2023 Best Value Construction Trades Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Construction Trades Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 152 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value programs for construction trades students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 15% Best Construction Trades Schools
Our analysis found North Hennepin Community College to be the best value school for construction trades students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. North Hennepin Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Brooklyn Park.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at North Hennepin Community College are $4,882 a year. On average, construction trades graduates from North Hennepin Community College take out $15,125 in student loans while working on their degree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, North Hennepin Community College also is in the top 10% of our Best Construction Trades Schools ranking.
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The excellent programs at Southeast Community College Area helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best construction trades schools in the United States. Located in the city of Lincoln, Southeast Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Southeast Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $3,780 in tuition and fees each year.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Technical College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Construction Trades Schools list. Located in the small city of La Crosse, Western Technical College is a public college with a small student population.
Western Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,687 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that construction trades majors at Western Technical College take out is $5,500.
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The excellent programs at Northwest Iowa Community College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best construction trades schools in the United States. Located in the rural area of Sheldon, Northwest Iowa Community College is a public school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northwest Iowa Community College are $6,840 per year. After completing their degree, construction trades graduates from Northwest Iowa Community College carry an average student debtload of $9,033.
Northwest Iowa Community College also claimed a spot on our Best Construction Trades Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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Out of the 152 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Iowa Tech Community College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Western Iowa Tech Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Sioux City.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Western Iowa Tech Community College are $4,826 per year.
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With a ranking of #6, Chippewa Valley Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for construction trades students. Located in the small city of Eau Claire, CVTC is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at CVTC are $6,683 a year. After completing their degree, construction trades graduates from CVTC carry an average student debtload of $6,267.
CVTC excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Construction Trades Schools list.
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Rochester Community and Technical College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Construction Trades Schools ranking. Located in the city of Rochester, Rochester Community and Technical College is a public school with a small student population.
Rochester Community and Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,372 in tuition and fees each year.
Rochester Community and Technical College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Construction Trades Schools list.
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Southwest Wisconsin Technical College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Construction Trades Schools ranking. Southwest Tech is a small public school located in the rural area of Fennimore.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southwest Tech are $6,683 per year. After completing their degree, construction trades graduates from Southwest Tech carry an average student debtload of $5,500.
In addition to its great value ranking, Southwest Tech is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Construction Trades Schools list.
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With a ranking of #9, Northeast Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for construction trades students. Northeast is a moderately-sized public school located in the remote town of Norfolk.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Northeast are $5,010 a year. On average, construction trades graduates from Northeast take out $12,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Raritan Valley Community College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value construction trades programs. Located in the rural area of Branchburg, RVCC is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
RVCC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,912 in tuition and fees each year.
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Trinidad State Junior College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Construction Trades Schools list. Trinidad State Junior College is a small public school located in the town of Trinidad.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Trinidad State Junior College are $6,631 per year.
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Bismarck State College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Construction Trades Schools ranking. BSC is a small public school located in the small city of Bismarck.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at BSC are $6,930 a year. On average, construction trades graduates from BSC take out $7,830 in student loans while working on their degree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, BSC also is in the top 5% of our Best Construction Trades Schools ranking.
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Moraine Park Technical College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Construction Trades Schools list. Moraine Park Technical College is a small public school located in the small city of Fond du Lac.
Moraine Park Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,683 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that construction trades majors at Moraine Park Technical College take out is $4,000.
In addition to its great value ranking, Moraine Park Technical College is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Construction Trades Schools list.
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Ivy Tech Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for construction trades students. It came in at #14 on the list. Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public school located in the large city of Indianapolis.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Ivy Tech Community College are $8,927 a year. On average, construction trades graduates from Ivy Tech Community College take out $8,666 in student loans while working on their degree.
In addition to its great value ranking, Ivy Tech Community College is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Construction Trades Schools list.
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North Georgia Technical College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Construction Trades Schools ranking. North Georgia Technical College is a small public school located in the rural area of Clarkesville.
North Georgia Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,422 in tuition and fees each year.
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With a ranking of #16, Minnesota State Community and Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for construction trades students. M State is a medium-sized public school located in the remote town of Fergus Falls.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at M State are $5,862 a year. While working on their degree, construction trades majors at M State accumulate an average of around $5,500 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #17, Metropolitan Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for construction trades students. Located in the city of Omaha, MCC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
MCC undergraduate students pay an average of $4,680 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, construction trades graduates from MCC carry an average student debtload of $15,222.
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Augusta Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for construction trades students. It came in at #18 on the list. Augusta Technical College is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Augusta.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Augusta Technical College are $5,632 a year. While working on their degree, construction trades majors at Augusta Technical College accumulate an average of around $7,922 in student debt.
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St Cloud Technical and Community College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Construction Trades Schools list. St Cloud Technical and Community College is a small public school located in the city of Saint Cloud.
St Cloud Technical and Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,874 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, construction trades majors at St Cloud Technical and Community College accumulate an average of around $6,340 in student debt.
In addition to its great value ranking, St Cloud Technical and Community College is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Construction Trades Schools list.
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Ridgewater College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Construction Trades Schools list. Ridgewater College is a small public school located in the town of Willmar.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Ridgewater College are $5,914 a year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Ridgewater College also did well on our Best Construction Trades Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Mitchell Technical College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Construction Trades Schools ranking. Located in the rural area of Mitchell, Mitchell Tech is a public school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Mitchell Tech are $7,524 per year. On average, construction trades graduates from Mitchell Tech take out $9,667 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $156, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
In addition to its great value ranking, Mitchell Tech is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Construction Trades Schools list.
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With a ranking of #22, Dakota County Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for construction trades students. Located in the rural area of Rosemount, DCTC is a public college with a small student population.
DCTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,208 in tuition and fees each year. Construction Trades majors at DCTC take out an average of $12,750 in student loans while working on their egree.
In addition to its great value ranking, DCTC is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Construction Trades Schools list.
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These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Construction Trades Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Saint Paul College | Saint Paul, MN |
| 24 | Anoka Technical College | Anoka, MN |
| 25 | South Louisiana Community College | Lafayette, LA |
| 26 | Central Louisiana Technical Community College | Alexandria, LA |
| 27 | Lake Area Technical Institute | Watertown, SD |
| 28 | Brookdale Community College | Lincroft, NJ |
| 29 | Northland Community and Technical College | Thief River Falls, MN |
| 30 | Des Moines Area Community College | Ankeny, IA |
Construction Trades by Region
View the Best Value 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 Majors for Construction Trades
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.
- 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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