Trade School Completion Rates (2026 stats)
TL;DR
The typical trade school graduates 70.3% of first-time, full-time students within 150% of normal program length, in EDsmart Data's analysis of 2,269 certificate-focused schools in College Scorecard, far above the typical community college (36.0%). Higher completion does not mean higher pay: schools in the top completion quarter report $29,384 in earnings 10 years after entry, versus $34,230 in the bottom quarter.
Key Facts
- Median trade school completion: 70.3%
- Community college completion: 36.0%
- Highest state: Utah (83.9%)
- Trade schools analyzed: 2,269
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Trade school completion rates by type of school
Private trade schools finish the most students
Our analysis finds the median private for-profit trade school completes 72.7% of students and the median nonprofit 76.8%, versus 54.6% at public certificate schools, which include large community colleges with many part-time students.
Median across schools. Certificate-predominant institutions; 2-year community colleges shown for comparison.
How many trade schools finish most of their students?
81% of trade schools finish at least half their students
940 of 2,269 trade schools complete 75% or more of their students, while 62 finish fewer than one in four.
Count of certificate-predominant schools by completion-rate band.
Do trade schools with higher completion rates pay off more?
Schools in the top completion quarter are small (median 92 students vs 543 in the bottom quarter) and lean heavily on cosmetology and massage therapy programs, which pay less than the electrical, mechanical, and nursing programs common at larger public colleges.
| Completion quarter | Median completion | Earnings 10 yrs after entry | Median debt | Share public | Schools |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest quarter | 41.8% | $34,230 | $10,208 | 50.7% | 568 |
| Second quarter | 63.1% | $30,848 | $9,500 | 16.9% | 567 |
| Third quarter | 76.8% | $30,060 | $9,250 | 16.2% | 567 |
| Highest quarter | 90.3% | $29,384 | $7,820 | 17.3% | 567 |
Trade school completion rates by state
| State | Completion rate | Net price / yr | Trade schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | 83.9% | $18,659 | 32 |
| Hawaii | 83.8% | $20,970 | 5 |
| West Virginia | 83.5% | $7,709 | 28 |
| North Dakota | 83.3% | $14,950 | 5 |
| Maine | 81.6% | $22,628 | 6 |
| Rhode Island | 81.1% | $22,794 | 7 |
| Nebraska | 81.1% | $15,336 | 8 |
| New York | 79.5% | $19,504 | 102 |
| Massachusetts | 79.0% | $21,734 | 30 |
| Missouri | 76.5% | $17,164 | 47 |
| Idaho | 75.0% | $19,702 | 17 |
| Oklahoma | 75.0% | $10,199 | 49 |
| California | 74.9% | $22,021 | 247 |
| Tennessee | 74.6% | $14,834 | 62 |
| Connecticut | 74.0% | $18,348 | 21 |
| Florida | 74.0% | $18,319 | 152 |
| Washington | 73.7% | $22,370 | 23 |
| Oregon | 73.0% | $15,413 | 22 |
| Iowa | 72.9% | $14,482 | 26 |
| Nevada | 72.7% | $22,990 | 17 |
| Colorado | 72.4% | $18,186 | 30 |
| New Jersey | 72.4% | $22,026 | 56 |
| Ohio | 72.1% | $17,416 | 115 |
| Pennsylvania | 71.4% | $18,586 | 112 |
| Mississippi | 71.4% | $17,247 | 18 |
| Puerto Rico | 69.9% | $6,188 | 47 |
| Texas | 69.6% | $20,053 | 186 |
| Michigan | 68.6% | $19,501 | 65 |
| Arizona | 68.4% | $20,910 | 48 |
| Montana | 67.0% | $15,196 | 5 |
| Indiana | 66.7% | $19,660 | 39 |
| New Hampshire | 66.7% | $14,027 | 7 |
| Illinois | 60.9% | $12,836 | 102 |
| Delaware | 60.5% | $15,708 | 7 |
| Maryland | 60.4% | $20,570 | 23 |
| Louisiana | 60.0% | $14,532 | 67 |
| Virginia | 59.7% | $13,997 | 52 |
| Kansas | 57.7% | $12,039 | 34 |
| Wisconsin | 57.5% | $12,896 | 33 |
| Kentucky | 56.4% | $13,722 | 40 |
| South Carolina | 55.2% | $14,670 | 35 |
| Arkansas | 54.6% | $11,179 | 44 |
| Minnesota | 51.9% | $13,812 | 20 |
| North Carolina | 51.0% | $11,130 | 54 |
| Georgia | 48.1% | $14,682 | 60 |
| Alabama | 41.9% | $13,644 | 33 |
| New Mexico | 39.5% | $10,256 | 18 |
States with at least 5 certificate-predominant schools reporting a completion rate.
Top 25 trade schools by completion rate (100+ students)
| School | City | State | Type | Completion rate | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Metropolitan Learning Institute | Rego Park | NY | Private nonprofit | 99.4% | 357 |
| 2. Paul Mitchell the School-San Diego | San Diego | CA | Private for-profit | 99.2% | 225 |
| 3. Ridge Technical College | Winter Haven | FL | Public | 98.9% | 407 |
| 4. Lorenzo Walker Technical College | Naples | FL | Public | 98.9% | 875 |
| 5. Merkaz Bnos-Business School | Brooklyn | NY | Private nonprofit | 98.8% | 110 |
| 6. Electrical and HVAC/R Training Center | Copiague | NY | Private for-profit | 98.6% | 226 |
| 7. Total Image Beauty Academy | Union City | NJ | Private for-profit | 98.6% | 204 |
| 8. La Belle Beauty Academy | Miami | FL | Private for-profit | 98.4% | 106 |
| 9. New York School of Esthetics & Day Spa | white plains | NY | Private for-profit | 98.3% | 120 |
| 10. Big Bend Technical College | Perry | FL | Public | 98.3% | 130 |
| 11. Wes Watkins Technology Center | Wetumka | OK | Public | 98.3% | 195 |
| 12. Fred W Eberle Technical Center | Buckhannon | WV | Public | 98.3% | 109 |
| 13. EDP School | Brooklyn | NY | Private nonprofit | 98.0% | 151 |
| 14. Central Valley Barber College | Riverbank | CA | Private for-profit | 98.0% | 122 |
| 15. ARROJO Academy | New York | NY | Private for-profit | 97.9% | 104 |
| 16. Northeast Technology Center | Pryor | OK | Public | 97.1% | 1,498 |
| 17. Caribbean Aviation Training Institute Inc | Carolina | PR | Private for-profit | 97.1% | 191 |
| 18. Emily Griffith Technical College | Denver | CO | Public | 97.0% | 6,123 |
| 19. My Le's Beauty College | Sacramento | CA | Private for-profit | 96.6% | 150 |
| 20. Universal Spa Training Academy | Downers Grove | IL | Private for-profit | 96.5% | 139 |
| 21. CTK Healthcare & Career Institute | Irving | TX | Private for-profit | 96.4% | 114 |
| 22. Leons Beauty School Inc | Greensboro | NC | Private for-profit | 96.4% | 102 |
| 23. Metro Beauty Academy | Allentown | PA | Private for-profit | 96.2% | 197 |
| 24. More Tech Institute | Hialeah | FL | Private for-profit | 96.2% | 102 |
| 25. Catherine Hinds Institute of Esthetics | Woburn | MA | Private for-profit | 96.0% | 174 |
What the data shows
Trade schools finish a larger share of their students than community colleges, 70.3% versus 36.0% in our analysis. Programs are short, schedules are fixed, and students usually enroll for one specific job.
Completion and pay do not line up. The schools that finish the most students are often short, lower-paying programs, while public colleges with lower completion rates train for better-paid trades. Check both the completion rate and the program's earnings before enrolling.
Methodology
Completion rates are College Scorecard's 150%-of-normal-time rates for first-time, full-time students: six years for bachelor's programs at 4-year institutions, and three years (or 150% of program length) at less-than-4-year institutions. Part-time and transfer-in students are not in the cohort, and students who transfer out and finish elsewhere count as non-completers.
Trade schools are institutions whose predominant award is a certificate (Scorecard predominant degree = 1). National, sector, and state figures are medians across schools (each school counts once). Completion quarters split these schools into four equal groups by completion rate. The top-25 list excludes rates of exactly 100%, which usually reflect very small cohorts.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average trade school completion rate?
The median trade school graduates 70.3% of first-time, full-time students within 150% of normal program length, based on College Scorecard data for 2,269 certificate-focused schools. Weighted by enrollment the figure drops to 41.8%, because several very large community colleges are classified as certificate schools.
Do trade schools have higher completion rates than community colleges?
Yes. The median trade school finishes 70.3% of students versus 36.0% at the median 2-year community college, largely because programs are shorter and more structured.
Are public or for-profit trade schools better at graduating students?
The median for-profit trade school completes 72.7%, private nonprofits 76.8%, and public certificate schools 54.6%.
Does a higher completion rate mean higher earnings?
Higher completion does not mean higher pay: schools in the top completion quarter report $29,384 in earnings 10 years after entry, versus $34,230 in the bottom quarter.
Data sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard institution and field-of-study files (latest release in our extract)