Best Trade Programs in Alaska (2026)
The best trade school programs in Alaska, ranked by overall value. We scored 25 programs across Alaska trade schools on earnings, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $41,588/yr in graduate earnings.
Top Trade Programs in Alaska
Top 25 programs by TSW Score. Click any row for full analysis.
| # | Program | TSW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Nursing
Charter College · Anchorage, AK |
72
66–72 |
$83,107/yr | 19.9x |
| 2 |
Industrial Production Technology
University of Alaska Anchorage · Anchorage, AK |
66
60–68 |
$64,364/yr | 60.9x |
| 3 |
Allied Health Professions
University of Alaska Anchorage · Anchorage, AK |
67
65–67 |
$70,614/yr | 38.0x |
| 4 |
Business Administration
Charter College · Anchorage, AK |
68
63–70 |
$46,989/yr | 10.3x |
| 5 |
Medical Assisting
University of Alaska Anchorage · Anchorage, AK |
63
61–63 |
$44,513/yr | 28.4x |
| 6 |
Welding & Metalworking
Alaska Vocational Technical Center · Seward, AK |
53
52–54 |
$38,973/yr | — |
| 7 |
Business Operations Support
Alaska Vocational Technical Center · Seward, AK |
62
56–66 |
$37,409/yr | — |
| 8 |
IT Management
Charter College · Anchorage, AK |
66
59–68 |
$46,466/yr | 23.7x |
| 9 |
Health Administration
Alaska Career College · Anchorage, AK |
65
58–67 |
$36,311/yr | — |
| 10 |
Accounting
Alaska Career College · Anchorage, AK |
65
58–68 |
$42,749/yr | — |
| 11 |
Medical Assisting
Alaska Career College · Anchorage, AK |
59
55–59 |
$35,629/yr | — |
| 12 |
Business Operations Support
Charter College · Anchorage, AK |
57
51–60 |
$33,009/yr | 21.0x |
| 13 |
Welding & Metalworking
Charter College · Anchorage, AK |
47
45–48 |
$32,204/yr | 22.1x |
| 14 |
Human Resources
Alaska Career College · Anchorage, AK |
59
54–62 |
$36,546/yr | — |
| 15 |
Health Administration
Charter College · Anchorage, AK |
58
51–60 |
$30,194/yr | 18.5x |
| 16 |
Computer Networking
Charter College · Anchorage, AK |
59
50–61 |
$47,463/yr | 11.7x |
| 17 |
HVAC Technology
Charter College · Anchorage, AK |
51
49–51 |
$41,202/yr | 27.0x |
| 18 |
Medical Assisting
Charter College · Anchorage, AK |
54
50–55 |
$33,115/yr | 19.4x |
| 19 |
Liberal Arts & Humanities
University of Alaska Fairbanks · Fairbanks, AK |
46
46–46 |
$38,018/yr | 24.9x |
| 20 |
Construction Trades
Charter College · Anchorage, AK |
51
46–53 |
$52,820/yr | 10.9x |
| 21 |
Massage Therapy
Alaska Career College · Anchorage, AK |
49
44–49 |
$35,057/yr | — |
| 22 |
Liberal Arts & Humanities
University of Alaska Anchorage · Anchorage, AK |
41
40–41 |
$30,114/yr | 25.3x |
| 23 |
Dental Assisting
Charter College · Anchorage, AK |
41
36–41 |
$26,847/yr | 16.7x |
| 24 |
Veterinary Technology
Charter College · Anchorage, AK |
37
31–37 |
$23,184/yr | 16.5x |
| 25 |
Health Sciences
Charter College · Anchorage, AK |
39
32–40 |
$32,798/yr | 10.2x |
About This Ranking
What we ranked
Best Trades in Alaska ranks 25 programs across the United States by the TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings, return on investment, and job-market demand into a single 0-100 metric.
Data sources
Earnings figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, which tracks graduate income one and five years after program completion. Job-market projections use Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 employment data.
How to read the table
Use the sort controls below the headline to re-rank by earnings, ROI, or other metrics. Click any school name for full earnings projections, three-scenario modeling, and detailed program data. Most students attend a school within driving distance — local rankings are usually more actionable than national.
Caveats & limitations
Rankings reflect what the data can measure: post-graduation earnings, debt levels, and broad labor-market trends. They cannot capture program quality nuances like instructor expertise, hands-on equipment access, or industry connections. Treat rankings as a starting point — visit schools and talk to current students before committing.
Methodology
This ranking includes the top 25 trade programs at Alaska schools, drawn from 25 total programs with earnings data. Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100), which combines graduate earnings, job market demand, and tuition ROI.
Only in-state tuition is used for ROI calculations. Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.