Trade Schools and Career Colleges
2020 Trade Schools and Career Colleges Overview
For academic year 2019-2020, 1,938 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 2020 average tuition & fees of trade schools is $14,550 for out-of-state students. The amount is average over all vocational programs and it varies by area of study and program length.
- Total 273,863 students have enrolled in such trade schools an career colleges and, of that, 979 students enrolled online exclusively.
- The average students to faculty ratio is 14.19 to 1.
- The average financial aid amount received at trade schools is $4,444.
- The average graduation rate is 70.14%.
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 | $4,413 | 855 | 96.00% | $2,216 | 15 to 1 |
| Alabama | 18 | $14,225 | 1,796 | 63.56% | $4,389 | 17 to 1 |
| Arkansas | 32 | $14,763 | 2,566 | 63.00% | $4,785 | 14 to 1 |
| Arizona | 43 | $14,965 | 7,389 | 70.06% | $4,429 | 15 to 1 |
| California | 214 | $16,260 | 37,117 | 72.02% | $4,751 | 17 to 1 |
| Colorado | 21 | $14,464 | 6,651 | 70.29% | $3,696 | 14 to 1 |
| Connecticut | 34 | $16,582 | 6,314 | 72.33% | $4,303 | 11 to 1 |
| District of Columbia | 3 | $18,766 | 512 | 72.67% | $3,566 | 22 to 1 |
| Delaware | 9 | $13,246 | 1,215 | 70.00% | $4,727 | 14 to 1 |
| Florida | 131 | $12,359 | 22,197 | 75.37% | $3,882 | 15 to 1 |
| Georgia | 34 | $17,585 | 4,615 | 64.19% | $4,443 | 15 to 1 |
| Hawaii | 4 | $35,515 | 183 | 76.00% | $5,979 | 9 to 1 |
| Iowa | 1 | $9,500 | 28 | 100.00% | $4,142 | 9 to 1 |
| Idaho | 6 | $14,248 | 556 | 70.20% | $4,215 | 15 to 1 |
| Illinois | 89 | $16,310 | 9,440 | 68.24% | $4,480 | 12 to 1 |
| Indiana | 32 | $16,278 | 3,175 | 62.29% | $4,579 | 14 to 1 |
| Kansas | 13 | $16,093 | 2,923 | 70.09% | $4,440 | 12 to 1 |
| Kentucky | 20 | $15,418 | 1,487 | 46.95% | $4,742 | 15 to 1 |
| Louisiana | 55 | $14,915 | 6,961 | 65.51% | $4,726 | 14 to 1 |
| Massachusetts | 50 | $13,460 | 5,175 | 75.38% | $4,382 | 12 to 1 |
| Maryland | 27 | $17,675 | 4,146 | 64.68% | $3,907 | 17 to 1 |
| Maine | 5 | $15,807 | 751 | 79.60% | $4,329 | 15 to 1 |
| Michigan | 70 | $16,654 | 9,763 | 71.07% | $4,546 | 14 to 1 |
| Minnesota | 13 | $17,122 | 1,686 | 66.67% | $4,475 | 13 to 1 |
| Missouri | 55 | $13,390 | 3,580 | 69.98% | $5,034 | 10 to 1 |
| Mississippi | 17 | $14,245 | 2,058 | 72.56% | $4,252 | 15 to 1 |
| Montana | 5 | $12,592 | 184 | 75.75% | $4,682 | 15 to 1 |
| North Carolina | 31 | $16,417 | 4,587 | 68.63% | $4,357 | 15 to 1 |
| North Dakota | 3 | $12,608 | 49 | 72.33% | $8,789 | 12 to 1 |
| New Hampshire | 12 | $18,281 | 934 | 75.75% | $4,322 | 13 to 1 |
| New Jersey | 65 | $16,360 | 10,454 | 69.33% | $3,968 | 16 to 1 |
| New Mexico | 9 | $14,200 | 1,409 | 70.75% | $4,456 | 14 to 1 |
| Nevada | 15 | $16,759 | 2,695 | 72.00% | $4,253 | 12 to 1 |
| New York | 126 | $14,110 | 17,984 | 77.70% | $4,722 | 14 to 1 |
| Ohio | 83 | $11,493 | 10,692 | 74.20% | $4,425 | 11 to 1 |
| Oklahoma | 53 | $9,095 | 13,249 | 65.32% | $4,026 | 12 to 1 |
| Oregon | 8 | $14,156 | 1,093 | 78.00% | $4,068 | 15 to 1 |
| Pennsylvania | 101 | $16,174 | 8,303 | 70.27% | $4,629 | 13 to 1 |
| Puerto Rico | 49 | $9,187 | 8,463 | 68.42% | $4,308 | 16 to 1 |
| Rhode Island | 8 | $16,903 | 1,762 | 73.13% | $4,874 | 14 to 1 |
| South Carolina | 29 | $14,394 | 3,155 | 59.68% | $4,512 | 15 to 1 |
| Tennessee | 42 | $14,415 | 3,583 | 69.58% | $4,566 | 14 to 1 |
| Texas | 165 | $14,044 | 22,752 | 65.65% | $4,332 | 16 to 1 |
| Utah | 35 | $12,513 | 11,299 | 72.31% | $3,835 | 11 to 1 |
| Virginia | 34 | $13,025 | 2,732 | 72.19% | $4,433 | 13 to 1 |
| Vermont | 2 | $19,125 | 95 | 85.00% | $5,511 | 10 to 1 |
| Washington | 27 | $14,560 | 2,823 | 74.16% | $4,362 | 13 to 1 |
| Wisconsin | 16 | $17,326 | 999 | 67.13% | $4,536 | 11 to 1 |
| West Virginia | 22 | $7,954 | 1,379 | 75.05% | $4,467 | 12 to 1 |
| Wyoming | 1 | $16,200 | 49 | 79.00% | $4,892 | 11 to 1 |