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The Career Training Path Trade School Outcomes Index
2026 edition · computed 2026-09-05 from Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026. Free to cite.
Key findings
- Lineman schools graduates earn the most a year out — a median of $57,416 on $5,500 of debt. Barber schools earn the least, $14,528.
- The best earnings-to-debt ratio is lineman schools (10.4×); the worst is barber schools (1.2×).
- For-profit trade schools (51% of campuses) report higher completion than public ones — 71% vs 48% — but their graduates earn less ten years after entry ($28,311 vs $39,901) and their median annual cost is $24,086 vs $17,382.
- Alaska has the highest average completion rate (84%); Palau the lowest (27%).
- Nationally: 3,741 campuses, 654,320 trade credentials a year, mean completion 62%, median graduate debt $9,833. Earnings are published for 10,516 of 24,392 program rows; the rest are suppressed for small cohorts.
Earnings-to-debt ratio by trade
Median first-year earnings divided by median graduate debt, program-level federal medians.
All trades
| Trade | Campuses | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Median debt | Ratio | Completion | For-profit share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welding schools | 906 | 52,073 | $34,154 | $9,500 | 3.6 | 51% | 11% |
| HVAC schools | 606 | 21,415 | $32,848 | $10,810 | 3 | 53% | 23% |
| Electrician schools | 528 | 27,722 | $34,710 | $11,000 | 3.2 | 53% | 18% |
| Lineman schools | 68 | 2,180 | $57,416 | $5,500 | 10.4 | 51% | — |
| Plumbing schools | 146 | 2,745 | $30,730 | $9,500 | 3.2 | 50% | 8.2% |
| Medical assistant programs | 1,357 | 67,741 | $26,692 | $9,500 | 2.8 | 53% | 38% |
| CNA classes | 510 | 38,072 | $22,196 | $9,500 | 2.3 | 54% | 14% |
| LPN / LVN programs | 931 | 45,861 | $37,410 | $12,250 | 3.1 | 53% | 17% |
| Cosmetology schools | 1,475 | 64,236 | $17,178 | $8,619 | 2 | 67% | 70% |
| Barber schools | 479 | 10,975 | $14,528 | $12,000 | 1.2 | 68% | 82% |
| Esthetician schools | 698 | 43,005 | $20,883 | $6,333 | 3.3 | 73% | 87% |
| Nail technician schools | 500 | 13,887 | not reported | not reported | — | 72% | 82% |
| CDL / truck driving schools | 219 | 22,902 | $38,603 | $6,333 | 6.1 | 59% | 20% |
| Auto mechanic schools | 811 | 48,188 | $33,710 | $12,000 | 2.8 | 50% | 9.2% |
| Diesel mechanic schools | 289 | 9,258 | $37,506 | $13,132 | 2.9 | 50% | 9.3% |
| Aviation maintenance (A&P) schools | 165 | 10,670 | $41,628 | $22,432 | 1.9 | 50% | 15% |
| Dental assistant schools | 579 | 16,340 | $24,225 | $9,500 | 2.5 | 54% | 45% |
| Dental hygiene programs | 267 | 5,906 | $51,231 | $16,146 | 3.2 | 38% | 10% |
| Phlebotomy classes | 321 | 8,480 | $24,832 | $6,298 | 3.9 | 52% | 15% |
| Pharmacy technician programs | 381 | 6,707 | $22,908 | $13,622 | 1.7 | 55% | 38% |
| Surgical technologist programs | 438 | 7,415 | $41,966 | $19,998 | 2.1 | 47% | 20% |
| Radiology & sonography programs | 644 | 17,357 | $45,833 | $16,895 | 2.7 | 43% | 17% |
| EMT & paramedic training | 676 | 30,821 | $44,770 | $11,331 | 4 | 43% | 3.6% |
| Medical billing & coding programs | 748 | 29,055 | $26,499 | $12,163 | 2.2 | 49% | 30% |
| Massage therapy schools | 386 | 10,340 | $19,383 | $7,885 | 2.5 | 62% | 66% |
| Culinary & pastry schools | 550 | 22,143 | $24,208 | $12,000 | 2 | 45% | 7.5% |
| CNC & machining programs | 429 | 7,274 | $36,340 | $8,071 | 4.5 | 47% | 2.6% |
| Heavy equipment operator schools | 51 | 943 | $34,973 | $8,750 | 4 | 59% | 2.0% |
| Construction trades programs | 442 | 10,609 | $27,572 | $6,460 | 4.3 | 49% | 2.7% |
Public vs. non-profit vs. for-profit
| Type | Campuses | Avg completion | Median grad debt | Median earnings, 10 yrs | Median annual cost | Avg % on Pell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public | 1,342 | 48% | $10,500 | $39,901 | $17,382 | 33% |
| Private non-profit | 288 | 66% | $19,450 | $47,475 | $24,506 | 49% |
| Private for-profit | 1,922 | 71% | $9,500 | $28,311 | $24,086 | 57% |
Completion is a campus-wide institutional rate, and short for-profit certificate programs are structurally easier to finish than multi-year public programs — read it alongside earnings and cost, not alone.
States ranked by completion
| # | State | Campuses | Avg completion | Median grad debt | Median earnings, 10 yrs | % for-profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 8 | 84% | $19,660 | $48,670 | 25% |
| 2 | Utah | 53 | 77% | $9,708 | $35,507 | 60% |
| 3 | Rhode Island | 11 | 75% | $10,920 | $43,418 | 55% |
| 4 | South Dakota | 16 | 74% | $12,000 | $38,782 | 25% |
| 5 | Connecticut | 32 | 72% | $9,833 | $43,255 | 66% |
| 6 | Idaho | 31 | 71% | $10,555 | $26,774 | 68% |
| 7 | Florida | 248 | 71% | $9,500 | $33,928 | 57% |
| 8 | Nevada | 31 | 70% | $8,890 | $32,709 | 77% |
| 9 | Missouri | 78 | 69% | $10,453 | $36,221 | 47% |
| 10 | Colorado | 49 | 69% | $9,500 | $38,696 | 55% |
| 11 | Puerto Rico | 83 | 69% | $6,312 | $22,844 | 59% |
| 12 | Oklahoma | 72 | 69% | $10,726 | $34,000 | 35% |
| 13 | Ohio | 182 | 69% | $10,832 | $37,542 | 42% |
| 14 | West Virginia | 49 | 69% | $9,500 | $33,739 | 33% |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | 185 | 66% | $13,000 | $40,762 | 47% |
| 16 | Washington | 58 | 66% | $10,600 | $43,238 | 40% |
| 17 | Indiana | 64 | 66% | $9,833 | $32,521 | 66% |
| 18 | Arizona | 75 | 64% | $9,500 | $36,857 | 63% |
| 19 | Tennessee | 97 | 64% | $9,500 | $34,553 | 47% |
| 20 | California | 416 | 64% | $9,500 | $38,492 | 59% |
| 21 | New York | 175 | 64% | $10,667 | $41,267 | 42% |
| 22 | Iowa | 42 | 64% | $10,738 | $36,882 | 50% |
| 23 | North Dakota | 17 | 64% | $11,533 | $32,079 | 35% |
| 24 | Texas | 283 | 64% | $9,500 | $33,193 | 65% |
| 25 | Wisconsin | 46 | 63% | $9,991 | $36,909 | 46% |
| 26 | New Jersey | 86 | 62% | $10,521 | $41,212 | 59% |
| 27 | Delaware | 9 | 61% | $9,666 | $30,816 | 78% |
| 28 | Nebraska | 21 | 61% | $11,000 | $39,101 | 38% |
| 29 | Massachusetts | 62 | 60% | $9,500 | $44,692 | 42% |
| 30 | Mississippi | 36 | 60% | $8,239 | $31,002 | 50% |
| 31 | Louisiana | 87 | 59% | $9,833 | $30,386 | 66% |
| 32 | Vermont | 4 | 59% | $10,491 | $43,282 | 50% |
| 33 | Wyoming | 9 | 59% | $8,622 | $40,477 | 22% |
| 34 | Illinois | 144 | 58% | $8,438 | $35,650 | 56% |
| 35 | Arkansas | 57 | 57% | $9,833 | $33,386 | 42% |
| 36 | Kansas | 53 | 57% | $9,500 | $40,612 | 32% |
| 37 | Virginia | 85 | 57% | $10,667 | $34,362 | 53% |
| 38 | Michigan | 113 | 57% | $9,833 | $30,060 | 57% |
| 39 | Maine | 17 | 57% | $12,000 | $41,661 | 29% |
| 40 | New Hampshire | 15 | 56% | $11,842 | $45,432 | 47% |
| 41 | Kentucky | 55 | 56% | $10,611 | $32,194 | 55% |
| 42 | Oregon | 46 | 55% | $11,176 | $36,650 | 52% |
| 43 | Montana | 20 | 52% | $16,394 | $40,738 | 25% |
| 44 | South Carolina | 49 | 52% | $9,738 | $31,648 | 55% |
| 45 | Hawaii | 11 | 52% | $9,864 | $37,874 | 46% |
| 46 | District of Columbia | 6 | 51% | $15,416 | $33,402 | 50% |
| 47 | Georgia | 83 | 50% | $10,667 | $31,206 | 51% |
| 48 | Minnesota | 47 | 48% | $12,000 | $45,285 | 23% |
| 49 | North Carolina | 99 | 48% | $11,740 | $33,336 | 31% |
| 50 | Maryland | 40 | 47% | $10,458 | $36,368 | 58% |
| 51 | Alabama | 46 | 46% | $9,916 | $33,667 | 37% |
| 52 | New Mexico | 34 | 43% | $10,934 | $37,437 | 32% |
| 53 | Palau | 1 | 27% | not reported | $29,898 | 0.0% |
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Method
Universe: every U.S. postsecondary institution that awarded at least one sub-baccalaureate credential in a mapped trade/career program family in the 2022-23 IPEDS Completions file, plus career-accredited institutions in DAPIP without an IPEDS record. Program earnings and debt are College Scorecard field-of-study medians (1 and 2 years after completion; 4-digit CIP, so 6-digit sibling programs at the same campus share a value and are counted once). Completion is the Scorecard 150%-of-time rate for less-than-4-year institutions (institution-level). Medians ignore suppressed values; nothing is imputed. Family = TradePath program family (families.py).
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Career Training Path. (2026). The Career Training Path Trade School Outcomes Index. Own the Answer Inc. https://careertrainingpath.com/research/trade-school-outcomes/ (U.S. Department of Education data: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026). Charts and figures on this page may be reproduced with attribution and a link to this page. For a custom data cut (a specific state, chain, or measure), or the underlying dataset, contact us — we're glad to help reporters and researchers.