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Best Construction Trades Schools in California

2023 Best Construction Trades Schools in California

20 Colleges
$32,412 Avg Salary
$8,705 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Construction Trades School for You

Construction Trades is the #37 most popular major in California with 251 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Construction Trades Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 20 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Construction Trades Schools in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for construction trades majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Construction Trades Schools

#1

CET, Salinas

Salinas, CA

Our analysis found CET, Salinas to be the best school for construction trades students who want to pursue a degree in California. CET, Salinas is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Salinas.

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Out of the 20 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Institute for Business and Technology landed the # 2 spot on the list. Institute for Business and Technology is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Santa Clara.

On average, construction trades graduates from Institute for Business and Technology take out $8,867 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $94.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Southern California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Construction Trades Schools in California list. Southern California Institute of Technology is a fairly small private for-profit school located in the city of Anaheim.

While working on their degree, construction trades majors at Southern California Institute of Technology accumulate an average of around $9,500 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $66.

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#4

CET, San Diego

San Diego, CA

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means CET, San Diego is a great place for construction trades students. CET, San Diego is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Diego.

After completing their degree, construction trades graduates from CET, San Diego carry an average student debtload of $6,051. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $10, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#5

National Career Education

Citrus Heights, CA

Out of the 20 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, National Career Education landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Citrus Heights, National Career Education is a private for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

The average amount in student loans that construction trades majors at National Career Education take out is $8,867. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $94.

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#6

Summit College

Colton, CA

Summit College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best construction trades programs. Located in the city of Colton, Summit College is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

While working on their degree, construction trades majors at Summit College accumulate an average of around $7,600 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $45, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#7

CET, El Centro

El Centro, CA

CET, El Centro did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for construction trades students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the small city of El Centro, CET, El Centro is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Construction Trades majors at CET, El Centro take out an average of $6,051 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $10, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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InterCoast Colleges - Rancho Cordova came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Construction Trades Schools in California ranking. Located in the small city of Rancho Cordova, InterCoast Colleges - Rancho Cordova is a private for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

On average, construction trades graduates from InterCoast Colleges - Rancho Cordova take out $11,887 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $76.

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#9

CET, Coachella

Coachella, CA

With a ranking of #9, CET, Coachella did quite well on this year’s best schools for construction trades students. CET, Coachella is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Coachella.

While working on their degree, construction trades majors at CET, Coachella accumulate an average of around $6,051 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $10, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#10

CET, Watsonville

Watsonville, CA

CET, Watsonville landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best construction trades programs. CET, Watsonville is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Watsonville.

While working on their degree, construction trades majors at CET, Watsonville accumulate an average of around $6,051 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $10, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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Best Construction Trades Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Construction Trades Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 98
Oregon 89
Hawaii 270
Nevada 50
Alaska 0

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

Majors Similar 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 20 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.

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