Trade Schools and Career Colleges
In United States2,052 trade schools, also called vocational schools, career colleges or technical colleges, are active.
Here, a trade school is less than 2 years and mostly private schools. For the tuition and academic statistics and searching schools for certain vocational programs, we include community colleges (public 2-4 years colleges).
- The 2023 average tuition & fees of trade schools is $14,651 for out-of-state students. The amount is average over all vocational programs and it varies by area of study and program length.
- Total 308,143 students have enrolled in such trade schools an career colleges and, of that, 5,641 students enrolled online exclusively.
- The average students to faculty ratio is 14.78 to 1.
- The average financial aid amount received at trade schools is $4,830.
- The average graduation rate is 70.2%.
Data Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
Vocational Programs
Trade Schools Statistics by State
| State | Number of Trade Schools | Average Tuition & Fees | Number of Students | Graduation Rate | Average Amount of Financial Aid | Students to Faculty Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 1 | $4,611 | 259 | 95.0% | $6,280 | 12 to 1 |
| Alabama | 17 | $15,182 | 1,579 | 62.3% | $5,224 | 18 to 1 |
| Arkansas | 38 | $15,478 | 2,204 | 62.1% | $5,067 | 14 to 1 |
| Arizona | 45 | $15,286 | 8,867 | 76.3% | $4,352 | 15 to 1 |
| California | 230 | $16,129 | 45,186 | 70.3% | $4,847 | 18 to 1 |
| Colorado | 24 | $14,309 | 6,943 | 69.3% | $4,113 | 14 to 1 |
| Connecticut | 42 | $16,257 | 6,535 | 71.4% | $4,816 | 12 to 1 |
| District of Columbia | 3 | $19,654 | 545 | 57.0% | $4,110 | 21 to 1 |
| Delaware | 9 | $12,669 | 1,592 | 64.2% | $5,251 | 15 to 1 |
| Florida | 145 | $12,275 | 25,817 | 72.8% | $4,323 | 14 to 1 |
| Georgia | 36 | $17,744 | 6,174 | 64.3% | $4,467 | 15 to 1 |
| Hawaii | 5 | $30,916 | 233 | 74.0% | $4,628 | 9 to 1 |
| Iowa | 2 | $13,208 | 71 | 100.0% | $3,079 | 9 to 1 |
| Idaho | 7 | $14,330 | 530 | 80.4% | $4,256 | 12 to 1 |
| Illinois | 93 | $16,052 | 11,507 | 67.8% | $5,028 | 14 to 1 |
| Indiana | 37 | $16,039 | 3,567 | 69.0% | $4,832 | 15 to 1 |
| Kansas | 15 | $13,892 | 2,906 | 68.3% | $4,779 | 12 to 1 |
| Kentucky | 21 | $16,345 | 1,685 | 59.9% | $4,995 | 17 to 1 |
| Louisiana | 55 | $15,079 | 8,178 | 65.4% | $5,041 | 14 to 1 |
| Massachusetts | 50 | $13,784 | 5,526 | 74.6% | $4,814 | 12 to 1 |
| Maryland | 26 | $17,529 | 4,294 | 64.4% | $3,901 | 18 to 1 |
| Maine | 7 | $14,601 | 808 | 77.8% | $4,144 | 14 to 1 |
| Michigan | 75 | $17,179 | 9,327 | 70.3% | $5,417 | 15 to 1 |
| Minnesota | 13 | $19,236 | 2,005 | 66.9% | $5,067 | 13 to 1 |
| Missouri | 59 | $13,697 | 3,784 | 74.6% | $5,545 | 11 to 1 |
| Mississippi | 16 | $14,863 | 2,389 | 67.7% | $5,266 | 16 to 1 |
| Montana | 5 | $13,677 | 178 | 85.0% | $5,072 | 15 to 1 |
| North Carolina | 30 | $16,721 | 4,301 | 68.0% | $4,735 | 16 to 1 |
| North Dakota | 3 | $13,098 | 45 | 85.5% | $10,604 | 11 to 1 |
| New Hampshire | 11 | $18,407 | 1,027 | 82.6% | $5,219 | 13 to 1 |
| New Jersey | 63 | $16,500 | 12,329 | 71.3% | $4,249 | 16 to 1 |
| New Mexico | 10 | $14,713 | 1,613 | 64.6% | $4,671 | 16 to 1 |
| Nevada | 19 | $16,079 | 4,185 | 68.4% | $4,423 | 12 to 1 |
| New York | 127 | $13,678 | 16,723 | 75.1% | $5,124 | 14 to 1 |
| Ohio | 88 | $11,924 | 10,451 | 74.1% | $5,088 | 11 to 1 |
| Oklahoma | 56 | $8,568 | 16,438 | 63.5% | $4,308 | 12 to 1 |
| Oregon | 9 | $15,672 | 1,123 | 71.3% | $4,000 | 15 to 1 |
| Pennsylvania | 100 | $16,824 | 10,473 | 70.7% | $5,132 | 13 to 1 |
| Puerto Rico | 59 | $9,806 | 7,735 | 70.2% | $5,322 | 21 to 1 |
| Rhode Island | 8 | $17,934 | 1,958 | 66.2% | $4,169 | 16 to 1 |
| South Carolina | 27 | $14,516 | 3,264 | 62.4% | $4,731 | 15 to 1 |
| Tennessee | 43 | $15,010 | 4,587 | 69.0% | $4,874 | 15 to 1 |
| Texas | 182 | $14,285 | 26,777 | 66.1% | $4,618 | 17 to 1 |
| Utah | 38 | $12,982 | 13,751 | 75.5% | $4,442 | 11 to 1 |
| Virginia | 36 | $13,961 | 3,077 | 72.3% | $4,283 | 13 to 1 |
| Vermont | 2 | $18,250 | 115 | 81.5% | $7,820 | 15 to 1 |
| Washington | 25 | $14,922 | 3,136 | 74.3% | $5,320 | 15 to 1 |
| Wisconsin | 17 | $16,110 | 1,194 | 68.2% | $4,651 | 11 to 1 |
| West Virginia | 22 | $7,757 | 1,109 | 79.2% | $5,411 | 12 to 1 |
| Wyoming | 1 | $17,300 | 43 | 67.0% | $5,089 | 15 to 1 |