Alabama

• Jefferson State Community College : Degrees in CAD Design, Industrial Technology, Telecommunications, and several medical fields including nursing and radiographic technology.

Alaska

• Prince William Sound Community College operates three campuses, providing an Industrial Technology degree that includes Oil Spill Response, Safety Management and Electrical Power Generation majors.

Arizona

• Maricopa Community College District: Ten campuses offering over one thousand degree and certificate options. Divisions include IT, Public Safety and Health Care, which covers sonography, pharmacy and medical technician among others.

Arkansas

• Arkansas University System operates five community colleges in addition to existing schools that operate from districts. Their Criminal Justice Institute offers degrees at twenty state and community college locations

California

• The California Community College System oversees 110 schools in 72 districts across the state. De Anza Community College in the Silicon Valley offers degrees in Entrepreneurship, Computer Aided Design (CAD), and Computer Systems Security.

Colorado

• The Community College of Denver offers a biomedical research assistant degree, two degrees in machine technology and associates degrees as prep for a half dozen medical careers.

Connecticut

• The Connecticut Community College System has a Health Care Institute that offers sophisticated training for surgical technologist, ultrasound technician and occupational therapy assistant along with dozens of other programs.

Delaware

• Delaware Technical and Community College operates three campuses offering degrees in automotive technology, biotechnology and many health care options.

District of Columbia

• University of the District of Columbia operates a Community College with Associate Degrees in Computer Accounting Technology, Law Enforcement Mortuary Science.

Florida

• Miami Dade College has a School of Aviation that offers degrees and vocational training, a School of Nursing and a School of Entertainment and Design Technology

Georgia

• Georgia Perimeter College has 24,000 students at five campuses in the Atlanta metro area. AS degrees include nursing, radiologic technology and dental hygiene.

Hawaii

• The University of Hawaii System operates seven community colleges with vocational studies in areas that include the culinary arts, building trades and hotel operations.

Idaho

• Eastern Idaho Technical College offers two year programs in accounting, computer networking, office technologies and web development.

Illinois

• City Colleges of Chicago operates seven campuses and a culinary academy. Interesting options on campus include a Certificate in Addiction Studies and degrees in Environmental Technology and in Computer Information Systems.

Indiana

• Ivy Tech Community College operates 23 campuses with 130,000 students enrolled yearly. The school offers Associates Degrees in Kinesiology, Biotechnology, and Electrical Engineering Technology.

Iowa

• Western Iowa Tech Community College has a huge roster of certificate, diploma and associate degree programs. The Iowa Community College Online Consortium is the distance learning effort put forth by all seven of the state’s community colleges.

Kansas

• Johnson County Community College has associate degree programs in Civil Engineering Technology, Paralegal Studies and Veterinary Technology.

Kentucky

• Kentucky Community and Technical College System has an accredited program for training jockeys and horsemen, a Coal Academy for those interested in the mining industry, and a program for Adult Agricultural Education.

Louisiana

• Louisiana Community and Technical College System offers an accredited contractors training program, HVAC and Civil Surveying and Mapping.

Maine

• Southern Maine Community College offers Associates’ programs in Fire Science Technology, Cardiovascular Technology (Ultrasound) and Architecture & Engineering Design.

Maryland

• Community College of Baltimore County has an extensive academic catalogue that includes Associates degrees in forensic science, in Paramedic (EMT), and a nursing program with an RN track.

Massachusetts

• Springfield Technical Community College offers programs in Clean Water Technology, Clinical Laboratory Science, Landscape Design Technology and Automotive Technology.

Michigan

• Lake Michigan College operates four campuses that offer, among dozens of options, degrees in dental hygiene, graphic design and forensics.

Minnesota

• Minneapolis Community and Technical College has an Air Traffic Control program, an Addiction Counseling program and a Computer Forensics degree.

Mississippi

• Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College operates four campuses and four centers for course provision, offering degrees in Criminal Justice, Database Administration and Fashion Marketing.

Missouri

• Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City has five campuses with eighty career programs that include HVAC, Industrial Electrical Technology, and CAD Design.

Montana

• Flathead Valley Community College offers training in goldsmithing, the culinary arts and radiologic technology.

Nebraska

• Metropolitan Community College in Omaha has degrees in horticulture, IT and interior design.

Nevada

• The College of Southern Nevada has a construction management program, a degree in surveying and a degree in architectural drafting and design – and a job placement program with excellent outreach.

New Hampshire

• Manchester Community College has a business program that includes an Associates’ in Marketing, one in Management and one in Personal Finance.

New Jersey

• Bergen Community College operates three campuses in the northern portion of the state, offering programs in Manufacturing Technology, Manufacturing Design and Electronics Technology.

New Mexico

• Central New Mexico Community College has a Health and Wellness division that offers degrees in virtually every medical technician field there is.

New York

• Nassau Community College: Associates degrees are available in Marketing, Retail Business Management, Fashion Buying & Merchandising and Interior Design for those interested in the NY fashion industry.

North Carolina

• Forsyth Technical Community College has a large and diverse range of degree offerings, which include the classroom work for students pursuing careers in welding, plumbing, carpentry and HVAC.

North Dakota

• Bismarck State College is a two-year institution with dozens of degree options that include Associates in Computer Science, in which the student learns several programming languages.

Ohio

• Columbus State Community College has 23,000 enrolled students who can choose from 55 academic pursuits offered by the Career and Technical Programs division.

Oklahoma

• Tulsa Community College has at least fifteen child development degree and certificate options ranging from Teacher Assistant to Head Start Credential to Early Childhood Education transfer options.

Oregon

• Portland Community College has three campuses that service over 86,000 students enrolled in degree programs, continuing education programs, professional training programs and distance learning.

Pennsylvania

• Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh operates four campuses that enroll over 30,000 credit students and 35,000 non-credit students annually. Online options include degrees in Accounting, Software Development and IT Support.

Rhode Island

• Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick is the largest CC in New England, offering career academic options in twenty two departments, including Allied Health, Rehabilitative Health and Nursing.

South Carolina

• The South Carolina Technical College System operates sixteen campuses statewide that are engaged in the Apprenticeship Carolina program, aligning its educational programs with state industrial employment needs.

South Dakota

• Kilian Community College in Sioux Falls has degree and certificate programs in medical coding, information systems and medical assisting.

Tennessee

• Nashville State Community College lists their top 5 Associates degrees by enrollment as Police Science, Computer Networking Technology, Visual Communications, General Technology and Business Management.

Texas

• Dallas County Community College District operates seven campuses and an online school with about 70,000 students enrolled; cost is $41 per credit for county residents.

Utah

• Salt Lake Community College has an apprenticeship training program for 22 skilled trades, including diesel technology, brick masonry and operating engineers/

Vermont

• Community College of Vermont operates thirteen campuses. The online degree programs include Associates’ in Criminal Justice, Accounting, Education and Business.

Virginia

• Northern Virginia Community College operates eight campuses and teaching centers. Their Medical Campus offers degrees in Nursing, Radiography Technician, Respiratory Therapy, Health Information Management and several other disciplines.

Washington

• Bates Technical College in Tacoma has three campuses that offer dozens of degrees and certificates in programs such as digital media, electrical construction, culinary arts and machinist.

West Virginia

• The Community and Technical College System of West Virginia operates ten campuses with a full range of certificate and degree options.

Wisconsin

• Milwaukee Area Technical College offers Associate degrees in Biomedical Electronics Technology, Clinical Laboratory Technician and Anesthesia Technology.

Wyoming

• Laramie County Community College has degree programs in Agribusiness Technology, Agriculture Production Technology and Rodeo Management.

Here is a list of top private schools with vocational and trade academic options folded into their curriculum in some fashion or another. Most have multiple campuses in multiple states; some are stand-alone facilities and some are solely online academic institutions.

1. Everest University offers programs in medical assisting, dental assisting, paralegal and homeland security.
2. ITT Technical Institute has Associates degree programs in computer forensics and network systems; criminal justice and drafting. They operate 105 campuses in 37 states.
3. New England Institute of Technology has programs in aviation, auto, and marine technology along with mechanical and electrical engineering associates degrees.
4. Kaplan Career Institute has campuses in eight states that offer certificate programs in medical assisting, medical office management, dental assisting, and an associates program in criminal justice.
5. Universal Technical Institute specializes in automotive, motorcycle, diesel and marine training. They have twelve locations in eight states.
6. Penn Foster College offers dozens of vocational programs including auto repair, diesel technology and cabinetry.
7. Westwood College
8. Sanford-Brown Institute has certificate and diploma programs in several medical fields including ultrasound, surgical technology and medical billing. There are sixteen campuses.

10) Electricians – The average salary for an electrician runs around $43,000 a year and the expected growth in the field is 7% over the next 10 years. This trade usually focuses on training you in both electrical construction and electrical repair.

9) Iron and metal workers – The average salary for someone who works with metal and iron is around $40,000 a year. The expected growth for this trade over the next 10 years is 8%.

HVAC – The average salary for someone who does HVAC, which is heating and refrigeration work, is only about $37,000 a year, but as climate control needs are changing rapidly, the expected growth in this is expected to be 9% over the next 10 years. This is a job that will always be needed and you will be trained to make installations in not only private homes, but also factories and other businesses.

7) Elevator installation and repair – The average salary for someone who works on elevators or sets them up, is $63,000 a year. The expected growth over the next 10 years is 9%.

6) Construction – The average construction gets paid around $40,000 a year. Now that depends on where the work is taking place and what type of work it is exactly. This market might be down right now, but the expected growth over the next 10 years is 10%. This training program will lead to many career paths you can take, including retail estate and commercial construction, carpentry, electrician, and general contractor.

5) Plumbing – The typical plumber will average about $42,000 a year in salary. The expected growth for this “it’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it” line of work is 10% over the next 10 years.

4) Cosmetology – The average beautician makes around $30,000 each year and the expected growth in this field is 14% over the next 10 years.

3) Dental assistant – The average dental hygienist brings in around $30,000 a year. The expected growth in this field is a staggering 29% over the next 10 years.

2) Pharmacy technician – This job might only make you around $25,000 a year, but the expected growth rate is a whopping 32% over the next 10 years.

1) Medical assistant – This job may only pay an average of $27,000 a year, but the astronomical 35% expected growth rate over the next 10 years sounds very promising. This is a field that already can’t find enough people to fill positions. This program will lead to a job where you will work right alongside both doctors and their patients.

Rankings and ratings are also based on details that are smaller, but still important, nonetheless. Things like the condition of the buildings on campus and the condition of the campus grounds are all considered, as well as how well maintained they are kept. Ideally, a list that gives a ranking of the top trade schools would list them in order of their academic excellence, but that is not always the case. Different lists will rank trade schools by their own set of benchmarks, so you should look at several ranking lists, rather than just one. For example, one list might have a trade school ranked fairly high due to its academic excellence, but another list may put it way down on theirs because the surrounding community has a lot of crime in the area.

The best way to ensure that you make a well informed decision is to not go by just a single list of ratings and rankings. Instead, come up with a list of 4 or 5 trade schools that have caught your eye. Then look up each of those schools on different lists and see how they are ranked on each one. Keep track of all the different pros and cons that are pointed out. Then go over them and weigh those pros and cons to see which traits you find more important and which ones aren’t so important.

For example, suppose you find a trade school that is considered excellent academically, but it is located in a high crime area. Is it worth it to you to risk traveling through a town with a high rate of crime just to get to an otherwise excellent school? Or, if your own safety is more important, you can go for a school with lower academic qualities, but it is in a safer community. You can find ranking lists all over the internet, but it is really up to you to decide what you are looking for the most in a quality trade school.

Colleges offer numerous ways to help students pay for their education and trade schools are no different. The most popular method to do this is to get a scholarship, which people like because unlike student loans, you don’t have to pay these back. There are all kinds of scholarships available for people working on a vocational degree. The scholarships you will find for vocational schools are usually broken down by trade. So if you are going into cosmetology, you can apply for a cosmetology scholarship. The same goes for the vast number of other trades you can specialize in as well. The people who give these scholarships out will do the same things they do with students who apply for college scholarships. They will look at things like your previous academic record, your financial history, and they will usually have you write a letter telling why you should be picked.

For those still in high school who plan to attend a trade school when they graduate, there is one scholarship just for high school seniors. The Coca Cola Two Year Colleges Scholarship is available if you plan to earn a vocational degree in a 2 year program at a trade school. It requires that you have a background in providing some kind of community service, as well as have a decent GPA. There all kinds of scholarships out for just a segment of the population. There are ones for just women, men, various minorities and people over a certain age.

For women, one group in particular is setup to help those who are going to train in accounting. The Educational Foundation for Women Accountants gives out two scholarships every year, the Women in Transition and the Women in Need Scholarships. Both of these offer quite a hefty sum. Finding scholarships is not really all that hard, but you will have to do some extensive searching to pick the ones that apply to you out from all the ones that don’t.