Best Trade Programs in Washington (2026)
Top 100 of 194 programs in Washington · Updated 2026
The best trade school programs in Washington, ranked by overall value. We scored 194 programs across Washington trade schools on earnings, AI resilience, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $53,668/yr in graduate earnings.
Programs in WA
194
Avg Earnings (Top 100)
$53,668/yr
Avg TSW Score
72/100
#1 Program
Nursing
Bellevue College
Top Trade Programs in Washington
Top 100 programs by TSW Score. Click any row for full analysis.
| # | Program | TSW Score | Earnings | AI-Proof | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Nursing
Bellevue College · Bellevue, WA |
87
81–87 |
$82,286/yr | Moderate | 90.5x |
| 2 |
Nursing
Big Bend Community College · Moses Lake, WA |
85
80–86 |
$79,826/yr | Moderate | 60.7x |
| 3 |
Nursing
Centralia College · Centralia, WA |
84
79–85 |
$77,740/yr | Moderate | 72.7x |
| 4 |
Nursing
Columbia Basin College · Pasco, WA |
82
77–82 |
$77,785/yr | Moderate | 62.8x |
| 5 |
Nursing
Everett Community College · Everett, WA |
87
81–88 |
$79,945/yr | Moderate | 105.8x |
| 6 |
Nursing
Grays Harbor College · Aberdeen, WA |
86
80–86 |
$81,243/yr | Moderate | 76.7x |
| 7 |
Nursing
Highline College · Des Moines, WA |
86
81–87 |
$84,619/yr | Moderate | 93.2x |
| 8 |
Nursing
Lake Washington Institute of Technology · Kirkland, WA |
85
80–85 |
$83,313/yr | Moderate | 84.1x |
| 9 |
Nursing
Lower Columbia College · Longview, WA |
87
80–87 |
$75,715/yr | Moderate | 100.8x |
| 10 |
Nursing
Olympic College · Bremerton, WA |
87
82–88 |
$84,108/yr | Moderate | 96.4x |
| 11 |
Nursing
Peninsula College · Port Angeles, WA |
86
80–86 |
$79,369/yr | Moderate | 76.1x |
| 12 |
Nursing
Renton Technical College · Renton, WA |
83
77–83 |
$80,411/yr | Moderate | 69.5x |
| 13 |
Nursing
Seattle Central College · Seattle, WA |
86
80–86 |
$83,117/yr | Moderate | 84.4x |
| 14 |
Nursing
Shoreline Community College · Shoreline, WA |
87
81–87 |
$78,850/yr | Moderate | 98.3x |
| 15 |
Nursing
Skagit Valley College · Mount Vernon, WA |
82
77–82 |
$71,639/yr | Moderate | 67.3x |
| 16 |
Nursing
Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA |
87
81–87 |
$77,999/yr | Moderate | 98.0x |
| 17 |
Nursing
Tacoma Community College · Tacoma, WA |
86
80–86 |
$82,447/yr | Moderate | 82.2x |
| 18 |
Nursing
Walla Walla Community College · Walla Walla, WA |
81
76–81 |
$75,416/yr | Moderate | 58.5x |
| 19 |
Nursing
Wenatchee Valley College · Wenatchee, WA |
84
79–85 |
$76,527/yr | Moderate | 80.5x |
| 20 |
Nursing
Whatcom Community College · Bellingham, WA |
85
80–86 |
$82,805/yr | Moderate | 70.0x |
| 21 |
Nursing
Yakima Valley College · Yakima, WA |
84
79–84 |
$78,316/yr | Moderate | 77.9x |
| 22 |
Teacher Education
Central Washington University · Ellensburg, WA |
78
75–80 |
$50,340/yr | Moderate | 66.3x |
| 23 |
Practical Nursing
Clover Park Technical College · Lakewood, WA |
81
78–81 |
$53,065/yr | AI-Proof | 92.7x |
| 24 |
Nursing
South Puget Sound Community College · Olympia, WA |
82
77–83 |
$69,107/yr | Moderate | 62.6x |
| 25 |
Electrical Installation
Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA |
84
81–85 |
$66,921/yr | AI-Proof | 164.0x |
| 26 |
Nursing
Clark College · Vancouver, WA |
84
76–84 |
$63,543/yr | Moderate | 86.4x |
| 27 |
Practical Nursing
Olympic College · Bremerton, WA |
82
80–82 |
$48,850/yr | AI-Proof | 115.4x |
| 28 |
Criminal Justice
Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA |
77
71–78 |
$41,451/yr | Resilient | 66.4x |
| 29 |
Business
Tacoma Community College · Tacoma, WA |
76
70–78 |
$40,863/yr | Moderate | 52.1x |
| 30 |
Business
Clark College · Vancouver, WA |
79
70–81 |
$40,313/yr | Moderate | 64.6x |
| 31 |
Medical Assisting
Tacoma Community College · Tacoma, WA |
76
72–76 |
$58,382/yr | Resilient | 66.2x |
| 32 |
Vehicle Repair Technology
Clark College · Vancouver, WA |
69
66–70 |
$45,656/yr | AI-Proof | 63.7x |
| 33 |
Precision Metalworking
Clark College · Vancouver, WA |
62
62–63 |
$46,609/yr | AI-Proof | 52.9x |
| 34 |
Medical Assisting
Highline College · Des Moines, WA |
72
69–72 |
$50,468/yr | Resilient | 56.4x |
| 35 |
Ground Transportation
International Air and Hospitality Academy · Vancouver, WA |
68
66–68 |
$36,783/yr | AI-Proof | — |
| 36 |
Medical Assisting
North Seattle College · Seattle, WA |
78
74–79 |
$48,502/yr | Resilient | 105.1x |
| 37 |
Medical Assisting
Spokane Falls Community College · Spokane, WA |
72
69–72 |
$47,797/yr | Resilient | 59.6x |
| 38 |
Business Administration
Columbia Basin College · Pasco, WA |
72
68–74 |
$42,127/yr | Moderate | 33.0x |
| 39 |
Allied Health Professions
Bellevue College · Bellevue, WA |
76
72–76 |
$79,877/yr | Resilient | 78.9x |
| 40 |
Medical Assisting
Lake Washington Institute of Technology · Kirkland, WA |
68
65–68 |
$45,385/yr | Resilient | 44.7x |
| 41 |
Electrical Installation
Perry Technical Institute · Yakima, WA |
66
63–67 |
$57,462/yr | AI-Proof | — |
| 42 |
Allied Health Professions
Tacoma Community College · Tacoma, WA |
73
70–74 |
$73,435/yr | Resilient | 74.9x |
| 43 |
Medical Assisting
Clark College · Vancouver, WA |
68
64–69 |
$41,100/yr | Resilient | 54.5x |
| 44 |
IT Management
Clover Park Technical College · Lakewood, WA |
70
59–74 |
$41,752/yr | Exposed | 48.0x |
| 45 |
Medical Assisting
Olympic College · Bremerton, WA |
68
65–68 |
$41,886/yr | Resilient | 48.9x |
| 46 |
Dental Assisting
Shoreline Community College · Shoreline, WA |
74
71–74 |
$78,372/yr | Resilient | 92.3x |
| 47 |
Culinary Arts
Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA |
67
66–68 |
$23,529/yr | AI-Proof | 57.0x |
| 48 |
Vehicle Repair Technology
Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA |
72
69–72 |
$37,228/yr | AI-Proof | 124.8x |
| 49 |
Vehicle Repair Technology
Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA |
65
62–66 |
$38,197/yr | AI-Proof | 59.8x |
| 50 |
Health Administration
Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA |
71
64–73 |
$35,905/yr | Moderate | 53.6x |
Methodology
This ranking includes the top 100 trade programs at Washington schools, drawn from 194 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 Washington?
By TradeSchoolOutlook Score, Nursing at Bellevue College ranks #1 in Washington with a score of 87/100 and graduate earnings of $82,286/yr.
How many trade programs are in Washington?
Our database includes 194 trade programs across Washington 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.