Florida Trade Schools: Cost, Completion & Earnings (2026 stats)
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
Trade schools in Florida: 203 trade and vocational campuses (182 trade schools, 21 community colleges) median net price $16,219 (+20.6% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $33,350 (-5.0% vs U.S.) median completion rate 74.0% employment-outcome proxy 76.3% working & not enrolled at 8 years.
Overview
Trade schools and vocational programs in Florida include certificate-focused campuses and community colleges with career and technical education pathways. 203 campuses in this profile (182 trade schools, 21 community colleges), with about 392,118 students enrolled, and median net price near $16,219. Programs span healthcare, skilled trades, manufacturing, and other workforce credentials—tables below compare completion, earnings, and employment outcomes with U.S. and Southeast medians.
Florida vs regional & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida (FL) | — | $16,219 | $8,550 | 74.0% | 392,118 |
| Southeast (region median) | — | $12,382 | $9,696 | 53.4% | 1,207,699 |
| United States | — | $13,448 | $9,792 | 61.5% | 5,468,807 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Florida vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida (FL) | $33,350 | 76.3% | 61.4% | 10.0% | — | 46.0% | 0.29 |
| United States | $35,086 | 81.0% | 65.2% | 11.1% | — | 50.5% | 0.28 |
Florida vs peer states (Southeast region)
Peer states are other campuses in the same Scorecard region, chosen by similar total enrollment.
| State | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida (FL) | N/A | $16,219 | $8,550 | 74.0% | 392,118 | $33,350 | 76.3% |
| North Carolina (NC) | N/A | $7,890 | $11,084 | 46.9% | 167,069 | $33,330 | 78.9% |
| Georgia (GA) | N/A | $14,247 | $10,555 | 47.8% | 118,926 | $31,141 | 80.2% |
| Virginia (VA) | N/A | $11,632 | $9,916 | 49.9% | 103,044 | $34,257 | 79.7% |
| Tennessee (TN) | N/A | $12,746 | $8,612 | 71.2% | 74,030 | $34,811 | 81.1% |
| United States | N/A | $13,448 | $9,792 | 61.5% | 5,468,807 | $35,086 | 81.0% |
Outcomes by sector in Florida
Median campus-level metrics within each ownership type (public, private nonprofit, private for-profit).
| Sector | Campuses | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working share (8 yr) | Retention | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private for-profit | 96 | $26,408 | 74.3% | 61.4% | 10.9% | — | 34.1% |
| Public | 76 | $37,378 | 78.1% | N/A | 10.1% | — | 53.3% |
Top 10 trade schools in Florida by completion rate (150% time, certificate programs)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate among trade schools and community colleges in this profile (enrollment ≥ 50). Source: College Scorecard.
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Rank 1, Completion Rate, 100.0%, Florida Professional Institute
Florida Professional Institute
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Rank 2, Completion Rate, 98.9%, Ridge Technical College
Ridge Technical College
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Rank 3, Completion Rate, 98.9%, Lorenzo Walker Technical College
Lorenzo Walker Technical College
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Rank 4, Completion Rate, 98.4%, La Belle Beauty Academy
La Belle Beauty Academy
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Rank 5, Completion Rate, 98.3%, Big Bend Technical College
Big Bend Technical College
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Rank 6, Completion Rate, 97.8%, American Beauty and Trade School
American Beauty and Trade School
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Rank 7, Completion Rate, 96.2%, More Tech Institute
More Tech Institute
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Rank 8, Completion Rate, 95.5%, College of Business and Technology
College of Business and Technology
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Rank 9, Completion Rate, 95.0%, Cozmo Beauty School
Cozmo Beauty School
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Rank 10, Completion Rate, 93.4%, College of Business and Technology
College of Business and Technology
Top 10 trade schools in Florida by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 86.9%, George T Baker Aviation Technical College
George T Baker Aviation Technical College
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 85.5%, Summit Salon Academy-Gainesville
Summit Salon Academy-Gainesville
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Rank 3, Employment Outcome, 85.1%, American Medical Academy
American Medical Academy
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Rank 4, Employment Outcome, 84.7%, Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College
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Rank 5, Employment Outcome, 84.6%, Florida Academy of Health & Beauty
Florida Academy of Health & Beauty
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Rank 6, Employment Outcome, 84.6%, Tallahassee State College
Tallahassee State College
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Rank 7, Employment Outcome, 84.0%, Chipola College
Chipola College
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Rank 8, Employment Outcome, 84.0%, North Florida College
North Florida College
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Rank 9, Employment Outcome, 83.7%, Florida Gateway College
Florida Gateway College
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Rank 10, Employment Outcome, 83.4%, Fortis Institute-Port Saint Lucie
Fortis Institute-Port Saint Lucie
Top 10 trade schools in Florida by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $64,774, American Medical Academy
American Medical Academy
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $55,827, National Aviation Academy of Tampa Bay
National Aviation Academy of Tampa Bay
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Rank 3, Mid-Career Earnings, $47,074, George T Baker Aviation Technical College
George T Baker Aviation Technical College
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Rank 4, Mid-Career Earnings, $42,860, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Orlando
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Orlando
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Rank 5, Mid-Career Earnings, $41,535, Cambridge College of Healthcare & Technology
Cambridge College of Healthcare & Technology
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Rank 6, Mid-Career Earnings, $40,277, The College of the Florida Keys
The College of the Florida Keys
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Rank 7, Mid-Career Earnings, $39,055, Tulsa Welding School-Jacksonville
Tulsa Welding School-Jacksonville
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Rank 8, Mid-Career Earnings, $39,055, Tulsa Welding School-Jacksonville
Tulsa Welding School-Jacksonville
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Rank 9, Mid-Career Earnings, $37,820, Manatee Technical College
Manatee Technical College
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Rank 10, Mid-Career Earnings, $37,819, Atlantic Technical College
Atlantic Technical College
Top 10 trade schools in Florida by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $82,659, Aviator College of Aeronautical Science and Technology
Aviator College of Aeronautical Science and Technology
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $70,508, American Medical Academy
American Medical Academy
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Rank 3, 8-Yr Earnings, $59,339, George T Baker Aviation Technical College
George T Baker Aviation Technical College
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Rank 4, 8-Yr Earnings, $56,372, National Aviation Academy of Tampa Bay
National Aviation Academy of Tampa Bay
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Rank 5, 8-Yr Earnings, $52,841, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Orlando
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Orlando
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Rank 6, 8-Yr Earnings, $43,316, Fort Myers Technical College
Fort Myers Technical College
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Rank 7, 8-Yr Earnings, $41,667, Charlotte Technical College
Charlotte Technical College
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Rank 8, 8-Yr Earnings, $40,497, Florida SouthWestern State College
Florida SouthWestern State College
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Rank 9, 8-Yr Earnings, $39,749, Lorenzo Walker Technical College
Lorenzo Walker Technical College
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Rank 10, 8-Yr Earnings, $39,689, William T McFatter Technical College
William T McFatter Technical College
Top 10 trade schools in Florida by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $67,739, Aviator College of Aeronautical Science and Technology
Aviator College of Aeronautical Science and Technology
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $59,029, National Aviation Academy of Tampa Bay
National Aviation Academy of Tampa Bay
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Rank 3, 10-Yr Earnings, $53,341, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Orlando
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Orlando
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Rank 4, 10-Yr Earnings, $52,312, George T Baker Aviation Technical College
George T Baker Aviation Technical College
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Rank 5, 10-Yr Earnings, $43,421, Florida SouthWestern State College
Florida SouthWestern State College
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Rank 6, 10-Yr Earnings, $42,557, St Petersburg College
St Petersburg College
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Rank 7, 10-Yr Earnings, $42,508, The College of the Florida Keys
The College of the Florida Keys
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Rank 8, 10-Yr Earnings, $42,244, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Florida State College at Jacksonville
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Rank 9, 10-Yr Earnings, $41,939, Broward College
Broward College
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Rank 10, 10-Yr Earnings, $41,923, Palm Beach State College
Palm Beach State College
Top 10 trade schools in Florida by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year ROI among trade schools and community colleges with enrollment ≥ 50.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $275,370, Aviator College of Aeronautical Science and Technology
Aviator College of Aeronautical Science and Technology
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $260,268, George T Baker Aviation Technical College
George T Baker Aviation Technical College
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Rank 3, 10-Yr ROI, $257,552, National Aviation Academy of Tampa Bay
National Aviation Academy of Tampa Bay
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Rank 4, 10-Yr ROI, $224,988, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Orlando
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Orlando
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Rank 5, 10-Yr ROI, $192,478, St Petersburg College
St Petersburg College
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Rank 6, 10-Yr ROI, $186,255, Seminole State College of Florida
Seminole State College of Florida
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Rank 7, 10-Yr ROI, $184,718, Manatee Technical College
Manatee Technical College
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Rank 8, 10-Yr ROI, $184,418, Hillsborough College
Hillsborough College
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Rank 9, 10-Yr ROI, $181,975, Florida State College at Jacksonville
Florida State College at Jacksonville
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Rank 10, 10-Yr ROI, $181,400, Lorenzo Walker Technical College
Lorenzo Walker Technical College
Top 10 most affordable trade schools in Florida (net price)
Lowest median net price among trade schools and community colleges with enrollment ≥ 50.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $1,463, Cape Coral Technical College
Cape Coral Technical College
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Rank 2, Net Price, $987, Radford M Locklin Technical College
Radford M Locklin Technical College
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Rank 3, Net Price, $1,590, North Florida Technical College
North Florida Technical College
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Rank 4, Net Price, $2,065, D A Dorsey Technical College
D A Dorsey Technical College
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Rank 5, Net Price, $2,307, Florida Panhandle Technical College
Florida Panhandle Technical College
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Rank 6, Net Price, $2,839, Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College
Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College
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Rank 7, Net Price, $1,808, Manatee Technical College
Manatee Technical College
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Rank 8, Net Price, $804, North Florida College
North Florida College
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Rank 9, Net Price, $1,133, Chipola College
Chipola College
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Rank 10, Net Price, $3,866, Gadsden Technical College
Gadsden Technical College
Student debt: Florida vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Florida is $8,550 (-12.7% vs U.S. median $9,792). Regional median: $9,696. Rank: #7 nationally of 58 (lower debt = better rank); #2 in Southeast of 12.
Median earnings (10 years out): Florida vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Florida center around $33,350 (-5.0% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Florida vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 76.3% at the median Florida campus (-4.7 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Median graduate debt is $8,550 (-12.7% below the U.S. median of $9,792, and -11.8% vs the Southeast regional median of $9,696). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Student debt rank: #7 nationally of 58 (lower debt = better rank); #2 in Southeast of 12 (1 = lowest median debt).
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Florida are $33,350, about -5.0% vs the U.S. campus median ($35,086).
The median campus reports 76.3% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 81.0% (-4.7 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 61.4% vs a U.S. median of 65.2%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 10.0% (U.S. 11.1%); 3-yr repayment progress 46.0% (U.S. 50.5%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Nationally, Florida ranks earnings #33 and employment proxy #46 on these outcome medians (1 = best).
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include George T Baker Aviation Technical College (86.9%), Summit Salon Academy-Gainesville (85.5%), American Medical Academy (85.1%), Miami Dade College (84.7%), Florida Academy of Health & Beauty (84.6%), Tallahassee State College (84.6%), Chipola College (84.0%), North Florida College (84.0%), Florida Gateway College (83.7%), Fortis Institute-Port Saint Lucie (83.4%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Within Florida, sector medians diverge: Private for-profit median 10-yr earnings $26,408 (96 campuses); Public median 10-yr earnings $37,378 (76 campuses). Public campuses often dominate enrollment while private nonprofits can show higher earnings medians at selective institutions.
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Florida is 74.0% (national institution average about 61.5%).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do trade schools cost in Florida?
Among trade schools and community colleges in Florida, median net price is $16,219 vs $13,448 nationally (+20.6% vs U.S.).
What is typical student debt at Florida trade schools?
Median federal loan debt among completers at trade and vocational campuses in Florida is $8,550 vs a U.S. median of $9,792 (Florida ranks #7 nationally for median debt among states.)
What do trade school graduates earn in Florida?
Median earnings 10 years after entry for Florida trade schools and community colleges reporting to the College Scorecard is $33,350 vs $35,086 nationally. Six-year medians are $30,854.
What share of Florida trade school students are working after completion?
The federal employment-outcome proxy on this site (8-year cohort working and not enrolled) has a median of 76.3% in Florida vs 81.0% nationally.
How many trade schools are in Florida?
This profile covers 182 trade schools and 21 community colleges (203 total) in Florida with roughly 392,118 total reported enrollment.
How many public vs. private trade schools are in Florida?
Among trade schools and community colleges with outcomes in the College Scorecard extract: 76 public, 0 private nonprofit, and 96 private for-profit institutions.
What are the top trade schools in Florida?
Rankings on this page use College Scorecard medians for trade schools and community colleges; standouts include highest completion rate: Florida Professional Institute; highest 10-year earnings: Aviator College of Aeronautical Science and Technology; lowest net price among large campuses: Cape Coral Technical College. See the ranked lists below for full details.
Are there Hispanic-serving or other designated trade schools in Florida?
Among 377 campuses in Florida, 4 historically Black colleges or universities (HBCUs, IPEDS HBCU flag), including Bethune-Cookman University, Edward Waters University, and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University; 146 campuses with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard demographics—a common Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) eligibility proxy; examples include Atlantic Technical College, Barry University, and Broward College; 25 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campuses (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Roman Catholic (7), Interdenominational (3), United Methodist (2).
How does Florida compare to its Census region for trade schools?
Florida is in the Southeast region. Regional median net price is $12,382 and median 10-year earnings are $32,745 vs $16,219 net price and $33,350 earnings in Florida.
Sources & related
- All trade school profiles
- Florida college profile
- Trade school costs by state
- Trade schools and public community colleges (College Scorecard)
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
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