1. Citrus College
Citrus College takes the top spot on our list of the best online trade schools primarily because it offers California residents extremely affordable tuition. Its main campus is located the Southern California town of Glendora. Classes available online range from architecture courses to emergency management courses.
- Tuition per year: $1,190 in-state; $7,646 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 29%
2. Mt. San Jacinto Community College
Mt. San Jacinto Community College is another California-based institution. It offers over 100 courses online, ranging from classes in computer information systems to classes in kinesiology. The school offers many trade programs as well as programs that are designed for students who plan to transfer to a university.
- Tuition per year: $1,406 in-state; $10,256 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 22%
3. Coastal Pines Technical College
Coastal Pines Technical College is the best of the many online trade schools in the South. It offers five associate’s degrees that can be completed online: Business Technology, Criminal Justice, Early Childcare and Education, Accounting, and Marketing Management. All of these programs also offer certificates.
- Tuition per year: $2,759 in-state; $4,906 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 37%
4. Southern Regional Technical College
Southern Regional Technical College is another top-notch online trade school in the South. It offers several completely online associate’s degrees, including programs in Accounting, Criminal Justice Technology, and Marketing Management. These programs take five or six semesters to complete.
- Tuition per year: $3,002 in-state; $5,402 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 45%
5. Copiah-Lincoln Community College
Copiah-Lincoln Community College is the top online trade school in Mississippi. It offers 33 online associate’s degree programs, ranging from Athletic Training to Healthcare Data Technology. Online and in-person students pay the same tuition rate.
- Tuition per year: $3,180 in-state; $5,180 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 45%
6. Eastern Arizona College
Eastern Arizona College is the leading online trade school in the state. It offers several fully online associate’s degree programs, including an acclaimed Business program. The same instructors who teach on-campus courses also teach online courses.
- Tuition per year: $2,700 in-state; $9,120 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 9%
7. Wake Technical Community College
Wake Technical Community College is located in the academic hotspot of Raleigh, NC. It offers multiple fully online associate’s degree programs, including a unique Accounting and Finance degree. Most online courses are offered asynchronously, meaning the student can take them at any time.
- Tuition per year: $2,768 in-state; $8,912 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 16%
8. Georgia Piedmont Technical College
Georgia Piedmont Technical College is the third institution from the state in our top 10. It offers several completely online associate’s degree options, ranging from Accounting to Design and Media Production Technology to Computer Support. GPTC offers multiple unique degree programs that are hard to find at similar institutions.
- Tuition per year: $3,188 in-state; $5,588 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 15%
9. Lanier Technical College
Lanier Technical College is yet another Georgia-based top-notch online trade school. It is known for its online education, as over 50 certificates, diplomas, and degrees are offered online. Online associate programs include Applied Management and Fire Science Technology.
- Tuition per year: $3,666 in-state; $5,666 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 31%
10. Southwest Wisconsin Technical College
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is the top online trade school in the state. It offers several trade programs online, including Medical Coding and Tax Preparation. Online courses range from four weeks to 16 weeks long.
- Tuition per year: $4,433 in-state; $6,481 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 58%
11. Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College
Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College may have been edged out by its in-state rival, but it is still a top online trade school. More than 20 certificates and associate’s degrees can be completed online, including degrees in Health Information Technology to Nonprofit Leadership. There are also certificate programs available in medical billing and tax preparation.
- Tuition per year: $4,704 in-state; $6,888 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 61%
12. Fox Valley Technical College
Fox Valley Technical College is not the first school from Wisconsin on our list, but it still is one of the best online trade schools in the Midwest. It offers 31 online associate’s degree programs, ranging from Engineering Technology to Manufacturing. There are also technical diplomas available that allow students to learn specific skills and immediately go to work.
- Tuition per year: $4,640 in-state; $6,688 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 56%
13. Eastern Wyoming College
Eastern Wyoming College offers excellent online vocational programs. Its online associate’s degree programs include Early Childhood Education and Business Administration. An associate’s degree in Criminal Justice is also available.
- Tuition per year: $4,110 in-state; $10,050 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 35%
14. Madison Area Technical College
Madison Area Technical College is one of the top online trade schools in Wisconsin. It offers many classes online through several different instructional methods. Some classes require students to virtually attend classes live, while others do not require live attendance.
- Tuition per year: $4,482 in-state; $6,622 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 44%
15. George C. Wallace State Community College – Hanceville
George C. Wallace State Community College – Hanceville is the top online trade school in Alabama. It offers several fully online associate’s degrees in areas like Child Development, Health Information Technology, and Internet/Networking Technology. Many of the on-campus degree programs can be completed partially online.
- Tuition per year: $4,800 in-state; $8,730 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 44%
If you’re looking for the right online trade schools, our site can help you find the right institution based on your criteria.
16. Lakeshore Technical College
Lakeshore Technical College is another leading online trade school from Wisconsin. It offers nine online associate’s degrees, including programs in Supply Chain Management and Accounting. It even offers a unique associate’s degree in Nuclear Technology.
- Tuition per year: $4,341 in-state; $6,389 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 24%
17. Moraine Park Technical College
Moraine Park Technical College is an online trade school with a campus in Wisconsin. It offers fully online associate’s degrees in Business Management, Accounting, Paralegal Studies, and more. It also has a rare Water Quality Management associate’s degree program.
- Tuition per year: $4,480 in-state; $5,885 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 16%
18. Ocean County College
Ocean County College is a top online trade school located in Toms River, NJ. It offers a wide variety of online classes in areas ranging from Finance to Information Technology. Online students have access to the same free tutoring services that in-person students can access.
- Tuition per year: $5,115 in-state; $7,695 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 37%
19. Dakota County Technical College
Dakota County Technical College is the top online trade school in Minnesota. It offers online classes in subjects like Construction Management, Accelerated Business Management, and Digital Marketing. Online students pay the same tuition rate, no matter where they live.
- Tuition per year: $5,864
- Graduation plus transfer rate after six semesters, based on students entering Fall 2017: 66%
- Graduation plus transfer rate after four semesters, based on students entering Fall 2018: 53%
20. Minnesota State Community and Technical College
Minnesota State Community and Technical College is known as a leader in online education. It offers nearly 30 completely online diploma and degree programs, ranging from Health Information Technology/Coding to Computer Programming. M State charges all online students the same tuition rate, regardless of where they live.
- Tuition: $198.95 per credit
- Graduation rate: 37%
21. Mitchell Technical College
Mitchell Technical College is the leading online trade school in South Dakota. It offers several online associate’s degrees that are rarely offered over the Internet. These programs include Advanced Medical Imaging and Speech-Language Pathology.
- Tuition per year: $6,944
- Graduation rate: 68%
22. Northland Community & Technical College
Northland Community & Technical College is a leading institution for online vocational education. It offers online diploma or degree programs in areas like Practical Nursing and Welding Technology. Students can also complete a general associate of arts degree online if they plan to transfer to a university.
- Tuition per year: $5,715
- Graduation rate: 34%
23. Southeast Technical Institute
The Southeast Technical Institute is located in Sioux Falls, SD, although it offers many programs online. The fully online associate’s degrees at STI include Healthcare Leadership, Financial Services, and Computer Programming. An online Associate’s in Marketing is also offered.
- Tuition per year: $6,448
- Graduation rate: 42%
24. Harford Community College
Harford Community College in Maryland offers online classes to students from all backgrounds, as it is an open-access school. This means that anyone over the age of 18 can enroll. Applicants do not even need to have a high school diploma or a GED.
- Tuition per year: $6,065 in-state; $8,302 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 30%
25. Sussex County Community College
Sussex County Community College is located in New Jersey, though students from all over can enroll in their online programs. SCCC offers two fully online associate’s degrees in the areas of Liberal Arts and Business Administration. Students will need to virtually attend some classes live.
- Tuition per year: $7,080 in-state; $8,760 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 25%
26. St. Philips College
St. Philips College is a historically black institution, though it now serves students of all races. It offers over 15 online associate’s-level programs. These programs include Office Systems Technology and Web & Mobile Development.
- Tuition per year: $6,690 in-state; $14,220 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 13%
27. Sauk Valley Community College
Sauk Valley Community College is the leading online trade school in Illinois. It offers several programs online, including an Associate’s in Criminal Justice. Online students pay the same tuition as on-campus students.
- Tuition per year: $10,860 in-state; $11,970 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 37%
28. Vaughn College of Aeronautic Engineering, Aviation & Technology
Vaughn College of Aeronautic Engineering, Aviation & Technology is a unique online trade school in New York. It offers both on-campus programs and online programs. Its online degree programs include bachelor’s degrees in Aviation Maintenance, Aviation Maintenance Management, and Airport Management.
- Tuition per year: $26,150
- Graduation rate: 30%
29. Palo Alto College
Palo Alto College is a top-notch online trade school in Texas. It offers a wide range of associate’s degrees that can be completed entirely online. These programs include Computer Support Specialist, Information Security and Assurance, Logistics and Supply Chain Management Administrative Assistant, Business Management, and Network Adviser.
- Tuition rate: $2,580 in-state; $6,060 non-resident
- Graduation rate: 27%
30. Middlesex Community College
Middlesex Community College is a leader in online trade education. It offers fully online degree programs in Business Administration, Criminal Justice, and Hospitality Management. Students who plan to continue their educations at a university can opt for the fully online Liberal Studies degree.
- Tuition per year: $7,128
- Graduation rate: 18%
Our Ranking Methodology
The programs on this list were ranked using a formula. Our formula takes each trade school’s yearly tuition rate and graduation rate and comes up with a rating. Most of the schools on this list have different tuition rates for resident and non-resident students. When this was the case, we only looked at each school’s resident tuition rate. Our formula takes this tuition rate and adds a multiplier that is equivalent to the percentage of students who enrolled in the school but did not graduate. Here’s an example: ABC Community college has a yearly tuition rate of $5,000 and a graduation rate of 50%. Its rating would be 7,500 (5,000 x 150%). Lower ratings are positive indicators of a school’s quality.
Be sure to check out our online community colleges.
Students who are looking for the best online trade schools can find the right program for their needs through our site.
Representatives of the schools on this list can contact us if they need to make corrections or ask questions.
