Trade School Completion Rates (2026 stats)
TL;DR
The typical trade school graduates 72.2% of first-time, full-time students within 150% of normal program length, in EDsmart Data's analysis of 2,279 certificate-focused schools in College Scorecard, far above the typical community college (37.7%). Higher completion does not mean higher pay: schools in the top completion quarter report $34,732 in earnings 10 years after entry, versus $38,478 in the bottom quarter.
Key Facts
- Median trade school completion: 72.2%
- Community college completion: 37.7%
- Highest state: New York (85.7%)
- Trade schools analyzed: 2,279
Download the data
Downloads reflect the processed dataset used on this page.
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 74.8% of students and the median nonprofit 75.0%, versus 56.9% 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?
83% of trade schools finish at least half their students
1,024 of 2,279 trade schools complete 75% or more of their students, while 51 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 88 students vs 501 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 | 44.0% | $38,478 | $9,847 | 49.5% | 570 |
| Second quarter | 65.4% | $36,057 | $9,500 | 17.9% | 570 |
| Third quarter | 78.1% | $33,698 | $8,348 | 15.6% | 569 |
| Highest quarter | 91.7% | $34,732 | $7,667 | 17.0% | 570 |
Trade school completion rates by state
| State | Completion rate | Net price / yr | Trade schools |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 85.7% | $20,616 | 101 |
| Utah | 84.6% | $18,573 | 33 |
| West Virginia | 84.5% | $9,712 | 28 |
| Maine | 84.2% | $21,182 | 6 |
| Idaho | 83.7% | $18,946 | 17 |
| Iowa | 80.5% | $13,762 | 26 |
| Rhode Island | 80.0% | $20,805 | 7 |
| New Jersey | 80.0% | $21,913 | 59 |
| Delaware | 78.6% | $15,596 | 7 |
| Massachusetts | 76.9% | $25,302 | 31 |
| Missouri | 76.5% | $16,881 | 44 |
| Pennsylvania | 76.3% | $19,030 | 116 |
| Washington | 76.1% | $20,146 | 23 |
| California | 76.0% | $24,569 | 241 |
| Florida | 75.9% | $19,220 | 153 |
| Tennessee | 75.8% | $13,803 | 62 |
| Ohio | 75.0% | $18,949 | 117 |
| New Hampshire | 74.2% | $9,750 | 7 |
| Oklahoma | 74.2% | $11,421 | 50 |
| Puerto Rico | 74.2% | $6,762 | 48 |
| North Dakota | 73.8% | $19,713 | 5 |
| Arizona | 73.5% | $22,006 | 47 |
| Nebraska | 73.4% | $14,954 | 8 |
| Oregon | 73.2% | $23,882 | 24 |
| Nevada | 73.1% | $21,216 | 17 |
| South Carolina | 72.5% | $15,592 | 35 |
| Hawaii | 72.4% | $18,777 | 5 |
| Colorado | 72.3% | $18,114 | 30 |
| Connecticut | 70.3% | $17,742 | 20 |
| Mississippi | 70.0% | $19,210 | 16 |
| Michigan | 69.0% | $20,670 | 67 |
| Texas | 68.7% | $19,356 | 186 |
| Indiana | 68.3% | $19,508 | 40 |
| Illinois | 64.5% | $14,740 | 102 |
| Wisconsin | 61.8% | $12,938 | 35 |
| Montana | 60.6% | $15,888 | 5 |
| Arkansas | 60.3% | $10,464 | 45 |
| Louisiana | 58.9% | $16,778 | 66 |
| Kentucky | 58.8% | $14,039 | 44 |
| Maryland | 57.6% | $21,440 | 23 |
| North Carolina | 57.0% | $10,927 | 55 |
| Minnesota | 56.9% | $16,663 | 20 |
| Kansas | 56.2% | $12,871 | 34 |
| Virginia | 54.8% | $15,046 | 50 |
| Georgia | 52.6% | $15,786 | 60 |
| Alabama | 51.5% | $10,155 | 33 |
| New Mexico | 50.0% | $10,920 | 19 |
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. Northeast Technology Center | Pryor | OK | Public | 99.7% | 1,498 |
| 2. Lorenzo Walker Technical College | Naples | FL | Public | 99.7% | 875 |
| 3. Caribbean Aviation Training Institute Inc | Carolina | PR | Private for-profit | 99.5% | 191 |
| 4. Orange Technical College | Orlando | FL | Public | 99.4% | 166 |
| 5. Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology | Pleasant Gap | PA | Public | 99.2% | 171 |
| 6. Capitol Beauty School | Omaha | NE | Private for-profit | 98.8% | 161 |
| 7. Great Plains Technology Center | Lawton | OK | Public | 98.7% | 314 |
| 8. ARROJO Academy | New York | NY | Private for-profit | 98.7% | 104 |
| 9. Fred W Eberle Technical Center | Buckhannon | WV | Public | 98.2% | 109 |
| 10. M T Training Center | Desoto | TX | Private for-profit | 97.9% | 293 |
| 11. The Fab School | Rancho Cucamonga | CA | Private for-profit | 97.9% | 161 |
| 12. Seminary Bnos Chaim | Lakewood | NJ | Private nonprofit | 97.8% | 182 |
| 13. New York School of Esthetics & Day Spa | white plains | NY | Private for-profit | 97.6% | 120 |
| 14. Lancaster County Career and Technology Center | Willow Street | PA | Public | 97.6% | 279 |
| 15. Berk Trade and Business School | Long Island City | NY | Private for-profit | 97.3% | 152 |
| 16. Wes Watkins Technology Center | Wetumka | OK | Public | 97.1% | 195 |
| 17. Academy of Career Training | Kissimmee | FL | Private for-profit | 97.1% | 100 |
| 18. Emily Griffith Technical College | Denver | CO | Public | 97.0% | 6,123 |
| 19. Capri College-Cedar Rapids | Cedar Rapids | IA | Private for-profit | 96.9% | 129 |
| 20. New York Institute of Beauty | Islandia | NY | Private for-profit | 96.8% | 211 |
| 21. Long Island Beauty School-Hempstead | Hempstead | NY | Private for-profit | 96.8% | 101 |
| 22. Mid-EastCTC-Adult Education | Zanesville | OH | Public | 96.6% | 356 |
| 23. La Belle Beauty Academy | Miami | FL | Private for-profit | 96.5% | 106 |
| 24. My Le's Beauty College | Sacramento | CA | Private for-profit | 96.5% | 150 |
| 25. EDP School | Brooklyn | NY | Private nonprofit | 96.5% | 151 |
What the data shows
Trade schools finish a larger share of their students than community colleges, 72.2% versus 37.7% 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 72.2% of first-time, full-time students within 150% of normal program length, based on College Scorecard data for 2,279 certificate-focused schools. Weighted by enrollment the figure drops to 44.9%, 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 72.2% of students versus 37.7% 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 74.8%, private nonprofits 75.0%, and public certificate schools 56.9%.
Does a higher completion rate mean higher earnings?
Higher completion does not mean higher pay: schools in the top completion quarter report $34,732 in earnings 10 years after entry, versus $38,478 in the bottom quarter.
Data sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard institution and field-of-study files (latest release in our extract)