Northern Mariana Islands Trade Schools: Cost, Completion & Earnings (2026 stats)
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
Trade schools in Northern Mariana Islands: 1 trade and vocational campuses (0 trade schools, 1 community colleges) median net price $2,789 (-79.3% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $27,836 (-20.7% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 61.2% working & not enrolled at 8 years.
Overview
Trade schools and vocational programs in Northern Mariana Islands include certificate-focused campuses and community colleges with career and technical education pathways. 1 campuses in this profile (0 trade schools, 1 community colleges), with about 1,225 students enrolled, and median net price near $2,789. Programs span healthcare, skilled trades, manufacturing, and other workforce credentials—tables below compare completion, earnings, and employment outcomes with U.S. and Outlying Areas medians.
Northern Mariana Islands 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Mariana Islands (MP) | — | $2,789 | N/A | N/A | 1,225 |
| Outlying Areas (region median) | — | $4,106 | $3,500 | 48.0% | 51,165 |
| United States | — | $13,448 | $9,792 | 61.5% | 5,468,807 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Northern Mariana Islands 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Mariana Islands (MP) | $27,836 | 61.2% | 73.3% | — | — | N/A | N/A |
| United States | $35,086 | 81.0% | 65.2% | 11.1% | — | 50.5% | 0.28 |
Northern Mariana Islands vs peer states (Outlying Areas 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Mariana Islands (MP) | N/A | $2,789 | N/A | N/A | 1,225 | $27,836 | 61.2% |
| Guam (GU) | N/A | $4,106 | N/A | N/A | 1,139 | $27,820 | 77.4% |
| Marshall Islands (MH) | N/A | $9,996 | N/A | N/A | 1,009 | N/A | 2.2% |
| American Samoa (AS) | N/A | $3,386 | N/A | N/A | 839 | $30,087 | 83.4% |
| Federated States of Micronesia (FM) | N/A | $6,789 | N/A | N/A | 1,729 | $24,651 | 3.2% |
| United States | N/A | $13,448 | $9,792 | 61.5% | 5,468,807 | $35,086 | 81.0% |
Top trade school in Northern Mariana Islands 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, 61.2%, Northern Marianas College
Northern Marianas College
Top trade school in Northern Mariana Islands by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $21,925, Northern Marianas College
Northern Marianas College
Top trade school in Northern Mariana Islands by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $24,787, Northern Marianas College
Northern Marianas College
Top trade school in Northern Mariana Islands by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $27,836, Northern Marianas College
Northern Marianas College
Top trade school in Northern Mariana Islands 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, $115,848, Northern Marianas College
Northern Marianas College
Most affordable trade school in Northern Mariana Islands (net price)
Lowest median net price among trade schools and community colleges with enrollment ≥ 50.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $2,789, Northern Marianas College
Northern Marianas College
Median earnings (10 years out): Northern Mariana Islands vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Northern Mariana Islands center around $27,836 (-20.7% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Northern Mariana Islands vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 61.2% at the median Northern Mariana Islands campus (-19.8 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.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Northern Mariana Islands are $27,836, about -20.7% vs the U.S. campus median ($35,086).
The median campus reports 61.2% 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% (-19.8 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 73.3% vs a U.S. median of 65.2%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Nationally, Northern Mariana Islands ranks earnings #52 and employment proxy #48 on these outcome medians (1 = best).
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Northern Marianas College (61.2%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do trade schools cost in Northern Mariana Islands?
Among trade schools and community colleges in Northern Mariana Islands, median net price is $2,789 vs $13,448 nationally (-79.3% vs U.S.).
What is typical student debt at Northern Mariana Islands trade schools?
Median federal loan debt among completers at trade and vocational campuses in Northern Mariana Islands is N/A vs a U.S. median of $9,792
What do trade school graduates earn in Northern Mariana Islands?
Median earnings 10 years after entry for Northern Mariana Islands trade schools and community colleges reporting to the College Scorecard is $27,836 vs $35,086 nationally. Six-year medians are $21,925.
What share of Northern Mariana Islands 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 61.2% in Northern Mariana Islands vs 81.0% nationally.
How many trade schools are in Northern Mariana Islands?
This profile covers 0 trade schools and 1 community colleges (1 total) in Northern Mariana Islands with roughly 1,225 total reported enrollment.
What are the top trade schools in Northern Mariana Islands?
Rankings on this page use College Scorecard medians for trade schools and community colleges; standouts include highest 10-year earnings: Northern Marianas College; lowest net price among large campuses: Northern Marianas College. See the ranked lists below for full details.
Are there Hispanic-serving or other designated trade schools in Northern Mariana Islands?
Among 1 College Scorecard campuses in Northern Mariana Islands, none are flagged as HBCUs or tribal colleges in IPEDS, and none meet our 25% Hispanic-enrollment HSI proxy or report a religious affiliation in IPEDS.
How does Northern Mariana Islands compare to its Census region for trade schools?
Northern Mariana Islands is in the Outlying Areas region. Regional median net price is $4,106 and median 10-year earnings are $21,766 vs $2,789 net price and $27,836 earnings in Northern Mariana Islands.
Sources & related
- All trade school profiles
- Northern Mariana Islands 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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