Virginia Trade Schools: Cost, Completion & Earnings (2026 stats)
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
Trade schools in Virginia: 67 trade and vocational campuses (59 trade schools, 8 community colleges) median net price $12,872 (-8.8% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $40,236 (+0.8% vs U.S.) median completion rate 51.4% employment-outcome proxy 85.9% working & not enrolled at 8 years.
Overview
Trade schools and vocational programs in Virginia include certificate-focused campuses and community colleges with career and technical education pathways. 67 campuses in this profile (59 trade schools, 8 community colleges), with about 103,044 students enrolled, and median net price near $12,872. Programs span healthcare, skilled trades, manufacturing, and other workforce credentials—tables below compare completion, earnings, and employment outcomes with U.S. and Southeast medians.
Virginia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia (VA) | — | $12,872 | $9,724 | 51.4% | 103,044 |
| Southeast (region median) | — | $12,619 | $9,612 | 57.8% | 1,207,699 |
| United States | — | $14,111 | $9,500 | 66.8% | 5,468,406 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Virginia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia (VA) | $40,236 | 85.9% | N/A | 10.1% | — | 49.6% | 0.25 |
| United States | $39,899 | 85.5% | 65.2% | 11.1% | — | 50.5% | 0.25 |
Virginia 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia (VA) | N/A | $12,872 | $9,724 | 51.4% | 103,044 | $40,236 | 85.9% |
| Georgia (GA) | N/A | $15,675 | $10,361 | 52.4% | 118,926 | $36,495 | 85.2% |
| Tennessee (TN) | N/A | $12,366 | $9,123 | 72.4% | 74,030 | $39,861 | 84.7% |
| South Carolina (SC) | N/A | $14,221 | $9,500 | 57.9% | 69,713 | $36,004 | 86.3% |
| Alabama (AL) | N/A | $8,931 | $9,833 | 46.2% | 60,831 | $36,971 | 86.5% |
| United States | N/A | $14,111 | $9,500 | 66.8% | 5,468,406 | $39,899 | 85.5% |
Outcomes by sector in Virginia
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 | 27 | $33,729 | 85.3% | N/A | 11.8% | — | 31.5% |
| Public | 25 | $41,835 | 86.3% | N/A | 9.9% | — | 57.3% |
Top 10 trade schools in Virginia 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, 96.5%, The Esthetic Institute
The Esthetic Institute
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Rank 2, Completion Rate, 92.7%, The Chrysm Institute of Esthetics
The Chrysm Institute of Esthetics
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Rank 3, Completion Rate, 81.3%, Columbia College
Columbia College
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Rank 4, Completion Rate, 79.0%, Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Lafayette-Arlington
Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Lafayette-Arlington
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Rank 5, Completion Rate, 78.0%, Advanced Technology Institute
Advanced Technology Institute
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Rank 6, Completion Rate, 75.0%, Another Level Barbering and Cosmetology School
Another Level Barbering and Cosmetology School
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Rank 7, Completion Rate, 72.2%, Chester Career College
Chester Career College
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Rank 8, Completion Rate, 71.0%, Centura College-Newport News
Centura College-Newport News
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Rank 9, Completion Rate, 70.4%, Eastern Virginia Career College
Eastern Virginia Career College
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Rank 10, Completion Rate, 69.4%, Tidewater Tech-Trades
Tidewater Tech-Trades
Top 10 trade schools in Virginia 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, 97.5%, Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing
Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 91.1%, Chester Career College
Chester Career College
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Rank 3, Employment Outcome, 91.0%, Richard Bland College
Richard Bland College
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Rank 4, Employment Outcome, 90.7%, Eastern Virginia Career College
Eastern Virginia Career College
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Rank 5, Employment Outcome, 90.4%, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas
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Rank 6, Employment Outcome, 89.7%, Henrico County-Saint Marys Hospital School of Practical Nursing
Henrico County-Saint Marys Hospital School of Practical Nursing
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Rank 7, Employment Outcome, 88.9%, Advanced Technology Institute
Advanced Technology Institute
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Rank 8, Employment Outcome, 88.5%, Northern Virginia Community College
Northern Virginia Community College
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Rank 9, Employment Outcome, 88.2%, Centura College-Norfolk
Centura College-Norfolk
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Rank 10, Employment Outcome, 88.2%, Centura College-Newport News
Centura College-Newport News
Top 10 trade schools in Virginia by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $78,874, Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing
Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $53,331, Henrico County-Saint Marys Hospital School of Practical Nursing
Henrico County-Saint Marys Hospital School of Practical Nursing
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Rank 3, Mid-Career Earnings, $53,236, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas
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Rank 4, Mid-Career Earnings, $52,181, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Norfolk
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Norfolk
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Rank 5, Mid-Career Earnings, $51,502, Eastern Virginia Career College
Eastern Virginia Career College
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Rank 6, Mid-Career Earnings, $46,671, Advanced Technology Institute
Advanced Technology Institute
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Rank 7, Mid-Career Earnings, $46,592, Northern Virginia Community College
Northern Virginia Community College
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Rank 8, Mid-Career Earnings, $42,140, Germanna Community College
Germanna Community College
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Rank 9, Mid-Career Earnings, $41,502, Piedmont Virginia Community College
Piedmont Virginia Community College
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Rank 10, Mid-Career Earnings, $41,158, Laurel Ridge Community College
Laurel Ridge Community College
Top 10 trade schools in Virginia by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $88,249, Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing
Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $67,170, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas
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Rank 3, 8-Yr Earnings, $57,966, Henrico County-Saint Marys Hospital School of Practical Nursing
Henrico County-Saint Marys Hospital School of Practical Nursing
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Rank 4, 8-Yr Earnings, $52,154, Northern Virginia Community College
Northern Virginia Community College
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Rank 5, 8-Yr Earnings, $50,724, Advanced Technology Institute
Advanced Technology Institute
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Rank 6, 8-Yr Earnings, $49,821, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Norfolk
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Norfolk
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Rank 7, 8-Yr Earnings, $44,546, Eastern Virginia Career College
Eastern Virginia Career College
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Rank 8, 8-Yr Earnings, $44,434, Laurel Ridge Community College
Laurel Ridge Community College
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Rank 9, 8-Yr Earnings, $43,378, Blue Ridge Community College
Blue Ridge Community College
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Rank 10, 8-Yr Earnings, $43,275, Germanna Community College
Germanna Community College
Top 10 trade schools in Virginia by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $77,923, Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing
Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $60,292, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas
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Rank 3, 10-Yr Earnings, $56,892, Northern Virginia Community College
Northern Virginia Community College
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Rank 4, 10-Yr Earnings, $52,597, Advanced Technology Institute
Advanced Technology Institute
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Rank 5, 10-Yr Earnings, $51,114, Henrico County-Saint Marys Hospital School of Practical Nursing
Henrico County-Saint Marys Hospital School of Practical Nursing
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Rank 6, 10-Yr Earnings, $50,783, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Norfolk
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Norfolk
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Rank 7, 10-Yr Earnings, $45,438, Germanna Community College
Germanna Community College
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Rank 8, 10-Yr Earnings, $45,208, Richard Bland College
Richard Bland College
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Rank 9, 10-Yr Earnings, $44,844, Tidewater Tech-East Little Creek
Tidewater Tech-East Little Creek
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Rank 10, 10-Yr Earnings, $44,844, Tidewater Tech-Trades
Tidewater Tech-Trades
Top 10 trade schools in Virginia 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, $365,312, Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing
Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $279,490, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas
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Rank 3, 10-Yr ROI, $241,894, Northern Virginia Community College
Northern Virginia Community College
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Rank 4, 10-Yr ROI, $232,518, Advanced Technology Institute
Advanced Technology Institute
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Rank 5, 10-Yr ROI, $227,504, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Norfolk
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Norfolk
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Rank 6, 10-Yr ROI, $212,414, Laurel Ridge Community College
Laurel Ridge Community College
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Rank 7, 10-Yr ROI, $206,699, Brightpoint Community College
Brightpoint Community College
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Rank 8, 10-Yr ROI, $202,107, Virginia Western Community College
Virginia Western Community College
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Rank 9, 10-Yr ROI, $202,086, Germanna Community College
Germanna Community College
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Rank 10, 10-Yr ROI, $201,316, Blue Ridge Community College
Blue Ridge Community College
Top 10 most affordable trade schools in Virginia (net price)
Lowest median net price among trade schools and community colleges with enrollment ≥ 50.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $4,676, Paul D Camp Community College
Paul D Camp Community College
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Rank 2, Net Price, $4,303, Eastern Shore Community College
Eastern Shore Community College
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Rank 3, Net Price, $4,056, Wytheville Community College
Wytheville Community College
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Rank 4, Net Price, $3,885, Patrick & Henry Community College
Patrick & Henry Community College
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Rank 5, Net Price, $5,277, Germanna Community College
Germanna Community College
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Rank 6, Net Price, $4,793, Brightpoint Community College
Brightpoint Community College
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Rank 7, Net Price, $5,184, Laurel Ridge Community College
Laurel Ridge Community College
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Rank 8, Net Price, $4,912, Virginia Western Community College
Virginia Western Community College
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Rank 9, Net Price, $4,767, Danville Community College
Danville Community College
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Rank 10, Net Price, $5,014, Rappahannock Community College
Rappahannock Community College
Student debt: Virginia vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Virginia is $9,724 (+2.4% vs U.S. median $9,500). Regional median: $9,612. Rank: #35 nationally of 58 (lower debt = better rank); #7 in Southeast of 12.
Median earnings (10 years out): Virginia vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Virginia center around $40,236 (+0.8% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Virginia vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 85.9% at the median Virginia campus (+0.3 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 $9,724 (+2.4% above the U.S. median of $9,500, and +1.2% vs the Southeast regional median of $9,612). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Student debt rank: #35 nationally of 58 (lower debt = better rank); #7 in Southeast of 12 (1 = lowest median debt).
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Virginia are $40,236, about +0.8% vs the U.S. campus median ($39,899).
The median campus reports 85.9% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 85.5% (+0.3 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 10.1% (U.S. 11.1%); 3-yr repayment progress 49.6% (U.S. 50.5%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Nationally, Virginia ranks earnings #25 and employment proxy #24 on these outcome medians (1 = best).
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing (97.5%), Chester Career College (91.1%), Richard Bland College (91.0%), Eastern Virginia Career College (90.7%), Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas (90.4%), Henrico County-Saint Marys Hospital School of Practical Nursing (89.7%), Advanced Technology Institute (88.9%), Northern Virginia Community College (88.5%), Centura College-Norfolk (88.2%), Centura College-Newport News (88.2%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Within Virginia, sector medians diverge: Private for-profit median 10-yr earnings $33,729 (27 campuses); Public median 10-yr earnings $41,835 (25 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 Virginia is 51.4% (national institution average about 66.8%).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do trade schools cost in Virginia?
Among trade schools and community colleges in Virginia, median net price is $12,872 vs $14,111 nationally (-8.8% vs U.S.).
What is typical student debt at Virginia trade schools?
Median federal loan debt among completers at trade and vocational campuses in Virginia is $9,724 vs a U.S. median of $9,500 (Virginia ranks #35 nationally for median debt among states.)
What do trade school graduates earn in Virginia?
Median earnings 10 years after entry for Virginia trade schools and community colleges reporting to the College Scorecard is $40,236 vs $39,899 nationally. Six-year medians are $36,654.
What share of Virginia 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 85.9% in Virginia vs 85.5% nationally.
How many trade schools are in Virginia?
This profile covers 59 trade schools and 8 community colleges (67 total) in Virginia with roughly 103,044 total reported enrollment.
How many public vs. private trade schools are in Virginia?
Among trade schools and community colleges with outcomes in the College Scorecard extract: 25 public, 0 private nonprofit, and 27 private for-profit institutions.
What are the top trade schools in Virginia?
Rankings on this page use College Scorecard medians for trade schools and community colleges; standouts include highest completion rate: The Esthetic Institute; highest 10-year earnings: Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing; lowest net price among large campuses: Paul D Camp Community College. See the ranked lists below for full details.
Are there Hispanic-serving or other designated trade schools in Virginia?
Among 156 campuses in Virginia, 5 historically Black colleges or universities (HBCUs, IPEDS HBCU flag), including Hampton University, Norfolk State University, and Virginia University of Lynchburg; 7 campuses report at least 25% Hispanic undergraduate enrollment in U.S. Department of Education data; examples include Marymount University, Northern Virginia Community College, and Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas; 24 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campuses (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Baptist (5), United Methodist (5), Roman Catholic (5).
How does Virginia compare to its Census region for trade schools?
Virginia is in the Southeast region. Regional median net price is $12,619 and median 10-year earnings are $37,057 vs $12,872 net price and $40,236 earnings in Virginia.
Sources & related
- All trade school profiles
- Virginia 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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