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Best Trade Programs in North Carolina (2026)

Top 100 of 433 programs in North Carolina · Updated 2026

The best trade school programs in North Carolina, ranked by overall value. We scored 433 programs across North Carolina trade schools on earnings, AI resilience, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $56,612/yr in graduate earnings.

Programs in NC

433

Avg Earnings (Top 100)

$56,612/yr

Avg TSW Score

85/100

#1 Program

Ground Transportation

Cape Fear Community College

Top Trade Programs in North Carolina

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

#	Program	TSW Score	Earnings	AI-Proof	ROI
1	Ground Transportation Cape Fear Community College · Wilmington, NC	88 87–89	$46,329/yr	AI-Proof	167.6x
2	Ground Transportation Davidson-Davie Community College · Thomasville, NC	87 85–88	$41,081/yr	AI-Proof	327.5x
3	Health Administration Durham Technical Community College · Durham, NC	92 86–95	$70,267/yr	Moderate	347.7x
4	Nursing College of the Albemarle · Elizabeth City, NC	90 84–90	$72,750/yr	Moderate	139.7x
5	Nursing Brunswick Community College · Bolivia, NC	89 83–89	$71,605/yr	Moderate	139.8x
6	Criminal Justice Cape Fear Community College · Wilmington, NC	88 84–90	$52,282/yr	Resilient	173.1x
7	Nursing Central Carolina Community College · Sanford, NC	89 83–89	$70,579/yr	Moderate	131.1x
8	Nursing Central Piedmont Community College · Charlotte, NC	89 83–89	$73,310/yr	Moderate	124.0x
9	Nursing Cleveland Community College · Shelby, NC	89 83–89	$73,173/yr	Moderate	140.7x
10	Criminal Justice Durham Technical Community College · Durham, NC	88 84–90	$49,893/yr	Resilient	250.2x
11	Nursing Fayetteville Technical Community College · Fayetteville, NC	89 83–89	$72,523/yr	Moderate	138.4x
12	Criminal Justice Gaston College · Dallas, NC	87 83–89	$50,038/yr	Resilient	156.1x
13	Nursing Halifax Community College · Weldon, NC	89 83–89	$70,982/yr	Moderate	120.2x
14	Nursing Johnston Community College · Smithfield, NC	89 83–89	$74,366/yr	Moderate	122.7x
15	Electrical Installation Richmond Community College · Hamlet, NC	86 82–87	$73,774/yr	AI-Proof	210.1x
16	Nursing Robeson Community College · Lumberton, NC	90 84–90	$77,475/yr	Moderate	129.8x
17	Nursing Stanly Community College · Albemarle, NC	89 83–90	$76,008/yr	Moderate	140.3x
18	Nursing Vance-Granville Community College · Henderson, NC	90 84–91	$72,520/yr	Moderate	206.4x
19	Criminal Justice South Piedmont Community College · Polkton, NC	87 83–89	$47,748/yr	Resilient	235.1x
20	Nursing South Piedmont Community College · Polkton, NC	90 84–90	$70,497/yr	Moderate	173.3x
21	Nursing Bladen Community College · Dublin, NC	89 82–89	$67,852/yr	Moderate	161.8x
22	Nursing Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute · Hudson, NC	88 82–88	$66,904/yr	Moderate	125.4x
23	Nursing Catawba Valley Community College · Hickory, NC	88 82–88	$64,707/yr	Moderate	147.6x
24	Nursing Davidson-Davie Community College · Thomasville, NC	89 83–89	$66,695/yr	Moderate	176.6x
25	Nursing Durham Technical Community College · Durham, NC	89 83–89	$66,430/yr	Moderate	185.5x
26	Nursing Edgecombe Community College · Tarboro, NC	87 82–88	$66,322/yr	Moderate	124.5x
27	Criminal Justice Forsyth Technical Community College · Winston-Salem, NC	87 83–89	$48,388/yr	Resilient	213.5x
28	Nursing Forsyth Technical Community College · Winston-Salem, NC	89 83–89	$68,379/yr	Moderate	161.8x
29	Nursing Gaston College · Dallas, NC	87 81–87	$68,245/yr	Moderate	99.8x
30	Nursing Guilford Technical Community College · Jamestown, NC	88 82–89	$67,200/yr	Moderate	149.7x
31	Nursing Isothermal Community College · Spindale, NC	89 83–89	$67,248/yr	Moderate	177.2x
32	Practical Nursing Isothermal Community College · Spindale, NC	85 83–86	$51,324/yr	AI-Proof	258.5x
33	Nursing James Sprunt Community College · Kenansville, NC	87 81–88	$65,112/yr	Moderate	124.6x
34	Nursing Lenoir Community College · Kinston, NC	88 82–88	$67,505/yr	Moderate	130.4x
35	Practical Nursing McDowell Technical Community College · Marion, NC	85 83–86	$51,299/yr	AI-Proof	271.6x
36	Criminal Justice Mitchell Community College · Statesville, NC	87 82–88	$47,001/yr	Resilient	176.3x
37	Nursing Piedmont Community College · Roxboro, NC	88 82–89	$68,517/yr	Moderate	133.0x
38	Nursing Pitt Community College · Winterville, NC	89 83–89	$67,366/yr	Moderate	178.3x
39	Nursing Richmond Community College · Hamlet, NC	89 83–89	$70,087/yr	Moderate	149.4x
40	Practical Nursing Rockingham Community College · Wentworth, NC	85 82–85	$49,931/yr	AI-Proof	225.5x
41	Criminal Justice Rowan-Cabarrus Community College · Salisbury, NC	87 83–89	$46,993/yr	Resilient	268.1x
42	Nursing Rowan-Cabarrus Community College · Salisbury, NC	89 83–89	$67,501/yr	Moderate	174.9x
43	Nursing Sampson Community College · Clinton, NC	87 82–88	$69,040/yr	Moderate	126.0x
44	Nursing Sandhills Community College · Pinehurst, NC	89 83–89	$66,238/yr	Moderate	179.9x
45	Nursing Southeastern Community College · Whiteville, NC	87 81–88	$65,328/yr	Moderate	124.4x
46	Nursing Surry Community College · Dobson, NC	88 83–89	$69,740/yr	Moderate	136.0x
47	Nursing Alamance Community College · Graham, NC	88 83–89	$69,767/yr	Moderate	124.8x
48	Nursing Tri-County Community College · Murphy, NC	89 83–89	$69,455/yr	Moderate	124.8x
49	Nursing Wake Technical Community College · Raleigh, NC	88 83–89	$68,266/yr	Moderate	153.5x
50	Nursing Western Piedmont Community College · Morganton, NC	88 82–88	$66,888/yr	Moderate	142.3x
51	Criminal Justice Wilson Community College · Wilson, NC	87 83–89	$48,304/yr	Resilient	186.8x
52	Nursing Wilson Community College · Wilson, NC	88 83–89	$70,152/yr	Moderate	142.2x
53	Ground Transportation Miller-Motte College-Raleigh · Raleigh, NC	72 71–73	$46,909/yr	AI-Proof	—
54	Ground Transportation Miller-Motte College-Fayetteville · Fayetteville, NC	72 71–73	$46,909/yr	AI-Proof	—
55	Ground Transportation Miller-Motte College-Jacksonville · Jacksonville, NC	72 71–73	$46,909/yr	AI-Proof	—
56	Culinary Arts Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College · Asheville, NC	74 72–74	$32,602/yr	AI-Proof	57.6x
57	Nursing Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College · Asheville, NC	86 80–86	$63,410/yr	Moderate	107.7x
58	Nursing Blue Ridge Community College · Flat Rock, NC	86 80–86	$62,192/yr	Moderate	121.3x
59	Practical Nursing Brunswick Community College · Bolivia, NC	83 81–84	$46,783/yr	AI-Proof	183.8x
60	Nursing Carteret Community College · Morehead City, NC	87 81–87	$62,321/yr	Moderate	133.9x
61	Criminal Justice Central Piedmont Community College · Charlotte, NC	81 77–83	$44,616/yr	Resilient	89.5x
62	Criminal Justice Cleveland Community College · Shelby, NC	85 81–87	$44,116/yr	Resilient	171.2x
63	Nursing Coastal Carolina Community College · Jacksonville, NC	87 80–87	$59,879/yr	Moderate	141.6x
64	Nursing Craven Community College · New Bern, NC	88 82–88	$63,478/yr	Moderate	153.9x
65	Practical Nursing Durham Technical Community College · Durham, NC	84 81–84	$46,533/yr	AI-Proof	233.3x
66	Practical Nursing Fayetteville Technical Community College · Fayetteville, NC	84 81–84	$47,495/yr	AI-Proof	214.1x
67	Practical Nursing Forsyth Technical Community College · Winston-Salem, NC	84 82–85	$48,466/yr	AI-Proof	231.5x
68	Nursing McDowell Technical Community College · Marion, NC	88 82–88	$62,167/yr	Moderate	157.8x
69	Nursing Mitchell Community College · Statesville, NC	86 81–86	$62,584/yr	Moderate	118.6x
70	Practical Nursing Montgomery Community College · Troy, NC	84 81–84	$47,578/yr	AI-Proof	188.2x
71	Nursing Nash Community College · Rocky Mount, NC	87 80–87	$64,013/yr	Moderate	124.1x
72	Nursing Rockingham Community College · Wentworth, NC	88 82–89	$63,549/yr	Moderate	160.6x
73	Nursing Southwestern Community College · Sylva, NC	79 73–80	$61,931/yr	Moderate	61.6x
74	Nursing Wayne Community College · Goldsboro, NC	86 81–87	$61,774/yr	Moderate	132.5x
75	Criminal Justice Western Piedmont Community College · Morganton, NC	86 81–87	$44,397/yr	Resilient	191.7x
76	Nursing Wilkes Community College · Wilkesboro, NC	87 81–87	$62,962/yr	Moderate	119.2x
77	Business Administration South Piedmont Community College · Polkton, NC	87 82–89	$40,686/yr	Moderate	200.2x
78	Business Administration Catawba Valley Community College · Hickory, NC	83 78–85	$41,425/yr	Moderate	75.3x
79	Practical Nursing Central Carolina Community College · Sanford, NC	82 80–83	$44,904/yr	AI-Proof	172.5x
80	Criminal Justice Coastal Carolina Community College · Jacksonville, NC	85 81–87	$43,070/yr	Resilient	200.9x
81	Business Administration Davidson-Davie Community College · Thomasville, NC	84 79–86	$41,278/yr	Moderate	103.3x
82	Nursing Haywood Community College · Clyde, NC	86 80–86	$58,923/yr	Moderate	127.4x
83	Criminal Justice Wilkes Community College · Wilkesboro, NC	84 80–85	$41,251/yr	Resilient	170.6x
84	Business Administration Forsyth Technical Community College · Winston-Salem, NC	83 77–85	$39,760/yr	Moderate	95.8x
85	Practical Nursing Gaston College · Dallas, NC	81 78–82	$42,358/yr	AI-Proof	185.6x
86	Business Administration Guilford Technical Community College · Jamestown, NC	87 81–89	$40,215/yr	Moderate	147.5x
87	Electrical Installation Nash Community College · Rocky Mount, NC	82 79–83	$52,474/yr	AI-Proof	220.3x
88	Practical Nursing Richmond Community College · Hamlet, NC	81 79–82	$42,826/yr	AI-Proof	166.8x
89	Practical Nursing Robeson Community College · Lumberton, NC	81 79–81	$42,123/yr	AI-Proof	162.8x
90	Criminal Justice Vance-Granville Community College · Henderson, NC	80 77–82	$39,750/yr	Resilient	107.5x
91	Criminal Justice Wayne Community College · Goldsboro, NC	83 79–85	$40,557/yr	Resilient	159.7x
92	Business Administration Blue Ridge Community College · Flat Rock, NC	78 74–80	$37,390/yr	Moderate	69.3x
93	Vehicle Repair Technology Central Piedmont Community College · Charlotte, NC	75 71–75	$44,653/yr	AI-Proof	111.5x
94	Business Administration Central Piedmont Community College · Charlotte, NC	81 73–83	$36,962/yr	Moderate	91.0x
95	Criminal Justice Davidson-Davie Community College · Thomasville, NC	83 79–85	$38,392/yr	Resilient	224.4x
96	Vehicle Repair Technology Guilford Technical Community College · Jamestown, NC	75 73–76	$45,604/yr	AI-Proof	120.0x
97	Business Administration Mitchell Community College · Statesville, NC	80 74–82	$38,020/yr	Moderate	78.3x
98	Practical Nursing Sampson Community College · Clinton, NC	79 77–80	$40,257/yr	AI-Proof	141.3x
99	Business Administration Vance-Granville Community College · Henderson, NC	82 77–84	$38,146/yr	Moderate	103.0x
100	Computer Science Wake Technical Community College · Raleigh, NC	87 78–89	$55,264/yr	Exposed	235.6x

Methodology

This ranking includes the top 100 trade programs at North Carolina schools, drawn from 433 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 North Carolina?

By TradeSchoolOutlook Score, Ground Transportation at Cape Fear Community College ranks #1 in North Carolina with a score of 88/100 and graduate earnings of $46,329/yr.

How many trade programs are in North Carolina?

Our database includes 433 trade programs across North Carolina 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.