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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, 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

Truck Driving & CDL

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	ROI
1	Truck Driving & CDL Central Lakes College-Brainerd · Brainerd, MN	90 89–90	$64,164/yr	108.0x
2	Construction Management Technology North Hennepin Community College · Brooklyn Park, MN	90 88–90	$66,902/yr	131.5x
3	Construction Management Technology Rochester Community and Technical College · Rochester, MN	81 79–81	$62,398/yr	56.9x
4	Construction Management Technology Rochester Community and Technical College · Rochester, MN	88 85–88	$61,196/yr	118.2x
5	Truck Driving & CDL Alexandria Technical & Community College · Alexandria, MN	84 83–84	$48,587/yr	82.1x
6	Truck Driving & CDL Minnesota State College Southeast · Winona, MN	82 80–82	$47,171/yr	70.2x
7	Truck Driving & CDL Riverland Community College · Austin, MN	82 81–82	$45,619/yr	72.0x
8	Criminal Justice Rasmussen University-Minnesota · St. Cloud, MN	82 79–84	$67,135/yr	58.4x
9	Criminal Justice Minnesota North College · Hibbing, MN	86 82–87	$59,186/yr	97.6x
10	Business Administration Minnesota State University Moorhead · Moorhead, MN	82 78–84	$56,798/yr	54.0x
11	Criminal Justice Alexandria Technical & Community College · Alexandria, MN	86 81–87	$54,355/yr	109.0x
12	Criminal Justice Hennepin Technical College · Brooklyn Park, MN	87 82–89	$56,699/yr	119.7x
13	Criminal Justice Minnesota North College · Hibbing, MN	77 74–79	$54,328/yr	51.4x
14	Nursing Northwest Technical College · Bemidji, MN	81 76–81	$72,778/yr	55.3x
15	Nursing Minnesota West Community and Technical College · Granite Falls, MN	81 76–81	$74,877/yr	55.8x
16	Practical Nursing Hennepin Technical College · Brooklyn Park, MN	75 73–75	$54,376/yr	53.3x
17	Business Administration University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN	79 73–81	$55,995/yr	43.6x
18	Criminal Justice North Hennepin Community College · Brooklyn Park, MN	78 75–80	$53,797/yr	48.0x
19	Vehicle Repair Technology Alexandria Technical & Community College · Alexandria, MN	72 71–72	$65,311/yr	52.4x
20	Nursing Alexandria Technical & Community College · Alexandria, MN	79 74–79	$66,448/yr	51.2x
21	Nursing Anoka-Ramsey Community College · Coon Rapids, MN	81 75–82	$66,484/yr	67.3x
22	Nursing Riverland Community College · Austin, MN	80 75–80	$69,481/yr	54.6x
23	Nursing Central Lakes College-Brainerd · Brainerd, MN	80 74–80	$68,032/yr	57.8x
24	Electrical Installation Dakota County Technical College · Rosemount, MN	82 78–83	$63,839/yr	123.1x
25	Business Administration Dakota County Technical College · Rosemount, MN	79 70–81	$45,143/yr	51.0x
26	Nursing Lake Superior College · Duluth, MN	79 74–79	$64,846/yr	55.3x
27	Criminal Justice Inver Hills Community College · Inver Grove Heights, MN	76 73–77	$52,724/yr	45.8x
28	Nursing Inver Hills Community College · Inver Grove Heights, MN	81 74–81	$66,870/yr	63.5x
29	Nursing North Hennepin Community College · Brooklyn Park, MN	83 77–84	$67,312/yr	77.8x
30	Business Administration North Hennepin Community College · Brooklyn Park, MN	79 74–81	$47,361/yr	52.0x
31	Nursing Normandale Community College · Bloomington, MN	81 73–82	$65,052/yr	65.9x
32	Nursing Northland Community and Technical College · Thief River Falls, MN	79 74–79	$67,075/yr	50.6x
33	Nursing Pine Technical & Community College · Pine City, MN	83 77–84	$64,961/yr	80.6x
34	Nursing Rochester Community and Technical College · Rochester, MN	81 75–81	$70,020/yr	60.9x
35	Nursing Minnesota State College Southeast · Winona, MN	78 74–78	$74,091/yr	47.5x
36	Nursing Century College · White Bear Lake, MN	80 74–80	$66,512/yr	59.3x
37	Criminal Justice Alexandria Technical & Community College · Alexandria, MN	74 70–76	$46,511/yr	47.2x
38	Practical Nursing Dakota County Technical College · Rosemount, MN	80 77–80	$48,973/yr	91.0x
39	Practical Nursing Lake Superior College · Duluth, MN	78 77–79	$47,190/yr	85.1x
40	Vehicle Repair Technology Hennepin Technical College · Brooklyn Park, MN	69 69–70	$57,382/yr	50.4x
41	Welding & Metalworking Hennepin Technical College · Brooklyn Park, MN	67 65–69	$59,829/yr	63.2x
42	Nursing Minnesota North College · Hibbing, MN	79 72–79	$61,116/yr	59.5x
43	Nursing South Central College · North Mankato, MN	78 72–78	$60,434/yr	54.7x
44	Vehicle Repair Technology Minneapolis Community and Technical College · Minneapolis, MN	77 76–78	$58,745/yr	94.9x
45	Vehicle Repair Technology Minneapolis Community and Technical College · Minneapolis, MN	70 69–70	$59,441/yr	47.5x
46	Nursing Minneapolis Community and Technical College · Minneapolis, MN	79 72–80	$61,817/yr	61.1x
47	Nursing St Cloud Technical and Community College · Saint Cloud, MN	82 74–82	$59,395/yr	75.3x
48	Culinary Arts Saint Paul College · Saint Paul, MN	73 71–73	$32,478/yr	52.8x
49	Criminal Justice Century College · White Bear Lake, MN	76 73–77	$54,174/yr	39.2x
50	Criminal Justice Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College · Cloquet, MN	75 72–76	$51,144/yr	43.0x
51	Practical Nursing Riverland Community College · Austin, MN	76 75–76	$44,726/yr	70.6x
52	Electrical Installation Dakota County Technical College · Rosemount, MN	71 68–71	$53,566/yr	49.5x
53	Vehicle Repair Technology Minnesota State Community and Technical College · Fergus Falls, MN	69 68–70	$53,652/yr	53.5x
54	Nursing Minnesota State Community and Technical College · Fergus Falls, MN	78 72–78	$58,823/yr	56.9x
55	Welding & Metalworking Hennepin Technical College · Brooklyn Park, MN	71 70–72	$52,456/yr	100.2x
56	Teacher Education Minnesota State University-Mankato · Mankato, MN	74 72–75	$46,599/yr	48.1x
57	Practical Nursing Northland Community and Technical College · Thief River Falls, MN	75 74–76	$44,017/yr	69.3x
58	Criminal Justice Rochester Community and Technical College · Rochester, MN	74 71–75	$50,418/yr	40.2x
59	Vehicle Repair Technology St Cloud Technical and Community College · Saint Cloud, MN	69 68–70	$51,478/yr	55.3x
60	Practical Nursing Rasmussen University-Minnesota · St. Cloud, MN	71 69–72	$45,271/yr	48.5x
61	Practical Nursing Saint Paul College · Saint Paul, MN	75 74–76	$44,393/yr	67.5x
62	Criminal Justice Ridgewater College · Willmar, MN	73 71–75	$49,040/yr	39.1x
63	Nursing Ridgewater College · Willmar, MN	78 72–79	$59,082/yr	58.4x
64	Practical Nursing Ridgewater College · Willmar, MN	76 75–77	$44,921/yr	61.6x
65	Nursing Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College · Cloquet, MN	78 71–79	$57,141/yr	58.7x
66	Consumer Sciences & Business Alexandria Technical & Community College · Alexandria, MN	83 77–86	$58,733/yr	93.5x
67	Welding & Metalworking Alexandria Technical & Community College · Alexandria, MN	70 69–71	$51,141/yr	97.2x
68	Welding & Metalworking Anoka Technical College · Anoka, MN	69 68–70	$49,632/yr	89.4x
69	Practical Nursing Anoka Technical College · Anoka, MN	74 73–75	$42,648/yr	69.5x
70	Practical Nursing Northwest Technical College · Bemidji, MN	74 72–74	$41,497/yr	70.0x
71	Vehicle Repair Technology Dakota County Technical College · Rosemount, MN	68 66–68	$51,116/yr	48.0x
72	Welding & Metalworking Dakota County Technical College · Rosemount, MN	69 68–69	$50,464/yr	81.1x
73	Business Administration Lake Superior College · Duluth, MN	76 68–78	$41,301/yr	47.2x
74	Electrical Installation Minnesota State Community and Technical College · Fergus Falls, MN	79 75–80	$50,776/yr	119.1x
75	Electrical Installation Minnesota West Community and Technical College · Granite Falls, MN	78 74–79	$51,507/yr	96.3x
76	Practical Nursing Hennepin Technical College · Brooklyn Park, MN	78 74–79	$43,470/yr	98.1x
77	Natural Resources Management Minnesota North College · Hibbing, MN	81 74–83	$45,589/yr	102.6x
78	Criminal Justice Minneapolis Community and Technical College · Minneapolis, MN	74 72–76	$50,959/yr	36.0x
79	Criminal Justice Northland Community and Technical College · Thief River Falls, MN	73 70–74	$47,216/yr	40.7x
80	Health Administration Rochester Community and Technical College · Rochester, MN	79 74–82	$45,675/yr	65.5x
81	Practical Nursing Rochester Community and Technical College · Rochester, MN	75 73–75	$42,200/yr	73.0x
82	Welding & Metalworking St Cloud Technical and Community College · Saint Cloud, MN	72 70–73	$49,636/yr	128.6x
83	Welding & Metalworking Saint Paul College · Saint Paul, MN	70 69–71	$50,842/yr	94.1x
84	Construction Management Technology Dunwoody College of Technology · Minneapolis, MN	67 66–68	$59,074/yr	10.5x
85	Welding & Metalworking Minnesota State College Southeast · Winona, MN	66 66–66	$49,342/yr	66.1x
86	Practical Nursing Minnesota State College Southeast · Winona, MN	74 71–74	$43,145/yr	65.7x
87	Vehicle Repair Technology Alexandria Technical & Community College · Alexandria, MN	73 71–74	$45,951/yr	88.4x
88	Electrical Installation Riverland Community College · Austin, MN	74 72–75	$47,288/yr	74.7x
89	Vehicle Repair Technology Minnesota State Community and Technical College · Fergus Falls, MN	71 70–71	$44,661/yr	75.0x
90	Electrical Installation Minnesota West Community and Technical College · Granite Falls, MN	72 65–73	$47,723/yr	61.3x
91	Practical Nursing Minnesota North College · Hibbing, MN	75 73–76	$41,300/yr	79.4x
92	Business Administration Rochester Community and Technical College · Rochester, MN	74 69–76	$43,642/yr	38.6x
93	Electrical Installation St Cloud Technical and Community College · Saint Cloud, MN	79 75–80	$48,478/yr	131.6x
94	Vehicle Repair Technology St Cloud Technical and Community College · Saint Cloud, MN	75 73–76	$45,960/yr	116.0x
95	Practical Nursing St Cloud Technical and Community College · Saint Cloud, MN	77 73–77	$39,897/yr	99.2x
96	Nursing Rasmussen University-Minnesota · St. Cloud, MN	74 69–74	$68,119/yr	33.9x
97	Agricultural Business Ridgewater College · Willmar, MN	79 73–82	$44,875/yr	90.3x
98	Electrical Installation Ridgewater College · Willmar, MN	74 72–75	$46,852/yr	75.7x
99	Practical Nursing Alexandria Technical & Community College · Alexandria, MN	72 70–73	$38,862/yr	70.1x
100	Electrical Installation Anoka Technical College · Anoka, MN	77 70–77	$43,686/yr	132.7x

About This Ranking

What we ranked

Best Trades in Minnesota ranks 100 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 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, 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, Truck Driving & CDL 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). Last updated 2025.