2023 Best Construction Trades Schools
Finding the Best Construction Trades School for You
Construction Trades is the #35 most popular major in the country with 35,794 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Construction Trades Schools ranking. This report analyzed 152 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Construction Trades Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Construction Trades Colleges.
Top 15% Best Construction Trades Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Warren County Career Center the best school in the United States for construction trades students. Warren County Career Center is a fairly small public school located in the rural area of Lebanon.
Construction Trades majors at Warren County Career Center take out an average of $8,865 in student loans while working on their egree.
Read full report on Construction Trades at Warren County Career Center
Request Information
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Great Oaks Career Campuses is a great place for construction trades students. Great Oaks Career Campuses is a fairly small public school located in the suburb of Cincinnati.
After completing their degree, construction trades graduates from Great Oaks Career Campuses carry an average student debtload of $9,500.
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Technical College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Construction Trades Schools list. Located in the city of La Crosse, Western Technical College is a public school with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that construction trades majors at Western Technical College take out is $5,500.
Request Information
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Northwest Iowa Community College is a great place for construction trades students. Located in the rural area of Sheldon, Northwest Iowa Community College is a public school with a small student population.
After completing their degree, construction trades graduates from Northwest Iowa Community College carry an average student debtload of $9,033.
Request Information
The excellent programs at North Hennepin Community College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best construction trades schools in the United States. North Hennepin Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Brooklyn Park.
On average, construction trades graduates from North Hennepin Community College take out $15,125 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Construction Trades at North Hennepin Community College
Request Information
Ivy Tech Community College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best construction trades programs. Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Indianapolis.
On average, construction trades graduates from Ivy Tech Community College take out $8,666 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Construction Trades at Ivy Tech Community College
Request Information
Chippewa Valley Technical College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Construction Trades Schools ranking. Located in the city of Eau Claire, CVTC is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
After completing their degree, construction trades graduates from CVTC carry an average student debtload of $6,267.
Full Construction Trades at Chippewa Valley Technical College Report
Request Information
The University of Texas at San Antonio landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best construction trades programs. UTSA is a very large public school located in the large city of San Antonio.
After completing their degree, construction trades graduates from UTSA carry an average student debtload of $23,000.
Request Information
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Construction Trades Schools ranking. Southwest Tech is a small public school located in the rural area of Fennimore.
After completing their degree, construction trades graduates from Southwest Tech carry an average student debtload of $5,500.
Request Information
Summit Academy Opportunities Industrialization Center did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for construction trades students. It came in at #10 on the list. Summit Academy Opportunities Industrialization Center is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Minneapolis.
After completing their degree, construction trades graduates from Summit Academy Opportunities Industrialization Center carry an average student debtload of $8,250.
Request Information
North American Trade Schools did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for construction trades students. It came in at #11 on the list. North American Trade Schools is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Baltimore.
Construction Trades majors at North American Trade Schools take out an average of $10,516 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Construction Trades at North American Trade Schools Report
Request Information
Des Moines Area Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for construction trades students. It came in at #12 on the list. Located in the suburb of Ankeny, DMACC is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Construction Trades at Des Moines Area Community College
Request Information
Perry Technical Institute landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best construction trades programs. Perry Tech is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Yakima.
On average, construction trades graduates from Perry Tech take out $14,901 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Construction Trades at Perry Technical Institute Report
Request Information
Lansing Community College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Construction Trades Schools ranking. Located in the city of Lansing, LCC is a public school with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, construction trades graduates from LCC carry an average student debtload of $11,710.
Full Construction Trades at Lansing Community College Report
Request Information
Brookdale Community College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best construction trades programs. Brookdale Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Lincroft.
Full Construction Trades at Brookdale Community College Report
Request Information
Raritan Valley Community College landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best construction trades programs. Located in the rural area of Branchburg, RVCC is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Request Information
Texas State Technical College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Construction Trades Schools list. Located in the midsize city of Waco, TSTC is a public college with a large student population.
While working on their degree, construction trades majors at TSTC accumulate an average of around $10,003 in student debt.
Request Information
Mid-EastCTC-Adult Education landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best construction trades programs. Located in the rural area of Zanesville, Mid-EastCTC-Adult Education is a public college with a fairly small student population.
After completing their degree, construction trades graduates from Mid-EastCTC-Adult Education carry an average student debtload of $6,660.
Read full report on Construction Trades at Mid-EastCTC-Adult Education
Request Information
Advanced Training Institute ranked #19 on this year’s Best Construction Trades Schools list. Advanced Training Institute is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Las Vegas.
Construction Trades majors at Advanced Training Institute take out an average of $7,600 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Construction Trades at Advanced Training Institute Report
Request Information
Trinidad State Junior College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Construction Trades Schools list. Trinidad State Junior College is a small public school located in the town of Trinidad.
Request Information
Lincoln Technical Institute - Mahwah landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best construction trades programs. Lincoln Tech - Mahwah is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Mahwah.
While working on their degree, construction trades majors at Lincoln Tech - Mahwah accumulate an average of around $13,137 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $109, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Construction Trades at Lincoln Technical Institute - Mahwah Report
Request Information
Pickaway Ross Joint Vocational School District landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best construction trades programs. Located in the distant town of Chillicothe, Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center is a public college with a fairly small student population.
On average, construction trades graduates from Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center take out $5,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Construction Trades at Pickaway Ross Joint Vocational School District
Request InformationHonorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Construction Trades Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Bismarck State College | Bismarck, ND |
| 24 | Utah Valley University | Orem, UT |
| 25 | Reading Area Community College | Reading, PA |
| 26 | Lincoln Technical Institute - Union | Union, NJ |
| 27 | Pierpont Community and Technical College | Fairmont, WV |
| 28 | Rochester Community and Technical College | Rochester, MN |
| 29 | Moraine Park Technical College | Fond du Lac, WI |
| 30 | MotoRing Technical Training Institute | Seekonk, MA |
Construction Trades by Region
View the Best Construction Trades Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Construction Trades Rankings
Construction Trades Related Rankings by Major
Construction Trades Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Electrical & Power Transmission Installers | 23,527 |
| Building Management & Inspection | 4,511 |
| Carpentry | 3,273 |
| Plumbing & Water Supply | 2,617 |
| Construction | 1,435 |
| Masonry | 274 |
| Other Construction | 157 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Construction Trades
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Personal & Culinary Services | 130,328 |
| Mechanic & Repair Technologies | 96,336 |
| Precision Production | 52,913 |
| Transportation & Materials Moving | 29,084 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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 the rest 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.