Vermont Trade Schools: Cost, Completion & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Trade schools in Vermont: 3 trade and vocational campuses (2 trade schools, 1 community colleges) median net price $24,129 (+69.7% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $36,234 (+3.6% vs U.S.) median completion rate 66.7% employment-outcome proxy 13.0% working & not enrolled at 8 years.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 3 campuses (2 trade schools, 1 community colleges)
- Total enrollment: 3,025 students
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $36,234 (+3.6% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 13.0% (-68.0 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $24,129 (+69.7% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $8,412 (-13.3% vs U.S. $9,699); regional median $10,104. Debt rank: #5 nationally of 52 (lower debt = better rank); #1 in New England of 6
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 66.7%
- Earnings rank: #24 nationally (higher median 10-yr earnings = better rank)
- Employment-outcome rank: #50 nationally (higher working share = better rank)
- Student debt rank: #5 nationally of 52; #1 in New England of 6 (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 Vermont include certificate-focused campuses and community colleges with career and technical education pathways. 3 campuses in this profile (2 trade schools, 1 community colleges), with about 3,025 students enrolled, and median net price near $24,129. Programs span healthcare, skilled trades, manufacturing, and other workforce credentials—tables below compare completion, earnings, and employment outcomes with U.S. and New England medians.
Vermont 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont (VT) | — | $24,129 | $8,412 | 66.7% | 3,025 |
| New England (region median) | — | $17,260 | $10,104 | 69.3% | 148,935 |
| United States | — | $14,215 | $9,699 | 63.3% | 5,490,315 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Vermont 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont (VT) | $36,234 | 13.0% | N/A | 15.3% | — | 60.8% | 0.29 |
| United States | $34,984 | 80.9% | 64.9% | 11.1% | — | 50.5% | 0.28 |
Vermont vs peer states (New England 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont (VT) | N/A | $24,129 | $8,412 | 66.7% | 3,025 | $36,234 | 13.0% |
| New Hampshire (NH) | N/A | $14,804 | $11,000 | 61.5% | 8,533 | $44,700 | 10.9% |
| Rhode Island (RI) | N/A | $21,660 | $10,376 | 79.8% | 13,058 | $37,286 | 39.3% |
| Maine (ME) | N/A | $10,007 | $10,578 | 48.7% | 14,920 | $41,661 | 10.4% |
| Connecticut (CT) | N/A | $17,469 | $9,833 | 72.0% | 40,930 | $40,014 | 21.2% |
| United States | N/A | $14,215 | $9,699 | 63.3% | 5,490,315 | $34,984 | 80.9% |
Top 3 trade schools in Vermont 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, 90.9%, Advanced Welding Institute
Advanced Welding Institute
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Rank 2, Completion Rate, 66.7%, O'Briens Aveda Institute
O'Briens Aveda Institute
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Rank 3, Completion Rate, 19.6%, Community College of Vermont
Community College of Vermont
Top trade school in Vermont 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, 13.0%, Community College of Vermont
Community College of Vermont
Top 2 trade schools in Vermont by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $37,807, Advanced Welding Institute
Advanced Welding Institute
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $37,362, Community College of Vermont
Community College of Vermont
Top trade school in Vermont by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $37,006, Community College of Vermont
Community College of Vermont
Top trade school in Vermont by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $36,234, Community College of Vermont
Community College of Vermont
Top 2 trade schools in Vermont 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, $164,481, Advanced Welding Institute
Advanced Welding Institute
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $152,609, Community College of Vermont
Community College of Vermont
Top 3 most affordable trade schools in Vermont (net price)
Lowest median net price among trade schools and community colleges with enrollment ≥ 50.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $13,696, Community College of Vermont
Community College of Vermont
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Rank 2, Net Price, $24,129, Advanced Welding Institute
Advanced Welding Institute
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Rank 3, Net Price, $28,304, O'Briens Aveda Institute
O'Briens Aveda Institute
Student debt: Vermont vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Vermont is $8,412 (-13.3% vs U.S. median $9,699). Regional median: $10,104. Rank: #5 nationally of 52 (lower debt = better rank); #1 in New England of 6.
Median earnings (10 years out): Vermont vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Vermont center around $36,234 (+3.6% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Vermont vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 13.0% at the median Vermont campus (-68.0 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 $8,412 (-13.3% below the U.S. median of $9,699, and -16.8% vs the New England regional median of $10,104). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Student debt rank: #5 nationally of 52 (lower debt = better rank); #1 in New England of 6 (1 = lowest median debt).
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Vermont are $36,234, about +3.6% vs the U.S. campus median ($34,984).
The median campus reports 13.0% 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% (-68.0 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 15.3% (U.S. 11.1%); 3-yr repayment progress 60.8% (U.S. 50.5%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Nationally, Vermont ranks earnings #24 and employment proxy #50 on these outcome medians (1 = best).
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Community College of Vermont (13.0%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Vermont is 66.7% (national institution average about 63.3%).
FAQ
How much do trade schools cost in Vermont?
Among trade schools and community colleges in Vermont, median net price is $24,129 vs $14,215 nationally (+69.7% vs U.S.).
What is typical student debt at Vermont trade schools?
Median federal loan debt among completers at trade and vocational campuses in Vermont is $8,412 vs a U.S. median of $9,699 (Vermont ranks #5 nationally for median debt among states.)
What do trade school graduates earn in Vermont?
Median earnings 10 years after entry for Vermont trade schools and community colleges reporting to the College Scorecard is $36,234 vs $34,984 nationally. Six-year medians are $37,584.
What share of Vermont 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 13.0% in Vermont vs 80.9% nationally.
How many trade schools are in Vermont?
This profile covers 2 trade schools and 1 community colleges (3 total) in Vermont with roughly 3,025 total reported enrollment.
What are the top trade schools in Vermont?
Rankings on this page use College Scorecard medians for trade schools and community colleges; standouts include highest completion rate: Advanced Welding Institute; highest 10-year earnings: Community College of Vermont; lowest net price among large campuses: Community College of Vermont. See the ranked lists below for full details.
Are there Hispanic-serving or other designated trade schools in Vermont?
Among 15 campuses in Vermont, 1 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campus (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Roman Catholic (1).
How does Vermont compare to its Census region for trade schools?
Vermont is in the New England region. Regional median net price is $17,260 and median 10-year earnings are $41,661 vs $24,129 net price and $36,234 earnings in Vermont.
Sources & related
- All trade school profiles
- Vermont college profile
- Trade school costs by state
- Trade schools and public community colleges (College Scorecard)
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
- Download: JSON