Best Trade Schools in Arizona

Arizona faces a student loan debt dilemma. Roughly 47% of Arizona college graduates in 2019-20 had student loan debt, with students owing $24,298 on average, according to the Institute for College Access and Success. As college tuition continues to rise, many Arizona students are turning to trade schools to learn skilled trades in growing industries.

Trade school graduates usually pay less for their education and spend less time in school than traditional college students. Accelerated certificates and diplomas allow trade students within months or weeks to start new careers —many of which offer good wages and continuing professional growth opportunities.

Find out on this page how to enroll in trade schools in Arizona and what the best trade school jobs pay.

It does not take a college degree to earn a decent wage in Arizona. Many of Arizona’s highest concentrations of trade jobs only require a high school diploma or GED certificate. As you can see below, automotive service technicians, cooks, and emergency medical technicians can make decent wages without having to earn a college degree.

Community colleges, vocational schools, and trade schools train students through classroom and clinical work. About 25 two-year public schools operate in Arizona, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The state also has 49 private nonprofit and private for-profit, two-year and less than two-year schools.

Trade school programs include cosmetology, dental assistance, electrical technology, HVAC technology, mining, pharmacy technician training, truck driving, and welding.

Arizona ranks among the top five states with the highest employment levels of miners, geological engineers, and mining safety engineers. Fun fact: Professionals in mining and geological engineering make an average of $85,020.

Nationwide, some of the fastest-growing jobs include wind turbine service technicians, solar photovoltaic installers, exercise trainers, manicurists and pedicurists, and massage therapists. The BLS projects that these trades will grow by 32%-68% from 2020 to 2030.

College students at public four-year schools in Arizona paid $11,072 for in-state tuition and fees in the 2019-2020 school year and $27,417 for out-of-state tuition and fees, according to the NCES. Private four-year schools charged $12,895 for tuition and fees. Compare those prices to those of public two-year schools in Arizona, which charged $2,151 in 2019-2020 for in-state tuition and fees and $7,642 for out-of-state tuition and fees.

Trades schools in Arizona that meet federal guidelines can qualify for federal financial aid. Students attending programs that operate for 15 weeks or more can complete a FAFSA form and get federal loans and grants. Programs that run for fewer than 15 weeks only qualify for direct loans.

Much like traditional colleges and universities, reputable trade schools hold accreditation from independent agencies. Common accrediting agencies for trade schools in Arizona include the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences, Inc., Council on Occupational Education, and Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.

Accredited trade schools secure a student’s investment and provide job security. Accrediting agencies review a trade school’s learning outcomes, curriculum, and faculty. This voluntary process offers quality assurance and helps students get jobs and licenses in their respective trades. Licensing agencies often require students to have completed accredited trade programs in Arizona.

Aside from accreditation, other factors that separate trade schools include cost, time commitment, job placement services, and student outcomes, such as graduation rates.

According to the Arizona Apprenticeship Program, roughly 4,000 apprentices participated in apprenticeships in 2021. Trade schools and colleges in Arizona offer apprenticeships that let students make money while they train. Arizona Western College features a four-year electrical apprenticeship that leads to a certificate and a career as a journeyman. Students can also seek out apprenticeships after graduating from trade schools in Arizona. Paid apprenticeships, on average, last 3-4 years.

Additionally, the Arizona Apprenticeship Office offers apprenticeships in industries such as air conditioning mechanics, boilermakers, bricklayers, carpenters, cement masons, community health workers, cooks, electronics technicians, and manicurists.

Each program on the list will meet our criteria, being: