Trade Schools in San Diego, CA
13 schools · 35 programs · Avg earnings $35,729/yr
Schools
13
Programs
35
Avg Grad Earnings
$35,729/yr
Avg Score
59/100
San Diego Trade Schools Map
13 trade schools in San Diego, CA.
Concorde Career College-San Diego
North-West College-San Diego
San Diego Miramar College
San Diego Mesa College
San Diego City College
CET-San Diego
California Institute of Arts & Technology
California Barber and Beauty College
Associated Barber College of San Diego
Paul Mitchell the School-San Diego
Pacific College of Health and Science
Ashford University
National University
All Trade Schools in San Diego
13 trade schools ranked by number of programs offered.
| School | Programs | Avg Earnings | Avg Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concorde Career College-San Diego | 5 | $46,365/yr | 60 |
| North-West College-San Diego | 4 | $52,064/yr | 64 |
| San Diego Miramar College | 4 | $41,037/yr | 71 |
| San Diego Mesa College | 4 | $29,851/yr | 66 |
| San Diego City College | 3 | $26,218/yr | 64 |
| CET-San Diego | 3 | $31,119/yr | 55 |
| California Institute of Arts & Technology | 1 | $48,778/yr | 55 |
| California Barber and Beauty College | 1 | $11,137/yr | 41 |
| Associated Barber College of San Diego | 1 | $12,147/yr | 41 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-San Diego | 1 | $16,464/yr | 42 |
| Pacific College of Health and Science | 1 | $19,629/yr | 34 |
| Ashford University | 1 | $25,553/yr | 50 |
| National University | 1 | $41,545/yr | 48 |
Top Programs in San Diego
Highest-earning trade programs by first-year graduate earnings in San Diego.
| Program | School | Earnings | Score | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | North-West College-San Diego | $96,185/yr | 74 | Moderate |
| Criminal Justice | San Diego Miramar College | $91,647/yr | 93 | Resilient |
| Dental Assisting | Concorde Career College-San Diego | $70,807/yr | 61 | Resilient |
| Practical Nursing | Concorde Career College-San Diego | $60,979/yr | 70 | AI-Proof |
| Practical Nursing | North-West College-San Diego | $59,140/yr | 70 | AI-Proof |
| Medical Assisting | Concorde Career College-San Diego | $52,385/yr | 66 | Resilient |
| Allied Health Professions | Concorde Career College-San Diego | $50,059/yr | 58 | Resilient |
| Computer Engineering Technology | California Institute of Arts & Technology | $48,778/yr | 55 | Exposed |
| Vehicle Repair Technology | San Diego Miramar College | $43,285/yr | 78 | AI-Proof |
| Liberal Arts & Humanities | National University | $41,545/yr | 48 | AI-Proof |
Programs by Category
Skilled Trades (3)
Healthcare (14)
Engineering & Technology (1)
Criminal Justice & Public Safety (2)
Personal Services (4)
Business & Office (2)
Education (1)
Other Programs (8)
Skilled Trades (3 programs)
▶| Program | School | Score | Earnings | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Repair Technology | San Diego Miramar College | 78 | $43,285/yr | AI-Proof |
| Construction Management Technology | CET-San Diego | 60 | $28,485/yr | AI-Proof |
| Precision Metalworking | CET-San Diego | 49 | $32,817/yr | AI-Proof |
Healthcare (14 programs)
▶| Program | School | Score | Earnings | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | North-West College-San Diego | 74 | $96,185/yr | Moderate |
| Practical Nursing | Concorde Career College-San Diego | 70 | $60,979/yr | AI-Proof |
| Practical Nursing | North-West College-San Diego | 70 | $59,140/yr | AI-Proof |
| Medical Assisting | Concorde Career College-San Diego | 66 | $52,385/yr | Resilient |
| Dental Assisting | Concorde Career College-San Diego | 61 | $70,807/yr | Resilient |
| Health Administration | Concorde Career College-San Diego | 61 | $29,797/yr | Moderate |
| Allied Health Professions | Concorde Career College-San Diego | 58 | $50,059/yr | Resilient |
| Health Administration | North-West College-San Diego | 58 | $26,827/yr | Moderate |
| Medical Assisting | CET-San Diego | 57 | $32,056/yr | Resilient |
| Medical Assisting | Concorde Career College-San Diego | 56 | $30,842/yr | Resilient |
| Medical Assisting | North-West College-San Diego | 52 | $26,106/yr | Resilient |
| Dental Assisting | Concorde Career College-San Diego | 47 | $29,687/yr | Resilient |
| Massage Therapy | Pacific College of Health and Science | 38 | $21,955/yr | Resilient |
| Massage Therapy | Pacific College of Health and Science | 31 | $17,304/yr | Resilient |
Engineering & Technology (1 programs)
▶| Program | School | Score | Earnings | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering Technology | California Institute of Arts & Technology | 55 | $48,778/yr | Exposed |
Criminal Justice & Public Safety (2 programs)
▶| Program | School | Score | Earnings | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice | San Diego Miramar College | 93 | $91,647/yr | Resilient |
| Criminal Justice | San Diego Miramar College | 71 | $22,722/yr | Resilient |
Personal Services (4 programs)
▶| Program | School | Score | Earnings | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetology | San Diego City College | 56 | $13,445/yr | Resilient |
| Cosmetology | Paul Mitchell the School-San Diego | 42 | $16,464/yr | Resilient |
| Cosmetology | Associated Barber College of San Diego | 41 | $12,147/yr | Resilient |
| Cosmetology | California Barber and Beauty College | 41 | $11,137/yr | Resilient |
Business & Office (2 programs)
▶| Program | School | Score | Earnings | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | San Diego Mesa College | 88 | $40,642/yr | Moderate |
| Business Administration | San Diego City College | 83 | $33,350/yr | Moderate |
Education (1 programs)
▶| Program | School | Score | Earnings | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education | Ashford University | 50 | $25,553/yr | Moderate |
Other Programs (8 programs)
▶| Program | School | Score | Earnings | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts & Humanities | San Diego Mesa College | 62 | $33,015/yr | AI-Proof |
| Liberal Arts & Humanities | San Diego City College | 62 | $32,438/yr | AI-Proof |
| Psychology | San Diego Mesa College | 62 | $26,229/yr | Moderate |
| Liberal Arts & Humanities | San Diego Miramar College | 61 | $31,804/yr | AI-Proof |
| Liberal Arts & Humanities | San Diego City College | 55 | $25,639/yr | AI-Proof |
| Biological & Physical Sciences | San Diego Mesa College | 54 | $19,521/yr | Resilient |
| Biology | San Diego Miramar College | 52 | $15,731/yr | Moderate |
| Liberal Arts & Humanities | National University | 48 | $41,545/yr | AI-Proof |
More Trade Schools in California
View all trade schools in California or browse all cities with trade schools.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many trade schools are in San Diego?
There are 13 accredited trade and vocational schools in San Diego, CA, offering a total of 35 certificate and associate degree programs.
What are the best trade programs in San Diego?
The highest-earning programs in San Diego include Nursing, Criminal Justice, Dental Assisting, with graduates earning $96,185 or more in their first year after graduation.
Are trade schools in San Diego worth it?
Trade school programs in San Diego average $35,729 in first-year graduate earnings, with many programs offering positive ROI within the first year. Most trade careers also have high AI-proof ratings due to hands-on work requirements.
About This Data
This page analyzes 35 trade and vocational programs at 13 schools in San Diego, CA using earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034), and AI resilience research.
School locations shown on the map are based on official institutional addresses. Graduate earnings represent median first-year earnings for certificate and associate degree completers.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034, OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research.
Last updated 2026.