree recipients were women.
One thing to take note of is that Kirkwood Community College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 59% took at least some of their classes online.
Lake Area Technical Institute 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 #8 on the list. Lake Area Technical Institute is a small public school located in Watertown, South Dakota that handed out 514 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $6,718 to cover tuition and fees at LATI. The school does not offer an in-state discount. Associate Degree recipients from LATI accumulate an average of $13,775 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 37% of those degree recipients were women.
LATI does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 44% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Metropolitan Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. MCC is a fairly large public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 1,366 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Nebraska pay an average of $3,285 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend MCC. Out-of-state students pay an average of $4,815. Associate Degree recipients from MCC accumulate an average of $9,497 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 56% were women.
MCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 45% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Metropolitan Community College - Kansas City ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Plains States Region list. This fairly large public school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 1,899 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,682 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 66% were women.
MCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 58% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Bismarck State College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree trade school programs. BSC is a small public school situated in Bismarck, North Dakota. It awarded 759 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at BSC is $5,143. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $7,227. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,985 in student loans. Around 46% of those degree recipients were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at BSC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 65% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Central 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 #12 on the list. Central Community College is a public institution located in Grand Island, Nebraska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 698 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $3,300 in tuition and fees if they attend Central Community College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $4,710. Associate Degree recipients from Central Community College accumulate an average of $8,350 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 59% were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Central Community College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 72% took at least some of their classes online.
Southeast Technical 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 #13 on the list. Located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the small public school handed out 522 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Southeast Tech does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $7,650. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $16,094 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 51% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Southeast Tech does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 43% took at least some of their classes online.
North Dakota State College of Science came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Wahpeton, North Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 501 students in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from North Dakota pay an average of $5,880 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend North Dakota State College of Science. Out-of-state students pay an average of $6,879. On average, associate degree students take out $13,866 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 43% of those degree recipients were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at North Dakota State College of Science. In 2020-2021 about 29% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Des Moines Area Community College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree trade school programs. Located in Ankeny, Iowa, the large public school handed out 2,010 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,641 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 60% were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at DMACC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 50% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Saint Louis Community College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Louis Community College is located in Bridgeton, Missouri and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,981 associate degrees to qualified students.
Full-time students from Missouri pay an average of $5,130 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Saint Louis Community College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $6,990. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $9,816 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 68% were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Saint Louis Community College. In fact, around 40% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
St Cloud Technical and Community College ranked #17 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Plains States Region list. This small public school is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, and it awarded 735 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
St Cloud Technical and Community College does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $6,075. This amount may 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 $15,759 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 64% were women.
One thing to take note of is that St Cloud Technical and Community College does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 65% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Century College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Century College is located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,188 associate degrees to qualified students.
If you want to attend Century College, expect to pay an average of $6,105 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 $19,410 in student loans. Around 59% of those degree recipients were women.
Online courses are available at Century 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 72% took at least some of their classes online.
Mitchell Technical College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree trade school programs. Mitchell Tech is located in Mitchell, South Dakota and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 303 associate degrees to qualified students.
If you want to attend Mitchell Tech, expect to pay an average of $7,524 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 $13,352 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 35% were women.
Online courses are available at Mitchell Tech, 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 33% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Dunwoody College of Technology landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular associate degree trade school programs. Dunwoody College of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 316 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Dunwoody College of Technology does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $24,611. This amount may 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 $15,809 in student loans. Of those students who received their degree, 16% were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Dunwoody College of Technology. During the 2020-2021 year, about 62% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Northeast Community College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Northeast is located in Norfolk, Nebraska and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 683 associate degrees to qualified students.
Students from Nebraska who attend Northeast full time pay an average of $3,840 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $5,130. Associate Degree recipients from Northeast accumulate an average of $11,841 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 53% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Northeast. During the 2020-2021 year, about 39% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Grantham University ranked #21 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Plains States Region list. LIttle Rock, Arkansas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 469 students in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $8,280 to cover tuition and fees at Grantham University. The school does not offer an in-state discount. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $20,802 in student loans. Around 57% of those degree recipients were women.
Grantham University is primarily an online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.
With a ranking of #23, Dakota County Technical College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. This small public school is located in Rosemount, Minnesota, and it awarded 420 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $6,419 to cover tuition and fees at DCTC. The school does not offer an in-state discount. On average, associate degree students take out $13,504 in loans while pursuing their degree. Around 43% of those degree recipients were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at DCTC. In 2020-2021 about 60% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Minnesota State Community and Technical College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Minnesota State Community and Technical College is a medium-sized public school located in Fergus Falls, Minnesota that handed out 727 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at M State is $5,900. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. Associate Degree recipients from M State accumulate an average of $16,782 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Around 63% of those degree recipients were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at M State. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 51% took at least some of their classes online.
Read full report on Minnesota State Community and Technical College
Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology ranked #25 on this year’s Most Popular Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Plains States Region list. Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology is a medium-sized public school located in Wichita, Kansas that handed out 315 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Kansas who attend WSU Tech full time pay an average of $5,715 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $6,578. On average, associate degree students take out $13,280 in loans while pursuing their degree. Of those students who received their degree, 39% were women.
WSU Tech 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 37% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Full Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology Report
Rest of the Top 15% Most Popular Trade Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region of the U.S.
Not only did these schools make the top 27 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our most popular trade school schools ranking:
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | Johnson County Community College | Overland Park, KS |
| 29 | Rasmussen University - Minnesota | St. Cloud, MN |
| 30 | Lake Superior College | Duluth, MN |
| 31 | Anoka Technical College | Anoka, MN |
| 32 | Western Dakota Technical Institute | Rapid City, SD |
| 33 | Hutchinson Community College | Hutchinson, KS |
| 34 | Saint Paul College | Saint Paul, MN |
| 35 | Iowa Central Community College | Fort Dodge, IA |
| 36 | Eastern Iowa Community College District | Davenport, IA |
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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