Best Trade Programs in District of Columbia (2026)
Top 14 of 14 programs in District of Columbia · Updated 2026
The best trade school programs in District of Columbia, ranked by overall value. We scored 14 programs across District of Columbia trade schools on earnings, AI resilience, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $43,982/yr in graduate earnings.
Programs in DC
14
Avg Earnings (Top 100)
$43,982/yr
Avg TSW Score
59/100
#1 Program
Practical Nursing
Saint Michael College of Allied Health
Top Trade Programs in District of Columbia
Top 14 programs by TSW Score. Click any row for full analysis.
| # | Program | TSW Score | Earnings | AI-Proof | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Practical Nursing
Saint Michael College of Allied Health · Washington, DC |
74
74–75 |
$74,782/yr | AI-Proof | 37.5x |
| 2 |
Bioethics
University of the District of Columbia · Washington, DC |
77
71–78 |
$75,609/yr | Moderate | 74.3x |
| 3 |
Business
Strayer University-District of Columbia · Washington, DC |
69
62–71 |
$44,154/yr | Moderate | 19.1x |
| 4 |
Business
Strayer University-Global Region · Washington, DC |
69
62–71 |
$44,154/yr | Moderate | 19.1x |
| 5 |
IT Management
Strayer University-District of Columbia · Washington, DC |
68
61–71 |
$61,810/yr | Exposed | 20.1x |
| 6 |
IT Management
Strayer University-Global Region · Washington, DC |
68
61–71 |
$61,810/yr | Exposed | 20.1x |
| 7 |
Political Science and Government
American University · Washington, DC |
56
50–59 |
$51,222/yr | Exposed | 12.1x |
| 8 |
Health Administration
Career Technical Institute · Washington, DC |
54
47–56 |
$20,308/yr | Moderate | — |
| 9 |
Computer Science
Career Technical Institute · Washington, DC |
55
45–57 |
$24,482/yr | Exposed | — |
| 10 |
IT Management
Career Technical Institute · Washington, DC |
54
46–57 |
$24,935/yr | Exposed | — |
| 11 |
Clinical Laboratory Science
George Washington University · Washington, DC |
46
42–46 |
$40,630/yr | Resilient | 3.8x |
| 12 |
Linguistics
American University · Washington, DC |
48
42–51 |
$52,493/yr | Exposed | 8.3x |
| 13 |
Cosmetology
Bennett Career Institute · Washington, DC |
44
40–44 |
$20,316/yr | Resilient | — |
| 14 |
Cosmetology
The Salon Professional Academy-Washington DC · Washington, DC |
43
40–44 |
$19,048/yr | Resilient | — |
Methodology
This ranking includes the top 14 trade programs at District of Columbia schools, drawn from 14 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 District of Columbia?
By TradeSchoolOutlook Score, Practical Nursing at Saint Michael College of Allied Health ranks #1 in District of Columbia with a score of 74/100 and graduate earnings of $74,782/yr.
How many trade programs are in District of Columbia?
Our database includes 14 trade programs across District of Columbia 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.