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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
51	Allied Health Professions Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	73 69–73	$63,228/yr	Resilient	87.0x
52	Allied Health Professions Columbia Basin College · Pasco, WA	67 65–68	$64,223/yr	Resilient	46.6x
53	Industrial Production Technology Olympic College · Bremerton, WA	73 71–75	$86,309/yr	Resilient	101.4x
54	Business Administration Perry Technical Institute · Yakima, WA	69 63–71	$38,071/yr	Moderate	—
55	IT Management Spokane Falls Community College · Spokane, WA	72 62–75	$39,022/yr	Exposed	63.8x
56	Medical Assisting Walla Walla Community College · Walla Walla, WA	68 66–69	$38,894/yr	Resilient	58.8x
57	Medical Assisting Wenatchee Valley College · Wenatchee, WA	71 68–71	$38,841/yr	Resilient	65.6x
58	Medical Assisting Whatcom Community College · Bellingham, WA	67 65–67	$44,573/yr	Resilient	40.8x
59	Medical Assisting Big Bend Community College · Moses Lake, WA	65 63–66	$41,348/yr	Resilient	41.1x
60	Health Administration Clark College · Vancouver, WA	68 64–70	$37,087/yr	Moderate	40.0x
61	Allied Health Professions Clover Park Technical College · Lakewood, WA	65 63–66	$60,214/yr	Resilient	48.1x
62	Culinary Arts International Air and Hospitality Academy · Vancouver, WA	64 61–64	$28,085/yr	AI-Proof	—
63	Computer Science Saint Martin's University · Lacey, WA	70 62–73	$91,138/yr	Exposed	19.6x
64	Precision Metalworking Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	63 62–64	$35,309/yr	AI-Proof	86.0x
65	Health Administration Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	74 68–76	$32,404/yr	Moderate	78.9x
66	Business Administration Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	69 64–70	$31,974/yr	Moderate	42.2x
67	Medical Assisting Clover Park Technical College · Lakewood, WA	64 61–64	$43,425/yr	Resilient	33.7x
68	Health Administration Everett Community College · Everett, WA	72 66–74	$31,385/yr	Moderate	71.7x
69	Medical Assisting Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	72 68–73	$36,003/yr	Resilient	101.5x
70	Medical Assisting Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	65 61–66	$35,992/yr	Resilient	53.0x
71	Mental Health Services Spokane Falls Community College · Spokane, WA	69 66–70	$45,849/yr	Resilient	44.0x
72	Precision Metalworking Perry Technical Institute · Yakima, WA	54 53–55	$41,301/yr	AI-Proof	—
73	Health Administration Perry Technical Institute · Yakima, WA	66 59–68	$37,112/yr	Moderate	—
74	Medical Assisting Skagit Valley College · Mount Vernon, WA	65 63–65	$43,072/yr	Resilient	32.3x
75	HVAC Technology Wenatchee Valley College · Wenatchee, WA	60 60–60	$50,579/yr	AI-Proof	48.4x
76	Medical Assisting Pima Medical Institute-Seattle · Seattle, WA	63 59–64	$44,175/yr	Resilient	—
77	Medical Assisting Pima Medical Institute-Renton · Renton, WA	63 59–64	$44,175/yr	Resilient	—
78	Clinical Laboratory Science Clover Park Technical College · Lakewood, WA	62 60–62	$56,725/yr	Resilient	41.8x
79	Teacher Education Lake Washington Institute of Technology · Kirkland, WA	63 62–64	$33,869/yr	Moderate	31.8x
80	Clinical Laboratory Science North Seattle College · Seattle, WA	69 67–70	$49,101/yr	Resilient	96.1x
81	Medical Assisting Tacoma Community College · Tacoma, WA	66 63–66	$32,779/yr	Resilient	65.6x
82	Sales & Marketing Tacoma Community College · Tacoma, WA	64 61–66	$26,283/yr	Moderate	52.4x
83	Health Administration Clover Park Technical College · Lakewood, WA	65 57–67	$27,062/yr	Moderate	54.6x
84	Vehicle Repair Technology Perry Technical Institute · Yakima, WA	56 55–57	$36,253/yr	AI-Proof	—
85	Computer Networking South Puget Sound Community College · Olympia, WA	66 59–68	$43,380/yr	Exposed	41.5x
86	Electromechanical Technology Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	67 64–68	$66,293/yr	Resilient	55.9x
87	HVAC Technology Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	59 58–58	$42,862/yr	AI-Proof	51.8x
88	Accounting Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	70 64–72	$31,873/yr	Exposed	77.6x
89	Marketing Spokane Falls Community College · Spokane, WA	66 61–69	$44,748/yr	Exposed	54.1x
90	Allied Health Professions Yakima Valley College · Yakima, WA	64 62–64	$50,976/yr	Resilient	37.3x
91	Dental Assisting Pima Medical Institute-Seattle · Seattle, WA	61 57–62	$71,216/yr	Resilient	—
92	Allied Health Professions Pima Medical Institute-Seattle · Seattle, WA	61 57–62	$62,420/yr	Resilient	—
93	Health Administration Carrington College-Spokane · Spokane, WA	64 57–66	$34,016/yr	Moderate	—
94	Allied Health Professions Pima Medical Institute-Renton · Renton, WA	61 57–62	$62,420/yr	Resilient	—
95	Clinical Laboratory Science Clover Park Technical College · Lakewood, WA	62 60–63	$42,066/yr	Resilient	66.6x
96	Electrical Repair Technology Perry Technical Institute · Yakima, WA	57 55–58	$53,153/yr	AI-Proof	—
97	HVAC Technology Perry Technical Institute · Yakima, WA	57 55–57	$57,782/yr	AI-Proof	—
98	Medical Assisting Perry Technical Institute · Yakima, WA	60 56–60	$37,096/yr	Resilient	—
99	Medical Assisting South Puget Sound Community College · Olympia, WA	60 58–60	$35,815/yr	Resilient	34.1x
100	Business Operations Support Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	64 58–67	$26,402/yr	Exposed	64.1x

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.