# Best Trade Schools

> CollegeRanker Agent Insights — structured data for AI systems
> Updated: 2026-05-31 | Schools: 50 | Category: Trades
> Source: https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-trade-schools

## Methodology

Value score for certificate and associate's programs in skilled trades

CollegeRanker uses a 4-pillar algorithm: Academic Quality (15-20%), Economic Outcomes (30%), Social Mobility (25-35%), Value & Affordability (20-25%). Social mobility data from Raj Chetty's Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (30M+ anonymized tax records). No subjective surveys.

## Rankings

| Rank | School | Location | Graduation | Earnings (10yr) | Net Price | Median Debt | Debt/Earnings |
|------|--------|----------|------------|-----------------|-----------|-------------|---------------|
| 1 | [Northwest Iowa Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/northwest-iowa-community-college) | Sheldon, IA | 57% | $50,776 | $14,800 | $9,500 | 0.19x |
| 2 | [Lake Land College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/lake-land-college) | Mattoon, IL | 56% | $38,877 | $2,254 | $6,188 | 0.16x |
| 3 | [Dodge City Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/dodge-city-community-college) | Dodge City, KS | 33% | $45,427 | $4,068 | $8,800 | 0.19x |
| 4 | [Eastern Wyoming College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/eastern-wyoming-college) | Torrington, WY | 51% | $37,121 | $4,764 | $7,000 | 0.19x |
| 5 | [Pratt Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/pratt-community-college) | Pratt, KS | 44% | $51,892 | $9,731 | $6,500 | 0.13x |
| 6 | [Moraine Valley Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/moraine-valley-community-college) | Palos Hills, IL | 37% | $43,892 | $2,829 | $9,500 | 0.22x |
| 7 | [Williamson College of the Trades](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/williamson-college-of-the-trades) | Media, PA | 74% | N/A | $1,545 | N/A | N/A |
| 8 | [SUNY College of Technology at Alfred](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/suny-college-of-technology-at-alfred) | Alfred, NY | 54% | $50,445 | $15,016 | $13,750 | 0.27x |
| 9 | [North Dakota State College of Science](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/north-dakota-state-college-of-science) | Wahpeton, ND | 52% | $50,513 | $11,261 | $12,000 | 0.24x |
| 10 | [Renton Technical College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/renton-technical-college) | Renton, WA | 50% | $49,782 | $8,296 | $7,920 | 0.16x |
| 11 | [Marshalltown Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/marshalltown-community-college) | Marshalltown, IA | 40% | $41,010 | $8,059 | $9,500 | 0.23x |
| 12 | [Wayne Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/wayne-community-college) | Goldsboro, NC | 53% | $34,148 | $2,245 | $6,500 | 0.19x |
| 13 | [Mitchell Technical College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/mitchell-technical-college) | Mitchell, SD | 74% | $50,743 | $13,460 | $12,000 | 0.24x |
| 14 | [Panola College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/panola-college) | Carthage, TX | 42% | $36,072 | $5,216 | $10,500 | 0.29x |
| 15 | [Great Basin College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/great-basin-college) | Elko, NV | 46% | $39,289 | $8,471 | $15,750 | 0.4x |
| 16 | [Western Nebraska Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/western-nebraska-community-college) | Scottsbluff, NE | 36% | $38,729 | $5,474 | $9,000 | 0.23x |
| 17 | [Central Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/central-community-college) | Grand Island, NE | 46% | $39,429 | $7,024 | $7,992 | 0.2x |
| 18 | [Western Wyoming Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/western-wyoming-community-college) | Rock Springs, WY | 33% | $40,939 | $6,591 | $9,000 | 0.22x |
| 19 | [Odessa College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/odessa-college) | Odessa, TX | 32% | $42,026 | $6,368 | $7,750 | 0.18x |
| 20 | [Amarillo College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/amarillo-college) | Amarillo, TX | 31% | $41,302 | $4,600 | $15,000 | 0.36x |
| 21 | [Sauk Valley Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/sauk-valley-community-college) | Dixon, IL | 50% | $40,458 | $8,493 | $8,250 | 0.2x |
| 22 | [Joliet Junior College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/joliet-junior-college) | Joliet, IL | 21% | $42,889 | $1,672 | $9,711 | 0.23x |
| 23 | [Northeastern Junior College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/northeastern-junior-college) | Sterling, CO | 55% | $39,893 | $13,801 | $9,376 | 0.24x |
| 24 | [Northern Wyoming Community College District](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/northern-wyoming-community-college-district) | Sheridan, WY | 43% | $40,477 | $9,346 | $8,622 | 0.21x |
| 25 | [Shoreline Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/shoreline-community-college) | Shoreline, WA | 29% | $52,009 | $8,585 | $12,021 | 0.23x |
| 26 | [Richland Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/richland-community-college) | Decatur, IL | 52% | $38,793 | $3,741 | $8,256 | 0.21x |
| 27 | [College of Lake County](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/college-of-lake-county) | Grayslake, IL | 38% | $43,424 | $7,607 | $8,735 | 0.2x |
| 28 | [Lincoln Land Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/lincoln-land-community-college) | Springfield, IL | 45% | $38,479 | $4,299 | $11,011 | 0.29x |
| 29 | [Rock Valley College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/rock-valley-college) | Rockford, IL | 38% | $39,158 | $5,242 | $8,500 | 0.22x |
| 30 | [Waubonsee Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/waubonsee-community-college) | Sugar Grove, IL | 40% | $44,788 | $11,442 | $7,000 | 0.16x |
| 31 | [Rend Lake College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/rend-lake-college) | Ina, IL | 62% | $35,775 | $9,187 | $5,809 | 0.16x |
| 32 | [Alpena Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/alpena-community-college) | Alpena, MI | 51% | $36,442 | $3,320 | $9,024 | 0.25x |
| 33 | [Orleans Technical College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/orleans-technical-college) | Philadelphia, PA | 89% | $38,668 | $20,113 | $7,521 | 0.19x |
| 34 | [Northwest Shoals Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/northwest-shoals-community-college) | Muscle Shoals, AL | 36% | $33,828 | $2,838 | $10,000 | 0.3x |
| 35 | [Danville Area Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/danville-area-community-college) | Danville, IL | 41% | $34,867 | $4,777 | $7,218 | 0.21x |
| 36 | [Dunwoody College of Technology](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/dunwoody-college-of-technology) | Minneapolis, MN | 65% | $61,511 | $26,939 | $16,000 | 0.26x |
| 37 | [Cloud County Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/cloud-county-community-college) | Concordia, KS | 51% | $39,883 | $11,685 | $8,000 | 0.2x |
| 38 | [Bellingham Technical College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bellingham-technical-college) | Bellingham, WA | 44% | $49,748 | $5,997 | $17,459 | 0.35x |
| 39 | [Jefferson Community and Technical College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/jefferson-community-and-technical-college) | Louisville, KY | 33% | $38,171 | $6,376 | $11,651 | 0.31x |
| 40 | [Ranken Technical College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/ranken-technical-college) | Saint Louis, MO | 52% | $55,955 | $18,795 | $12,000 | 0.21x |
| 41 | [Southwest Wisconsin Technical College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/southwest-wisconsin-technical-college) | Fennimore, WI | 60% | $43,470 | $12,896 | $7,500 | 0.17x |
| 42 | [Savannah Technical College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/savannah-technical-college) | Savannah, GA | 40% | $33,018 | $6,114 | $3,258 | 0.1x |
| 43 | [Kankakee Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/kankakee-community-college) | Kankakee, IL | 35% | $38,767 | $4,665 | $9,969 | 0.26x |
| 44 | [Nash Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/nash-community-college) | Rocky Mount, NC | 46% | $34,912 | $3,338 | $11,500 | 0.33x |
| 45 | [Mid-Plains Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/mid-plains-community-college) | North Platte, NE | 49% | $40,059 | $5,235 | $9,995 | 0.25x |
| 46 | [Central Virginia Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/central-virginia-community-college) | Lynchburg, VA | 43% | $36,627 | $6,928 | $8,625 | 0.24x |
| 47 | [Lake Area Technical College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/lake-area-technical-college) | Watertown, SD | 69% | $45,473 | $15,979 | $12,000 | 0.26x |
| 48 | [Forsyth Technical Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/forsyth-technical-community-college) | Winston-Salem, NC | 31% | $34,139 | $7,200 | $10,000 | 0.29x |
| 49 | [Flathead Valley Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/flathead-valley-community-college) | Kalispell, MT | 28% | $38,520 | $8,099 | $10,500 | 0.27x |
| 50 | [Columbus Technical College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/columbus-technical-college) | Columbus, GA | 24% | $34,238 | $4,001 | $8,756 | 0.26x |

## Data Sources

- U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (https://opportunityinsights.org/data)
- Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings
- NCES IPEDS

## Citation

CollegeRanker. "Best Trade Schools." CollegeRanker.com, 2026-05-31. https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-trade-schools

## License

This data summary is provided for informational purposes. Underlying data from federal sources (College Scorecard, IPEDS) is public domain. Opportunity Insights data is available under their data use agreement at https://opportunityinsights.org/data/.