Texas Trade Schools: Cost, Completion & Earnings (2026 stats)
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
Trade schools in Texas: 253 trade and vocational campuses (211 trade schools, 42 community colleges) median net price $17,498 (+30.1% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $33,193 (-5.4% vs U.S.) median completion rate 67.5% employment-outcome proxy 82.6% working & not enrolled at 8 years.
Overview
Trade schools and vocational programs in Texas include certificate-focused campuses and community colleges with career and technical education pathways. 253 campuses in this profile (211 trade schools, 42 community colleges), with about 576,955 students enrolled, and median net price near $17,498. Programs span healthcare, skilled trades, manufacturing, and other workforce credentials—tables below compare completion, earnings, and employment outcomes with U.S. and Southwest medians.
Texas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas (TX) | — | $17,498 | $9,500 | 67.5% | 576,955 |
| Southwest (region median) | — | $14,164 | $9,825 | 67.8% | 822,867 |
| United States | — | $13,448 | $9,792 | 61.5% | 5,468,807 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Texas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas (TX) | $33,193 | 82.6% | 66.7% | 13.7% | — | 44.2% | 0.28 |
| United States | $35,086 | 81.0% | 65.2% | 11.1% | — | 50.5% | 0.28 |
Texas vs peer states (Southwest 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas (TX) | N/A | $17,498 | $9,500 | 67.5% | 576,955 | $33,193 | 82.6% |
| Arizona (AZ) | N/A | $17,717 | $8,521 | 68.2% | 142,424 | $37,143 | 79.2% |
| Oklahoma (OK) | N/A | $10,830 | $10,150 | 72.4% | 61,945 | $34,454 | 79.3% |
| New Mexico (NM) | N/A | $6,286 | $10,153 | 31.7% | 41,543 | $38,005 | 79.9% |
| United States | N/A | $13,448 | $9,792 | 61.5% | 5,468,807 | $35,086 | 81.0% |
Outcomes by sector in Texas
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 | 142 | $29,359 | 80.1% | 84.6% | 13.6% | — | 39.7% |
| Private nonprofit | 8 | $32,168 | 84.2% | 83.5% | 5.9% | — | 30.8% |
| Public | 58 | $39,163 | 83.9% | 66.3% | 14.5% | — | 53.1% |
Top 10 trade schools in Texas 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%, UCAS University of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences-La Joya
UCAS University of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences-La Joya
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Rank 2, Completion Rate, 100.0%, Vogue College of Cosmetology
Vogue College of Cosmetology
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Rank 3, Completion Rate, 100.0%, Pearlands Innovative School of Beauty
Pearlands Innovative School of Beauty
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Rank 4, Completion Rate, 100.0%, Salon & Spa Institute
Salon & Spa Institute
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Rank 5, Completion Rate, 100.0%, Mystros Barber Academy
Mystros Barber Academy
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Rank 6, Completion Rate, 98.1%, William Edge Institute
William Edge Institute
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Rank 7, Completion Rate, 96.4%, CTK Healthcare & Career Institute
CTK Healthcare & Career Institute
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Rank 8, Completion Rate, 93.5%, Academy Of Hair Design
Academy Of Hair Design
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Rank 9, Completion Rate, 93.1%, Charles and Sues School of Hair Design
Charles and Sues School of Hair Design
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Rank 10, Completion Rate, 93.1%, Houston Barber School
Houston Barber School
Top 10 trade schools in Texas 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, 94.7%, Covenant School of Nursing and Allied Health
Covenant School of Nursing and Allied Health
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 89.0%, Blinn College District
Blinn College District
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Rank 3, Employment Outcome, 88.9%, Concorde Career College-Grand Prairie
Concorde Career College-Grand Prairie
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Rank 4, Employment Outcome, 88.8%, PCI Health Training Center
PCI Health Training Center
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Rank 5, Employment Outcome, 88.6%, Texas Southmost College
Texas Southmost College
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Rank 6, Employment Outcome, 87.3%, Milan Institute-Amarillo
Milan Institute-Amarillo
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Rank 7, Employment Outcome, 87.3%, Western Texas College
Western Texas College
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Rank 8, Employment Outcome, 87.1%, South Texas Training Center
South Texas Training Center
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Rank 9, Employment Outcome, 86.8%, Victoria College
Victoria College
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Rank 10, Employment Outcome, 86.7%, Wharton County Junior College
Wharton County Junior College
Top 10 trade schools in Texas by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $69,686, Covenant School of Nursing and Allied Health
Covenant School of Nursing and Allied Health
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $49,748, Ocean Corporation
Ocean Corporation
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Rank 3, Mid-Career Earnings, $48,846, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Houston
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Houston
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Rank 4, Mid-Career Earnings, $47,526, School of Automotive Machinists & Technology
School of Automotive Machinists & Technology
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Rank 5, Mid-Career Earnings, $47,254, Universal Technical Institute-West Texas
Universal Technical Institute-West Texas
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Rank 6, Mid-Career Earnings, $47,254, Universal Technical Institute of Texas Inc.
Universal Technical Institute of Texas Inc.
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Rank 7, Mid-Career Earnings, $44,241, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Dallas
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Dallas
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Rank 8, Mid-Career Earnings, $43,827, Center for Advanced Legal Studies
Center for Advanced Legal Studies
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Rank 9, Mid-Career Earnings, $42,500, Lincoln College of Technology-Grand Prairie
Lincoln College of Technology-Grand Prairie
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Rank 10, Mid-Career Earnings, $41,768, Lamson Institute
Lamson Institute
Top 10 trade schools in Texas by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $76,677, Covenant School of Nursing and Allied Health
Covenant School of Nursing and Allied Health
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $53,418, Center for Advanced Legal Studies
Center for Advanced Legal Studies
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Rank 3, 8-Yr Earnings, $49,933, Universal Technical Institute-West Texas
Universal Technical Institute-West Texas
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Rank 4, 8-Yr Earnings, $49,933, Universal Technical Institute of Texas Inc.
Universal Technical Institute of Texas Inc.
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Rank 5, 8-Yr Earnings, $49,678, School of Automotive Machinists & Technology
School of Automotive Machinists & Technology
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Rank 6, 8-Yr Earnings, $48,527, Ocean Corporation
Ocean Corporation
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Rank 7, 8-Yr Earnings, $47,900, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Houston
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Houston
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Rank 8, 8-Yr Earnings, $47,206, Lincoln College of Technology-Grand Prairie
Lincoln College of Technology-Grand Prairie
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Rank 9, 8-Yr Earnings, $43,497, Collin County Community College District
Collin County Community College District
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Rank 10, 8-Yr Earnings, $43,144, Rio Grande Valley College
Rio Grande Valley College
Top 10 trade schools in Texas by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $78,724, Covenant School of Nursing and Allied Health
Covenant School of Nursing and Allied Health
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $58,327, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Houston
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Houston
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Rank 3, 10-Yr Earnings, $57,529, School of Automotive Machinists & Technology
School of Automotive Machinists & Technology
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Rank 4, 10-Yr Earnings, $56,561, Center for Advanced Legal Studies
Center for Advanced Legal Studies
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Rank 5, 10-Yr Earnings, $53,474, Ocean Corporation
Ocean Corporation
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Rank 6, 10-Yr Earnings, $51,222, Universal Technical Institute-West Texas
Universal Technical Institute-West Texas
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Rank 7, 10-Yr Earnings, $51,222, Universal Technical Institute of Texas Inc.
Universal Technical Institute of Texas Inc.
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Rank 8, 10-Yr Earnings, $48,701, Collin County Community College District
Collin County Community College District
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Rank 9, 10-Yr Earnings, $46,396, Lincoln College of Technology-Grand Prairie
Lincoln College of Technology-Grand Prairie
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Rank 10, 10-Yr Earnings, $46,318, Blinn College District
Blinn College District
Top 10 trade schools in Texas 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, $243,459, Center for Advanced Legal Studies
Center for Advanced Legal Studies
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $233,030, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Houston
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Houston
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Rank 3, 10-Yr ROI, $228,696, School of Automotive Machinists & Technology
School of Automotive Machinists & Technology
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Rank 4, 10-Yr ROI, $224,484, Universal Technical Institute of Texas Inc.
Universal Technical Institute of Texas Inc.
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Rank 5, 10-Yr ROI, $221,463, Universal Technical Institute-West Texas
Universal Technical Institute-West Texas
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Rank 6, 10-Yr ROI, $219,607, Ocean Corporation
Ocean Corporation
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Rank 7, 10-Yr ROI, $202,892, Brazosport College
Brazosport College
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Rank 8, 10-Yr ROI, $200,120, Midland College
Midland College
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Rank 9, 10-Yr ROI, $194,506, Lincoln College of Technology-Grand Prairie
Lincoln College of Technology-Grand Prairie
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Rank 10, 10-Yr ROI, $191,614, Collin County Community College District
Collin County Community College District
Top 10 most affordable trade schools in Texas (net price)
Lowest median net price among trade schools and community colleges with enrollment ≥ 50.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $1,342, College of the Mainland
College of the Mainland
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Rank 2, Net Price, $1,655, Lamar State College-Orange
Lamar State College-Orange
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Rank 3, Net Price, $2,430, Institute of Allied Healthcare
Institute of Allied Healthcare
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Rank 4, Net Price, $1,751, South Texas College
South Texas College
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Rank 5, Net Price, $2,846, Lamar State College-Port Arthur
Lamar State College-Port Arthur
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Rank 6, Net Price, $3,043, Victoria College
Victoria College
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Rank 7, Net Price, $4,409, Mei Barber School
Mei Barber School
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Rank 8, Net Price, $3,562, Western Texas College
Western Texas College
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Rank 9, Net Price, $3,214, Dallas College
Dallas College
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Rank 10, Net Price, $5,051, McLennan Community College
McLennan Community College
Student debt: Texas vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Texas is $9,500 (-3.0% vs U.S. median $9,792). Regional median: $9,825. Rank: #22 nationally of 58 (lower debt = better rank); #2 in Southwest of 4.
Median earnings (10 years out): Texas vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Texas center around $33,193 (-5.4% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Texas vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 82.6% at the median Texas campus (+1.6 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 $9,500 (-3.0% below the U.S. median of $9,792, and -3.3% vs the Southwest regional median of $9,825). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Student debt rank: #22 nationally of 58 (lower debt = better rank); #2 in Southwest of 4 (1 = lowest median debt).
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Texas are $33,193, about -5.4% vs the U.S. campus median ($35,086).
The median campus reports 82.6% 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% (+1.6 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 66.7% 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 13.7% (U.S. 11.1%); 3-yr repayment progress 44.2% (U.S. 50.5%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Nationally, Texas ranks earnings #35 and employment proxy #21 on these outcome medians (1 = best).
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Covenant School of Nursing and Allied Health (94.7%), Blinn College District (89.0%), Concorde Career College-Grand Prairie (88.9%), PCI Health Training Center (88.8%), Texas Southmost College (88.6%), Milan Institute-Amarillo (87.3%), Western Texas College (87.3%), South Texas Training Center (87.1%), Victoria College (86.8%), Wharton County Junior College (86.7%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Within Texas, sector medians diverge: Private for-profit median 10-yr earnings $29,359 (142 campuses); Private nonprofit median 10-yr earnings $32,168 (8 campuses); Public median 10-yr earnings $39,163 (58 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 Texas is 67.5% (national institution average about 61.5%).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do trade schools cost in Texas?
Among trade schools and community colleges in Texas, median net price is $17,498 vs $13,448 nationally (+30.1% vs U.S.).
What is typical student debt at Texas trade schools?
Median federal loan debt among completers at trade and vocational campuses in Texas is $9,500 vs a U.S. median of $9,792 (Texas ranks #22 nationally for median debt among states.)
What do trade school graduates earn in Texas?
Median earnings 10 years after entry for Texas trade schools and community colleges reporting to the College Scorecard is $33,193 vs $35,086 nationally. Six-year medians are $29,948.
What share of Texas 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 82.6% in Texas vs 81.0% nationally.
How many trade schools are in Texas?
This profile covers 211 trade schools and 42 community colleges (253 total) in Texas with roughly 576,955 total reported enrollment.
How many public vs. private trade schools are in Texas?
Among trade schools and community colleges with outcomes in the College Scorecard extract: 58 public, 8 private nonprofit, and 142 private for-profit institutions.
What are the top trade schools in Texas?
Rankings on this page use College Scorecard medians for trade schools and community colleges; standouts include highest completion rate: UCAS University of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences-La Joya; highest 10-year earnings: Covenant School of Nursing and Allied Health; lowest net price among large campuses: College of the Mainland. See the ranked lists below for full details.
Are there Hispanic-serving or other designated trade schools in Texas?
Among 411 campuses in Texas, 9 historically Black colleges or universities (HBCUs, IPEDS HBCU flag), including Huston-Tillotson University, Jarvis Christian University, and Paul Quinn College; 265 campuses with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard demographics—a common Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) eligibility proxy; examples include Alvin Community College, Amarillo College, and Angelina College; 56 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campuses (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Baptist (11), Roman Catholic (8), United Methodist (5).
How does Texas compare to its Census region for trade schools?
Texas is in the Southwest region. Regional median net price is $14,164 and median 10-year earnings are $35,227 vs $17,498 net price and $33,193 earnings in Texas.
Sources & related
- All trade school profiles
- Texas 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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