Earning a college degree is often seen as a crucial step toward unlocking great job opportunities. While completing a degree usually requires several years of full-time or part-time study, trade schools offer an efficient alternative. Across the U.S., a variety of trade schools provide a fast-track option to reach your career goals, often in less time and at a lower cost compared to a 4-year college. These schools deliver focused training that can lead to rewarding careers, making them a practical and valuable option for those looking to save time and money while setting themselves up for success.
Going to Trade School?
There are many different types of trade schools, and they often vary in duration. Learning a trade requires hours of training and practice. Generally, the rule of thumb is that trade schools only teach a very particular curriculum, which is solely designed to teach a person the specific skills that will allow them to enter the workforce, at some level or other.
Trade school programs vary by length of study. Most trade school diploma programs take between three months and one year. Though associate degree programs will usually take a bit longer - between 18 and 24 months to complete - there are also programs that are incredibly short.
What Are Some Different Types of Trade School and Program Durations?
Because there are so many different types of trades and because these trades differ so widely in terms of information that needs to be covered, program lengths also vary widely. Even within a trade, students have choices as to the type of program that they want. Welders, for instance, can earn a diploma in welding technology in between seven months and one year. Welding students could also pursue an associate degree in the science of welding technology, which usually takes between 16 and 24 months.
There are commercial driving license (CDL) licensing programs that last three weeks, though, on average, it takes about seven weeks to earn a CDL. On the other end of the spectrum, earning an associate degree in medical assisting takes between 18 and 24 months.
For students who want to enter the health profession but don't want to pursue an associate degree, there are accelerated online CMA certificate programs that only take a few short months. A medical assisting diploma takes about one year to earn.
How Much Does a Trade School Cost?
The tuition costs of trade schools vary, according to size and scope of the course. Because trades consist of many different things across many different industries, the resources necessary to learn some might be much more expensive than others. Some might require more time, as well.
Tuition for welding schools typically starts around $5,000. In-person classroom phlebotomy training costs anywhere from $700 to $1,400, depending on the course. Associate degree programs in diagnostic medical sonography can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $40,000 and could last from two to four years.
Who Should Attend a Trade School?
Trades schools are for anybody who is interested in learning a skill quickly so that they can go out into the world and start earning money with it. There are so many options that suit different personalities and motivations that there is something for everyone.
