Best Trade Programs in Minnesota (2026)
Top 100 of 336 programs in Minnesota · Updated 2026
The best trade school programs in Minnesota, ranked by overall value. We scored 336 programs across Minnesota trade schools on earnings, AI resilience, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $53,854/yr in graduate earnings.
Programs in MN
336
Avg Earnings (Top 100)
$53,854/yr
Avg TSW Score
77/100
#1 Program
Ground Transportation
Central Lakes College-Brainerd
Top Trade Programs in Minnesota
Top 100 programs by TSW Score. Click any row for full analysis.
| # | Program | TSW Score | Earnings | AI-Proof | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Ground Transportation
Central Lakes College-Brainerd · Brainerd, MN |
90
89–90 |
$64,164/yr | AI-Proof | 108.0x |
| 2 |
Construction Management Technology
North Hennepin Community College · Brooklyn Park, MN |
90
88–90 |
$66,902/yr | AI-Proof | 131.5x |
| 3 |
Construction Management Technology
Rochester Community and Technical College · Rochester, MN |
81
79–81 |
$62,398/yr | AI-Proof | 56.9x |
| 4 |
Construction Management Technology
Rochester Community and Technical College · Rochester, MN |
88
85–88 |
$61,196/yr | AI-Proof | 118.2x |
| 5 |
Ground Transportation
Alexandria Technical & Community College · Alexandria, MN |
84
83–84 |
$48,587/yr | AI-Proof | 82.1x |
| 6 |
Ground Transportation
Minnesota State College Southeast · Winona, MN |
82
80–82 |
$47,171/yr | AI-Proof | 70.2x |
| 7 |
Ground Transportation
Riverland Community College · Austin, MN |
82
81–82 |
$45,619/yr | AI-Proof | 72.0x |
| 8 |
Criminal Justice
Rasmussen University-Minnesota · St. Cloud, MN |
82
79–84 |
$67,135/yr | Resilient | 58.4x |
| 9 |
Criminal Justice
Minnesota North College · Hibbing, MN |
86
82–87 |
$59,186/yr | Resilient | 97.6x |
| 10 |
Business Administration
Minnesota State University Moorhead · Moorhead, MN |
82
78–84 |
$56,798/yr | Moderate | 54.0x |
| 11 |
Criminal Justice
Alexandria Technical & Community College · Alexandria, MN |
86
81–87 |
$54,355/yr | Resilient | 109.0x |
| 12 |
Criminal Justice
Hennepin Technical College · Brooklyn Park, MN |
87
82–89 |
$56,699/yr | Resilient | 119.7x |
| 13 |
Criminal Justice
Minnesota North College · Hibbing, MN |
77
74–79 |
$54,328/yr | Resilient | 51.4x |
| 14 |
Nursing
Northwest Technical College · Bemidji, MN |
81
76–81 |
$72,778/yr | Moderate | 55.3x |
| 15 |
Nursing
Minnesota West Community and Technical College · Granite Falls, MN |
81
76–81 |
$74,877/yr | Moderate | 55.8x |
| 16 |
Practical Nursing
Hennepin Technical College · Brooklyn Park, MN |
75
73–75 |
$54,376/yr | AI-Proof | 53.3x |
| 17 |
Business Administration
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN |
79
73–81 |
$55,995/yr | Moderate | 43.6x |
| 18 |
Criminal Justice
North Hennepin Community College · Brooklyn Park, MN |
78
75–80 |
$53,797/yr | Resilient | 48.0x |
| 19 |
Vehicle Repair Technology
Alexandria Technical & Community College · Alexandria, MN |
72
71–72 |
$65,311/yr | AI-Proof | 52.4x |
| 20 |
Nursing
Alexandria Technical & Community College · Alexandria, MN |
79
74–79 |
$66,448/yr | Moderate | 51.2x |
| 21 |
Nursing
Anoka-Ramsey Community College · Coon Rapids, MN |
81
75–82 |
$66,484/yr | Moderate | 67.3x |
| 22 |
Nursing
Riverland Community College · Austin, MN |
80
75–80 |
$69,481/yr | Moderate | 54.6x |
| 23 |
Nursing
Central Lakes College-Brainerd · Brainerd, MN |
80
74–80 |
$68,032/yr | Moderate | 57.8x |
| 24 |
Electrical Installation
Dakota County Technical College · Rosemount, MN |
82
78–83 |
$63,839/yr | AI-Proof | 123.1x |
| 25 |
Business Administration
Dakota County Technical College · Rosemount, MN |
79
70–81 |
$45,143/yr | Moderate | 51.0x |
| 26 |
Nursing
Lake Superior College · Duluth, MN |
79
74–79 |
$64,846/yr | Moderate | 55.3x |
| 27 |
Criminal Justice
Inver Hills Community College · Inver Grove Heights, MN |
76
73–77 |
$52,724/yr | Resilient | 45.8x |
| 28 |
Nursing
Inver Hills Community College · Inver Grove Heights, MN |
81
74–81 |
$66,870/yr | Moderate | 63.5x |
| 29 |
Nursing
North Hennepin Community College · Brooklyn Park, MN |
83
77–84 |
$67,312/yr | Moderate | 77.8x |
| 30 |
Business Administration
North Hennepin Community College · Brooklyn Park, MN |
79
74–81 |
$47,361/yr | Moderate | 52.0x |
| 31 |
Nursing
Normandale Community College · Bloomington, MN |
81
73–82 |
$65,052/yr | Moderate | 65.9x |
| 32 |
Nursing
Northland Community and Technical College · Thief River Falls, MN |
79
74–79 |
$67,075/yr | Moderate | 50.6x |
| 33 |
Nursing
Pine Technical & Community College · Pine City, MN |
83
77–84 |
$64,961/yr | Moderate | 80.6x |
| 34 |
Nursing
Rochester Community and Technical College · Rochester, MN |
81
75–81 |
$70,020/yr | Moderate | 60.9x |
| 35 |
Nursing
Minnesota State College Southeast · Winona, MN |
78
74–78 |
$74,091/yr | Moderate | 47.5x |
| 36 |
Nursing
Century College · White Bear Lake, MN |
80
74–80 |
$66,512/yr | Moderate | 59.3x |
| 37 |
Criminal Justice
Alexandria Technical & Community College · Alexandria, MN |
74
70–76 |
$46,511/yr | Resilient | 47.2x |
| 38 |
Practical Nursing
Dakota County Technical College · Rosemount, MN |
80
77–80 |
$48,973/yr | AI-Proof | 91.0x |
| 39 |
Practical Nursing
Lake Superior College · Duluth, MN |
78
77–79 |
$47,190/yr | AI-Proof | 85.1x |
| 40 |
Vehicle Repair Technology
Hennepin Technical College · Brooklyn Park, MN |
69
69–70 |
$57,382/yr | AI-Proof | 50.4x |
| 41 |
Precision Metalworking
Hennepin Technical College · Brooklyn Park, MN |
67
65–69 |
$59,829/yr | AI-Proof | 63.2x |
| 42 |
Nursing
Minnesota North College · Hibbing, MN |
79
72–79 |
$61,116/yr | Moderate | 59.5x |
| 43 |
Nursing
South Central College · North Mankato, MN |
78
72–78 |
$60,434/yr | Moderate | 54.7x |
| 44 |
Vehicle Repair Technology
Minneapolis Community and Technical College · Minneapolis, MN |
77
76–78 |
$58,745/yr | AI-Proof | 94.9x |
| 45 |
Vehicle Repair Technology
Minneapolis Community and Technical College · Minneapolis, MN |
70
69–70 |
$59,441/yr | AI-Proof | 47.5x |
| 46 |
Nursing
Minneapolis Community and Technical College · Minneapolis, MN |
79
72–80 |
$61,817/yr | Moderate | 61.1x |
| 47 |
Nursing
St Cloud Technical and Community College · Saint Cloud, MN |
82
74–82 |
$59,395/yr | Moderate | 75.3x |
| 48 |
Culinary Arts
Saint Paul College · Saint Paul, MN |
73
71–73 |
$32,478/yr | AI-Proof | 52.8x |
| 49 |
Criminal Justice
Century College · White Bear Lake, MN |
76
73–77 |
$54,174/yr | Resilient | 39.2x |
| 50 |
Criminal Justice
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College · Cloquet, MN |
75
72–76 |
$51,144/yr | Resilient | 43.0x |
Methodology
This ranking includes the top 100 trade programs at Minnesota schools, drawn from 336 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 Minnesota?
By TradeSchoolOutlook Score, Ground Transportation at Central Lakes College-Brainerd ranks #1 in Minnesota with a score of 90/100 and graduate earnings of $64,164/yr.
How many trade programs are in Minnesota?
Our database includes 336 trade programs across Minnesota 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.