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Best Trade Programs in Colorado (2026)

Top 100 of 216 programs in Colorado · Updated 2026

The best trade school programs in Colorado, ranked by overall value. We scored 216 programs across Colorado trade schools on earnings, AI resilience, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $52,672/yr in graduate earnings.

Programs in CO

216

Avg Earnings (Top 100)

$52,672/yr

Avg TSW Score

74/100

#1 Program

Criminal Justice

Front Range Community College

Top Trade Programs in Colorado

Top 100 programs by TSW Score. Click any row for full analysis.

#	Program	TSW Score	Earnings	AI-Proof	ROI
1	Criminal Justice Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	90 87–92	$69,776/yr	Resilient	146.2x
2	Criminal Justice Red Rocks Community College · Lakewood, CO	91 87–93	$72,583/yr	Resilient	167.4x
3	Criminal Justice Colorado Mountain College · Glenwood Springs, CO	92 87–93	$68,129/yr	Resilient	272.2x
4	Criminal Justice Colorado Mesa University · Grand Junction, CO	83 80–85	$65,638/yr	Resilient	66.6x
5	Practical Nursing Otero College · La Junta, CO	88 86–89	$74,405/yr	AI-Proof	167.4x
6	Criminal Justice Aims Community College · Greeley, CO	90 85–92	$57,841/yr	Resilient	312.4x
7	Business Administration University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus · Denver, CO	83 78–85	$56,979/yr	Moderate	55.9x
8	Criminal Justice Arapahoe Community College · Littleton, CO	87 83–89	$54,371/yr	Resilient	142.5x
9	Practical Nursing Morgan Community College · Fort Morgan, CO	86 84–87	$64,066/yr	AI-Proof	93.0x
10	Nursing Arapahoe Community College · Littleton, CO	86 80–86	$73,926/yr	Moderate	95.2x
11	Business Administration Arapahoe Community College · Littleton, CO	81 77–83	$49,531/yr	Moderate	56.5x
12	Nursing Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	85 80–85	$76,014/yr	Moderate	78.4x
13	Nursing Morgan Community College · Fort Morgan, CO	86 81–87	$76,759/yr	Moderate	91.0x
14	Criminal Justice Otero College · La Junta, CO	85 81–87	$50,431/yr	Resilient	109.6x
15	Nursing Otero College · La Junta, CO	85 80–85	$74,179/yr	Moderate	86.8x
16	Criminal Justice Pikes Peak State College · Colorado Springs, CO	87 82–89	$50,546/yr	Resilient	150.6x
17	Nursing Pikes Peak State College · Colorado Springs, CO	85 80–85	$72,869/yr	Moderate	85.9x
18	Criminal Justice Pueblo Community College · Pueblo, CO	86 82–87	$52,241/yr	Resilient	120.6x
19	Nursing Pueblo Community College · Pueblo, CO	85 79–85	$72,520/yr	Moderate	86.1x
20	Electrical Installation Trinidad State College · Trinidad, CO	86 82–87	$73,424/yr	AI-Proof	217.7x
21	Nursing Colorado Mountain College · Glenwood Springs, CO	88 82–89	$68,039/yr	Moderate	149.8x
22	Nursing Colorado Northwestern Community College · Rangely, CO	84 79–84	$70,087/yr	Moderate	78.7x
23	Nursing Northeastern Junior College · Sterling, CO	81 76–81	$68,853/yr	Moderate	60.7x
24	Nursing Pueblo Community College · Pueblo, CO	89 83–89	$69,953/yr	Moderate	142.3x
25	Practical Nursing Pickens Technical College · Aurora, CO	82 81–83	$53,360/yr	AI-Proof	107.2x
26	Nursing Trinidad State College · Trinidad, CO	84 77–85	$66,009/yr	Moderate	87.1x
27	Vehicle Repair Technology Community College of Aurora · Aurora, CO	74 73–74	$57,677/yr	AI-Proof	70.6x
28	Business Administration Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	83 78–85	$41,596/yr	Moderate	90.5x
29	Criminal Justice Trinidad State College · Trinidad, CO	81 77–82	$42,381/yr	Resilient	93.9x
30	Vehicle Repair Technology Aims Community College · Greeley, CO	76 75–76	$47,529/yr	AI-Proof	112.0x
31	Criminal Justice Technical College of the Rockies · Delta, CO	72 68–74	$56,589/yr	Resilient	—
32	Electrical Installation Colorado Mesa University · Grand Junction, CO	70 69–71	$49,330/yr	AI-Proof	49.8x
33	Computer Science Colorado State University Global · Aurora, CO	82 73–84	$61,737/yr	Exposed	72.5x
34	Precision Metalworking Aims Community College · Greeley, CO	74 73–75	$47,680/yr	AI-Proof	227.1x
35	Health Administration Arapahoe Community College · Littleton, CO	76 69–78	$43,631/yr	Moderate	59.3x
36	Practical Nursing Concorde Career College-Aurora · Aurora, CO	69 67–70	$57,339/yr	AI-Proof	—
37	Business Administration Community College of Aurora · Aurora, CO	85 77–87	$38,496/yr	Moderate	138.8x
38	Computer Science Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	79 69–82	$53,219/yr	Exposed	71.1x
39	Business Administration Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	74 70–76	$40,016/yr	Moderate	43.8x
40	Nursing Concorde Career College-Aurora · Aurora, CO	73 67–74	$70,663/yr	Moderate	—
41	Electrical Installation Emily Griffith Technical College · Denver, CO	69 66–69	$70,780/yr	AI-Proof	—
42	Health Administration Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	73 69–75	$43,801/yr	Moderate	43.0x
43	Nursing Denver College of Nursing · Denver, CO	73 67–74	$70,197/yr	Moderate	—
44	Practical Nursing Pima Medical Institute-Aurora · Aurora, CO	69 66–69	$54,021/yr	AI-Proof	—
45	Vehicle Repair Technology Aims Community College · Greeley, CO	76 75–77	$42,120/yr	AI-Proof	200.5x
46	Practical Nursing Arapahoe Community College · Littleton, CO	73 72–74	$36,234/yr	AI-Proof	83.1x
47	Vehicle Repair Technology Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	72 71–72	$41,745/yr	AI-Proof	87.1x
48	Precision Metalworking Pueblo Community College · Pueblo, CO	59 60–60	$43,715/yr	AI-Proof	46.0x
49	Mental Health Services Pueblo Community College · Pueblo, CO	80 76–81	$59,198/yr	Resilient	120.2x
50	Allied Health Professions Red Rocks Community College · Lakewood, CO	80 76–81	$104,021/yr	Resilient	212.2x
51	Vehicle Repair Technology Arapahoe Community College · Littleton, CO	68 62–69	$38,845/yr	AI-Proof	87.8x
52	Medical Assisting Arapahoe Community College · Littleton, CO	68 65–68	$42,853/yr	Resilient	50.4x
53	Allied Health Professions Community College of Denver · Denver, CO	78 75–79	$72,086/yr	Resilient	146.1x
54	Computer Science Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	81 72–83	$45,174/yr	Exposed	107.7x
55	Vehicle Repair Technology Pickens Technical College · Aurora, CO	69 68–69	$38,503/yr	AI-Proof	63.4x
56	Human Development & Family Studies Arapahoe Community College · Littleton, CO	73 71–75	$34,716/yr	Moderate	79.6x
57	Dental Assisting Community College of Denver · Denver, CO	72 70–73	$76,712/yr	Resilient	66.5x
58	Computer Networking Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	80 71–82	$52,583/yr	Exposed	109.9x
59	Culinary Arts Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder · Boulder, CO	65 62–66	$30,224/yr	AI-Proof	—
60	Allied Health Professions Arapahoe Community College · Littleton, CO	76 72–76	$59,024/yr	Resilient	136.0x
61	Practical Nursing Technical College of the Rockies · Delta, CO	65 63–66	$42,451/yr	AI-Proof	—
62	Allied Health Professions Community College of Denver · Denver, CO	70 65–71	$57,873/yr	Resilient	72.5x
63	Plumbing Emily Griffith Technical College · Denver, CO	63 62–64	$63,386/yr	AI-Proof	—
64	Horticulture Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	70 65–72	$28,703/yr	Resilient	81.8x
65	Computer Networking Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	75 65–78	$52,244/yr	Exposed	71.2x
66	Environmental Technology Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	74 72–76	$70,888/yr	Resilient	148.6x
67	Allied Health Professions Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	68 65–69	$58,164/yr	Resilient	60.4x
68	Medical Assisting Pueblo Community College · Pueblo, CO	66 64–66	$42,297/yr	Resilient	43.5x
69	Allied Health Professions Red Rocks Community College · Lakewood, CO	70 67–71	$62,663/yr	Resilient	70.5x
70	Fire Protection Aims Community College · Greeley, CO	77 73–78	$44,470/yr	Resilient	211.8x
71	Clinical Laboratory Science Arapahoe Community College · Littleton, CO	70 67–70	$63,746/yr	Resilient	73.0x
72	Medical Assisting Concorde Career College-Aurora · Aurora, CO	65 61–66	$49,680/yr	Resilient	—
73	Dental Assisting Colorado Northwestern Community College · Rangely, CO	69 66–69	$62,148/yr	Resilient	66.6x
74	Precision Metalworking Emily Griffith Technical College · Denver, CO	56 55–57	$44,943/yr	AI-Proof	—
75	Vehicle Repair Technology Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	61 59–61	$36,836/yr	AI-Proof	44.9x
76	Precision Metalworking Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	64 60–65	$34,125/yr	AI-Proof	117.1x
77	Accounting Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	68 61–71	$38,838/yr	Exposed	48.1x
78	Dental Assisting Pueblo Community College · Pueblo, CO	75 71–75	$62,355/yr	Resilient	126.7x
79	Allied Health Professions Aims Community College · Greeley, CO	76 72–77	$51,145/yr	Resilient	230.7x
80	Vehicle Repair Technology Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology · Broomfield, CO	60 58–60	$55,219/yr	AI-Proof	17.0x
81	Vehicle Repair Technology Lincoln College of Technology-Denver · Denver, CO	60 58–60	$42,896/yr	AI-Proof	—
82	Practical Nursing Emily Griffith Technical College · Denver, CO	62 60–63	$37,744/yr	AI-Proof	—
83	Teacher Education Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	68 66–69	$29,749/yr	Moderate	59.4x
84	Medical Assisting Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	71 66–72	$35,838/yr	Resilient	92.8x
85	Practical Nursing Front Range Community College · Westminster, CO	70 64–71	$29,021/yr	AI-Proof	124.9x
86	Business Administration Pikes Peak State College · Colorado Springs, CO	68 61–70	$29,393/yr	Moderate	45.9x
87	Allied Health Professions Pueblo Community College · Pueblo, CO	66 61–67	$48,715/yr	Resilient	61.3x
88	Allied Health Professions Aims Community College · Greeley, CO	72 68–73	$46,643/yr	Resilient	123.9x
89	Allied Health Professions Colorado Mountain College · Glenwood Springs, CO	75 71–75	$48,148/yr	Resilient	194.2x
90	Vehicle Repair Technology Emily Griffith Technical College · Denver, CO	59 57–59	$40,358/yr	AI-Proof	—
91	Medical Assisting Pima Medical Institute-Denver · Denver, CO	63 59–64	$44,175/yr	Resilient	—
92	Culinary Arts Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder · Boulder, CO	61 59–62	$25,682/yr	AI-Proof	—
93	Precision Metalworking Lincoln College of Technology-Denver · Denver, CO	52 51–53	$37,249/yr	AI-Proof	—
94	Culinary Arts Emily Griffith Technical College · Denver, CO	59 57–60	$22,599/yr	AI-Proof	—
95	Medical Assisting Emily Griffith Technical College · Denver, CO	61 57–62	$39,475/yr	Resilient	—
96	Teacher Education Pueblo Community College · Pueblo, CO	61 59–62	$24,960/yr	Moderate	50.1x
97	Practical Nursing Pueblo Community College · Pueblo, CO	60 59–60	$25,507/yr	AI-Proof	51.2x
98	Allied Health Professions Pima Medical Institute-Denver · Denver, CO	61 57–62	$62,420/yr	Resilient	—
99	Business Administration Colorado Christian University · Lakewood, CO	64 58–66	$41,841/yr	Moderate	4.3x
100	Dental Assisting Concorde Career College-Aurora · Aurora, CO	60 56–61	$65,693/yr	Resilient	—

Methodology

This ranking includes the top 100 trade programs at Colorado schools, drawn from 216 total programs with earnings data. Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100), which combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best trade program in Colorado?

By TradeSchoolOutlook Score, Criminal Justice at Front Range Community College ranks #1 in Colorado with a score of 90/100 and graduate earnings of $69,776/yr.

How many trade programs are in Colorado?

Our database includes 216 trade programs across Colorado schools with reported earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.