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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, 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	ROI
1	Nursing Bellevue College · Bellevue, WA	87 81–87	$82,286/yr	90.5x
2	Nursing Big Bend Community College · Moses Lake, WA	85 80–86	$79,826/yr	60.7x
3	Nursing Centralia College · Centralia, WA	84 79–85	$77,740/yr	72.7x
4	Nursing Columbia Basin College · Pasco, WA	82 77–82	$77,785/yr	62.8x
5	Nursing Everett Community College · Everett, WA	87 81–88	$79,945/yr	105.8x
6	Nursing Grays Harbor College · Aberdeen, WA	86 80–86	$81,243/yr	76.7x
7	Nursing Highline College · Des Moines, WA	86 81–87	$84,619/yr	93.2x
8	Nursing Lake Washington Institute of Technology · Kirkland, WA	85 80–85	$83,313/yr	84.1x
9	Nursing Lower Columbia College · Longview, WA	87 80–87	$75,715/yr	100.8x
10	Nursing Olympic College · Bremerton, WA	87 82–88	$84,108/yr	96.4x
11	Nursing Peninsula College · Port Angeles, WA	86 80–86	$79,369/yr	76.1x
12	Nursing Renton Technical College · Renton, WA	83 77–83	$80,411/yr	69.5x
13	Nursing Seattle Central College · Seattle, WA	86 80–86	$83,117/yr	84.4x
14	Nursing Shoreline Community College · Shoreline, WA	87 81–87	$78,850/yr	98.3x
15	Nursing Skagit Valley College · Mount Vernon, WA	82 77–82	$71,639/yr	67.3x
16	Nursing Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	87 81–87	$77,999/yr	98.0x
17	Nursing Tacoma Community College · Tacoma, WA	86 80–86	$82,447/yr	82.2x
18	Nursing Walla Walla Community College · Walla Walla, WA	81 76–81	$75,416/yr	58.5x
19	Nursing Wenatchee Valley College · Wenatchee, WA	84 79–85	$76,527/yr	80.5x
20	Nursing Whatcom Community College · Bellingham, WA	85 80–86	$82,805/yr	70.0x
21	Nursing Yakima Valley College · Yakima, WA	84 79–84	$78,316/yr	77.9x
22	Teacher Education Central Washington University · Ellensburg, WA	78 75–80	$50,340/yr	66.3x
23	Practical Nursing Clover Park Technical College · Lakewood, WA	81 78–81	$53,065/yr	92.7x
24	Nursing South Puget Sound Community College · Olympia, WA	82 77–83	$69,107/yr	62.6x
25	Electrical Installation Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	84 81–85	$66,921/yr	164.0x
26	Nursing Clark College · Vancouver, WA	84 76–84	$63,543/yr	86.4x
27	Practical Nursing Olympic College · Bremerton, WA	82 80–82	$48,850/yr	115.4x
28	Criminal Justice Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	77 71–78	$41,451/yr	66.4x
29	Business Tacoma Community College · Tacoma, WA	76 70–78	$40,863/yr	52.1x
30	Business Clark College · Vancouver, WA	79 70–81	$40,313/yr	64.6x
31	Medical Assisting Tacoma Community College · Tacoma, WA	76 72–76	$58,382/yr	66.2x
32	Vehicle Repair Technology Clark College · Vancouver, WA	69 66–70	$45,656/yr	63.7x
33	Welding & Metalworking Clark College · Vancouver, WA	62 62–63	$46,609/yr	52.9x
34	Medical Assisting Highline College · Des Moines, WA	72 69–72	$50,468/yr	56.4x
35	Truck Driving & CDL International Air and Hospitality Academy · Vancouver, WA	68 66–68	$36,783/yr	—
36	Medical Assisting North Seattle College · Seattle, WA	78 74–79	$48,502/yr	105.1x
37	Medical Assisting Spokane Falls Community College · Spokane, WA	72 69–72	$47,797/yr	59.6x
38	Business Administration Columbia Basin College · Pasco, WA	72 68–74	$42,127/yr	33.0x
39	Allied Health Professions Bellevue College · Bellevue, WA	76 72–76	$79,877/yr	78.9x
40	Medical Assisting Lake Washington Institute of Technology · Kirkland, WA	68 65–68	$45,385/yr	44.7x
41	Electrical Installation Perry Technical Institute · Yakima, WA	66 63–67	$57,462/yr	—
42	Allied Health Professions Tacoma Community College · Tacoma, WA	73 70–74	$73,435/yr	74.9x
43	Medical Assisting Clark College · Vancouver, WA	68 64–69	$41,100/yr	54.5x
44	IT Management Clover Park Technical College · Lakewood, WA	70 59–74	$41,752/yr	48.0x
45	Medical Assisting Olympic College · Bremerton, WA	68 65–68	$41,886/yr	48.9x
46	Dental Assisting Shoreline Community College · Shoreline, WA	74 71–74	$78,372/yr	92.3x
47	Culinary Arts Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	67 66–68	$23,529/yr	57.0x
48	Vehicle Repair Technology Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	72 69–72	$37,228/yr	124.8x
49	Vehicle Repair Technology Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	65 62–66	$38,197/yr	59.8x
50	Health Administration Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	71 64–73	$35,905/yr	53.6x
51	Allied Health Professions Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	73 69–73	$63,228/yr	87.0x
52	Allied Health Professions Columbia Basin College · Pasco, WA	67 65–68	$64,223/yr	46.6x
53	Industrial Production Technology Olympic College · Bremerton, WA	73 71–75	$86,309/yr	101.4x
54	Business Administration Perry Technical Institute · Yakima, WA	69 63–71	$38,071/yr	—
55	IT Management Spokane Falls Community College · Spokane, WA	72 62–75	$39,022/yr	63.8x
56	Medical Assisting Walla Walla Community College · Walla Walla, WA	68 66–69	$38,894/yr	58.8x
57	Medical Assisting Wenatchee Valley College · Wenatchee, WA	71 68–71	$38,841/yr	65.6x
58	Medical Assisting Whatcom Community College · Bellingham, WA	67 65–67	$44,573/yr	40.8x
59	Medical Assisting Big Bend Community College · Moses Lake, WA	65 63–66	$41,348/yr	41.1x
60	Health Administration Clark College · Vancouver, WA	68 64–70	$37,087/yr	40.0x
61	Allied Health Professions Clover Park Technical College · Lakewood, WA	65 63–66	$60,214/yr	48.1x
62	Culinary Arts International Air and Hospitality Academy · Vancouver, WA	64 61–64	$28,085/yr	—
63	Computer Science Saint Martin's University · Lacey, WA	70 62–73	$91,138/yr	19.6x
64	Welding & Metalworking Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	63 62–64	$35,309/yr	86.0x
65	Health Administration Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	74 68–76	$32,404/yr	78.9x
66	Business Administration Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	69 64–70	$31,974/yr	42.2x
67	Medical Assisting Clover Park Technical College · Lakewood, WA	64 61–64	$43,425/yr	33.7x
68	Health Administration Everett Community College · Everett, WA	72 66–74	$31,385/yr	71.7x
69	Medical Assisting Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	72 68–73	$36,003/yr	101.5x
70	Medical Assisting Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	65 61–66	$35,992/yr	53.0x
71	Mental Health Services Spokane Falls Community College · Spokane, WA	69 66–70	$45,849/yr	44.0x
72	Welding & Metalworking Perry Technical Institute · Yakima, WA	54 53–55	$41,301/yr	—
73	Health Administration Perry Technical Institute · Yakima, WA	66 59–68	$37,112/yr	—
74	Medical Assisting Skagit Valley College · Mount Vernon, WA	65 63–65	$43,072/yr	32.3x
75	HVAC Technology Wenatchee Valley College · Wenatchee, WA	60 60–60	$50,579/yr	48.4x
76	Medical Assisting Pima Medical Institute-Seattle · Seattle, WA	63 59–64	$44,175/yr	—
77	Medical Assisting Pima Medical Institute-Renton · Renton, WA	63 59–64	$44,175/yr	—
78	Clinical Laboratory Science Clover Park Technical College · Lakewood, WA	62 60–62	$56,725/yr	41.8x
79	Teacher Education Lake Washington Institute of Technology · Kirkland, WA	63 62–64	$33,869/yr	31.8x
80	Clinical Laboratory Science North Seattle College · Seattle, WA	69 67–70	$49,101/yr	96.1x
81	Medical Assisting Tacoma Community College · Tacoma, WA	66 63–66	$32,779/yr	65.6x
82	Sales & Marketing Tacoma Community College · Tacoma, WA	64 61–66	$26,283/yr	52.4x
83	Health Administration Clover Park Technical College · Lakewood, WA	65 57–67	$27,062/yr	54.6x
84	Vehicle Repair Technology Perry Technical Institute · Yakima, WA	56 55–57	$36,253/yr	—
85	Computer Networking South Puget Sound Community College · Olympia, WA	66 59–68	$43,380/yr	41.5x
86	Electromechanical Technology Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	67 64–68	$66,293/yr	55.9x
87	HVAC Technology Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	59 58–58	$42,862/yr	51.8x
88	Accounting Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	70 64–72	$31,873/yr	77.6x
89	Marketing Spokane Falls Community College · Spokane, WA	66 61–69	$44,748/yr	54.1x
90	Allied Health Professions Yakima Valley College · Yakima, WA	64 62–64	$50,976/yr	37.3x
91	Dental Assisting Pima Medical Institute-Seattle · Seattle, WA	61 57–62	$71,216/yr	—
92	Allied Health Professions Pima Medical Institute-Seattle · Seattle, WA	61 57–62	$62,420/yr	—
93	Health Administration Carrington College-Spokane · Spokane, WA	64 57–66	$34,016/yr	—
94	Allied Health Professions Pima Medical Institute-Renton · Renton, WA	61 57–62	$62,420/yr	—
95	Clinical Laboratory Science Clover Park Technical College · Lakewood, WA	62 60–63	$42,066/yr	66.6x
96	Electrical Repair Technology Perry Technical Institute · Yakima, WA	57 55–58	$53,153/yr	—
97	HVAC Technology Perry Technical Institute · Yakima, WA	57 55–57	$57,782/yr	—
98	Medical Assisting Perry Technical Institute · Yakima, WA	60 56–60	$37,096/yr	—
99	Medical Assisting South Puget Sound Community College · Olympia, WA	60 58–60	$35,815/yr	34.1x
100	Business Operations Support Spokane Community College · Spokane, WA	64 58–67	$26,402/yr	64.1x

About This Ranking

What we ranked

Best Trades in Washington 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 Washington schools, drawn from 194 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 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). Last updated 2025.