Mississippi Trade Schools: Cost, Completion & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Trade schools in Mississippi: 33 trade and vocational campuses (19 trade schools, 14 community colleges) median net price $8,616 (-39.4% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $31,420 (-10.2% vs U.S.) median completion rate 52.1% employment-outcome proxy 84.8% working & not enrolled at 8 years.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 33 campuses (19 trade schools, 14 community colleges)
- Total enrollment: 53,340 students
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $31,420 (-10.2% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 84.8% (+3.9 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $8,616 (-39.4% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $8,239 (-15.1% vs U.S. $9,699); regional median $9,724. Debt rank: #3 nationally of 52 (lower debt = better rank); #1 in Southeast of 12
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 52.1%
- Earnings rank: #41 nationally (higher median 10-yr earnings = better rank)
- Employment-outcome rank: #10 nationally (higher working share = better rank)
- Student debt rank: #3 nationally of 52; #1 in Southeast of 12 (lower debt = better rank)
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Full profile payload including top-college lists and peer comparisons.
Overview
Trade schools and vocational programs in Mississippi include certificate-focused campuses and community colleges with career and technical education pathways. 33 campuses in this profile (19 trade schools, 14 community colleges), with about 53,340 students enrolled, and median net price near $8,616. Programs span healthcare, skilled trades, manufacturing, and other workforce credentials—tables below compare completion, earnings, and employment outcomes with U.S. and Southeast medians.
Mississippi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi (MS) | — | $8,616 | $8,239 | 52.1% | 53,340 |
| Southeast (region median) | — | $12,646 | $9,724 | 53.3% | 1,214,956 |
| United States | — | $14,215 | $9,699 | 63.3% | 5,490,315 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Mississippi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi (MS) | $31,420 | 84.8% | N/A | 14.3% | — | 51.0% | 0.28 |
| United States | $34,984 | 80.9% | 64.9% | 11.1% | — | 50.5% | 0.28 |
Mississippi 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi (MS) | N/A | $8,616 | $8,239 | 52.1% | 53,340 | $31,420 | 84.8% |
| Kentucky (KY) | N/A | $14,068 | $10,150 | 56.4% | 52,837 | $30,060 | 80.0% |
| Louisiana (LA) | N/A | $14,183 | $9,500 | 59.4% | 61,228 | $29,834 | 82.9% |
| Alabama (AL) | N/A | $12,609 | $9,833 | 41.2% | 61,273 | $32,912 | 83.5% |
| Arkansas (AR) | N/A | $11,698 | $9,833 | 54.5% | 40,660 | $33,603 | 81.6% |
| United States | N/A | $14,215 | $9,699 | 63.3% | 5,490,315 | $34,984 | 80.9% |
Outcomes by sector in Mississippi
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 | 11 | $22,284 | 78.9% | N/A | 10.8% | — | 31.4% |
| Public | 15 | $32,922 | 86.2% | N/A | 14.6% | — | 52.0% |
Top 10 trade schools in Mississippi 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%, Traxlers School of Hair
Traxlers School of Hair
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Rank 2, Completion Rate, 95.0%, KC's School of Hair Design
KC's School of Hair Design
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Rank 3, Completion Rate, 88.1%, Chris Beauty College
Chris Beauty College
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Rank 4, Completion Rate, 77.8%, Academy of Hair Design-Jackson
Academy of Hair Design-Jackson
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Rank 5, Completion Rate, 71.4%, Hatfield's Mississippi College of Beauty Culture
Hatfield's Mississippi College of Beauty Culture
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Rank 6, Completion Rate, 71.3%, Delta Technical College-Mississippi
Delta Technical College-Mississippi
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Rank 7, Completion Rate, 70.0%, Blue Cliff College-Gulfport
Blue Cliff College-Gulfport
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Rank 8, Completion Rate, 66.7%, Mississippi Institute of Aesthetics Nails & Cosmetology
Mississippi Institute of Aesthetics Nails & Cosmetology
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Rank 9, Completion Rate, 65.4%, Concorde Career College-Southaven
Concorde Career College-Southaven
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Rank 10, Completion Rate, 55.9%, Southwest Mississippi Community College
Southwest Mississippi Community College
Top 10 trade schools in Mississippi 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, 90.1%, Concorde Career College-Southaven
Concorde Career College-Southaven
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 88.2%, Northwest Mississippi Community College
Northwest Mississippi Community College
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Rank 3, Employment Outcome, 87.6%, East Central Community College
East Central Community College
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Rank 4, Employment Outcome, 87.3%, Northeast Mississippi Community College
Northeast Mississippi Community College
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Rank 5, Employment Outcome, 87.0%, Mississippi Delta Community College
Mississippi Delta Community College
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Rank 6, Employment Outcome, 86.8%, Jones County Junior College
Jones County Junior College
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Rank 7, Employment Outcome, 86.8%, East Mississippi Community College
East Mississippi Community College
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Rank 8, Employment Outcome, 86.5%, Holmes Community College
Holmes Community College
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Rank 9, Employment Outcome, 86.2%, Itawamba Community College
Itawamba Community College
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Rank 10, Employment Outcome, 86.0%, Hinds Community College
Hinds Community College
Top 10 trade schools in Mississippi by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $31,687, Northeast Mississippi Community College
Northeast Mississippi Community College
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $31,370, Northwest Mississippi Community College
Northwest Mississippi Community College
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Rank 3, Mid-Career Earnings, $30,851, Itawamba Community College
Itawamba Community College
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Rank 4, Mid-Career Earnings, $30,765, Concorde Career College-Southaven
Concorde Career College-Southaven
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Rank 5, Mid-Career Earnings, $30,633, Delta Technical College-Mississippi
Delta Technical College-Mississippi
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Rank 6, Mid-Career Earnings, $29,640, Jones County Junior College
Jones County Junior College
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Rank 7, Mid-Career Earnings, $29,092, Southwest Mississippi Community College
Southwest Mississippi Community College
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Rank 8, Mid-Career Earnings, $28,873, East Central Community College
East Central Community College
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Rank 9, Mid-Career Earnings, $28,752, Meridian Community College
Meridian Community College
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Rank 10, Mid-Career Earnings, $28,661, Holmes Community College
Holmes Community College
Top 10 trade schools in Mississippi by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $34,401, Northwest Mississippi Community College
Northwest Mississippi Community College
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $32,960, Itawamba Community College
Itawamba Community College
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Rank 3, 8-Yr Earnings, $31,594, Concorde Career College-Southaven
Concorde Career College-Southaven
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Rank 4, 8-Yr Earnings, $31,344, Pearl River Community College
Pearl River Community College
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Rank 5, 8-Yr Earnings, $31,334, Northeast Mississippi Community College
Northeast Mississippi Community College
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Rank 6, 8-Yr Earnings, $31,184, Meridian Community College
Meridian Community College
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Rank 7, 8-Yr Earnings, $31,157, East Central Community College
East Central Community College
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Rank 8, 8-Yr Earnings, $31,136, Delta Technical College-Mississippi
Delta Technical College-Mississippi
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Rank 9, 8-Yr Earnings, $31,091, Jones County Junior College
Jones County Junior College
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Rank 10, 8-Yr Earnings, $30,678, Copiah-Lincoln Community College
Copiah-Lincoln Community College
Top 10 trade schools in Mississippi by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $36,396, Northwest Mississippi Community College
Northwest Mississippi Community College
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $34,081, Northeast Mississippi Community College
Northeast Mississippi Community College
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Rank 3, 10-Yr Earnings, $33,772, East Mississippi Community College
East Mississippi Community College
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Rank 4, 10-Yr Earnings, $33,601, Delta Technical College-Mississippi
Delta Technical College-Mississippi
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Rank 5, 10-Yr Earnings, $33,377, Jones County Junior College
Jones County Junior College
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Rank 6, 10-Yr Earnings, $33,227, Southwest Mississippi Community College
Southwest Mississippi Community College
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Rank 7, 10-Yr Earnings, $33,019, Pearl River Community College
Pearl River Community College
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Rank 8, 10-Yr Earnings, $33,017, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
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Rank 9, 10-Yr Earnings, $32,922, Holmes Community College
Holmes Community College
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Rank 10, 10-Yr Earnings, $32,912, Itawamba Community College
Itawamba Community College
Top 10 trade schools in Mississippi 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, $147,456, Northwest Mississippi Community College
Northwest Mississippi Community College
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $146,462, Itawamba Community College
Itawamba Community College
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Rank 3, 10-Yr ROI, $143,848, Southwest Mississippi Community College
Southwest Mississippi Community College
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Rank 4, 10-Yr ROI, $141,852, Delta Technical College-Mississippi
Delta Technical College-Mississippi
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Rank 5, 10-Yr ROI, $141,662, East Mississippi Community College
East Mississippi Community College
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Rank 6, 10-Yr ROI, $140,462, Pearl River Community College
Pearl River Community College
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Rank 7, 10-Yr ROI, $139,803, Copiah-Lincoln Community College
Copiah-Lincoln Community College
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Rank 8, 10-Yr ROI, $136,945, East Central Community College
East Central Community College
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Rank 9, 10-Yr ROI, $134,670, Concorde Career College-Southaven
Concorde Career College-Southaven
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Rank 10, 10-Yr ROI, $134,616, Holmes Community College
Holmes Community College
Top 10 most affordable trade schools in Mississippi (net price)
Lowest median net price among trade schools and community colleges with enrollment ≥ 50.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $-274, Coahoma Community College
Coahoma Community College
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Rank 2, Net Price, $2,525, Southwest Mississippi Community College
Southwest Mississippi Community College
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Rank 3, Net Price, $3,715, Mississippi Delta Community College
Mississippi Delta Community College
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Rank 4, Net Price, $4,608, East Mississippi Community College
East Mississippi Community College
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Rank 5, Net Price, $6,532, Pearl River Community College
Pearl River Community College
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Rank 6, Net Price, $3,894, Copiah-Lincoln Community College
Copiah-Lincoln Community College
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Rank 7, Net Price, $4,616, Itawamba Community College
Itawamba Community College
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Rank 8, Net Price, $6,351, Meridian Community College
Meridian Community College
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Rank 9, Net Price, $5,240, East Central Community College
East Central Community College
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Rank 10, Net Price, $4,060, Hinds Community College
Hinds Community College
Student debt: Mississippi vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Mississippi is $8,239 (-15.1% vs U.S. median $9,699). Regional median: $9,724. Rank: #3 nationally of 52 (lower debt = better rank); #1 in Southeast of 12.
Median earnings (10 years out): Mississippi vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Mississippi center around $31,420 (-10.2% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Mississippi vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 84.8% at the median Mississippi campus (+3.9 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 $8,239 (-15.1% below the U.S. median of $9,699, and -15.3% vs the Southeast regional median of $9,724). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Student debt rank: #3 nationally of 52 (lower debt = better rank); #1 in Southeast of 12 (1 = lowest median debt).
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Mississippi are $31,420, about -10.2% vs the U.S. campus median ($34,984).
The median campus reports 84.8% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 80.9% (+3.9 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 14.3% (U.S. 11.1%); 3-yr repayment progress 51.0% (U.S. 50.5%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Nationally, Mississippi ranks earnings #41 and employment proxy #10 on these outcome medians (1 = best).
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Concorde Career College-Southaven (90.1%), Northwest Mississippi Community College (88.2%), East Central Community College (87.6%), Northeast Mississippi Community College (87.3%), Mississippi Delta Community College (87.0%), Jones County Junior College (86.8%), East Mississippi Community College (86.8%), Holmes Community College (86.5%), Itawamba Community College (86.2%), Hinds Community College (86.0%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Within Mississippi, sector medians diverge: Private for-profit median 10-yr earnings $22,284 (11 campuses); Public median 10-yr earnings $32,922 (15 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 Mississippi is 52.1% (national institution average about 63.3%).
FAQ
How much do trade schools cost in Mississippi?
Among trade schools and community colleges in Mississippi, median net price is $8,616 vs $14,215 nationally (-39.4% vs U.S.).
What is typical student debt at Mississippi trade schools?
Median federal loan debt among completers at trade and vocational campuses in Mississippi is $8,239 vs a U.S. median of $9,699 (Mississippi ranks #3 nationally for median debt among states.)
What do trade school graduates earn in Mississippi?
Median earnings 10 years after entry for Mississippi trade schools and community colleges reporting to the College Scorecard is $31,420 vs $34,984 nationally. Six-year medians are $28,421.
What share of Mississippi 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 84.8% in Mississippi vs 80.9% nationally.
How many trade schools are in Mississippi?
This profile covers 19 trade schools and 14 community colleges (33 total) in Mississippi with roughly 53,340 total reported enrollment.
How many public vs. private trade schools are in Mississippi?
Among trade schools and community colleges with outcomes in the College Scorecard extract: 15 public, 0 private nonprofit, and 11 private for-profit institutions.
What are the top trade schools in Mississippi?
Rankings on this page use College Scorecard medians for trade schools and community colleges; standouts include highest completion rate: Traxlers School of Hair; highest 10-year earnings: Northwest Mississippi Community College; lowest net price among large campuses: Coahoma Community College. See the ranked lists below for full details.
Are there Hispanic-serving or other designated trade schools in Mississippi?
Among 56 campuses in Mississippi, 6 historically Black colleges or universities (HBCUs, IPEDS HBCU flag), including Alcorn State University, Coahoma Community College, and Jackson State University; 9 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campuses (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Southern Baptist (2), United Methodist (2), Baptist (2).
How does Mississippi compare to its Census region for trade schools?
Mississippi is in the Southeast region. Regional median net price is $12,646 and median 10-year earnings are $32,612 vs $8,616 net price and $31,420 earnings in Mississippi.
Sources & related
- All trade school profiles
- Mississippi 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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