Best Trade Programs in Wisconsin (2026)
Top 100 of 408 programs in Wisconsin · Updated 2026
The best trade school programs in Wisconsin, ranked by overall value. We scored 408 programs across Wisconsin trade schools on earnings, AI resilience, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $50,636/yr in graduate earnings.
Programs in WI
408
Avg Earnings (Top 100)
$50,636/yr
Avg TSW Score
77/100
#1 Program
Ground Transportation
Fox Valley Technical College
Top Trade Programs in Wisconsin
Top 100 programs by TSW Score. Click any row for full analysis.
| # | Program | TSW Score | Earnings | AI-Proof | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Ground Transportation
Fox Valley Technical College · Appleton, WI |
92
91–93 |
$67,999/yr | AI-Proof | 111.6x |
| 2 |
Ground Transportation
Waukesha County Technical College · Pewaukee, WI |
88
86–88 |
$50,682/yr | AI-Proof | 119.8x |
| 3 |
Criminal Justice
Gateway Technical College · Kenosha, WI |
91
87–93 |
$73,818/yr | Resilient | 153.6x |
| 4 |
Criminal Justice
Blackhawk Technical College · Janesville, WI |
91
87–92 |
$68,669/yr | Resilient | 163.7x |
| 5 |
Criminal Justice
Fox Valley Technical College · Appleton, WI |
89
85–91 |
$64,741/yr | Resilient | 130.7x |
| 6 |
Criminal Justice
Waukesha County Technical College · Pewaukee, WI |
90
86–92 |
$69,115/yr | Resilient | 145.4x |
| 7 |
Criminal Justice
Northcentral Technical College · Wausau, WI |
89
85–90 |
$59,645/yr | Resilient | 153.5x |
| 8 |
Business Administration
Northcentral Technical College · Wausau, WI |
92
87–94 |
$60,405/yr | Moderate | 125.2x |
| 9 |
Criminal Justice
Chippewa Valley Technical College · Eau Claire, WI |
88
84–90 |
$60,737/yr | Resilient | 131.9x |
| 10 |
Criminal Justice
Western Technical College · La Crosse, WI |
88
84–89 |
$59,276/yr | Resilient | 120.4x |
| 11 |
Criminal Justice
Nicolet Area Technical College · Rhinelander, WI |
86
82–87 |
$53,660/yr | Resilient | 112.6x |
| 12 |
Criminal Justice
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College · Fennimore, WI |
78
75–79 |
$51,806/yr | Resilient | 51.0x |
| 13 |
Construction Management Technology
Chippewa Valley Technical College · Eau Claire, WI |
77
76–77 |
$37,575/yr | AI-Proof | 78.5x |
| 14 |
Nursing
Madison Area Technical College · Madison, WI |
82
77–83 |
$66,446/yr | Moderate | 68.5x |
| 15 |
Nursing
Blackhawk Technical College · Janesville, WI |
85
79–85 |
$69,492/yr | Moderate | 73.3x |
| 16 |
Nursing
Gateway Technical College · Kenosha, WI |
82
77–83 |
$68,134/yr | Moderate | 72.8x |
| 17 |
Nursing
Mid-State Technical College · Wisconsin Rapids, WI |
81
76–82 |
$64,716/yr | Moderate | 53.1x |
| 18 |
Nursing
Milwaukee Area Technical College · Milwaukee, WI |
82
77–82 |
$69,145/yr | Moderate | 70.3x |
| 19 |
Nursing
Moraine Park Technical College · Fond du Lac, WI |
82
77–82 |
$66,776/yr | Moderate | 72.7x |
| 20 |
Business Administration
Moraine Park Technical College · Fond du Lac, WI |
79
74–80 |
$46,719/yr | Moderate | 48.6x |
| 21 |
Nursing
Nicolet Area Technical College · Rhinelander, WI |
81
77–82 |
$65,071/yr | Moderate | 69.3x |
| 22 |
Nursing
Waukesha County Technical College · Pewaukee, WI |
83
78–83 |
$68,434/yr | Moderate | 75.3x |
| 23 |
Plumbing
Fox Valley Technical College · Appleton, WI |
81
80–82 |
$79,589/yr | AI-Proof | 160.9x |
| 24 |
Nursing
Fox Valley Technical College · Appleton, WI |
80
75–81 |
$63,050/yr | Moderate | 65.1x |
| 25 |
Nursing
Lakeshore Technical College · Cleveland, WI |
80
75–81 |
$61,635/yr | Moderate | 67.4x |
| 26 |
Business Administration
Mid-State Technical College · Wisconsin Rapids, WI |
78
74–80 |
$47,268/yr | Moderate | 45.4x |
| 27 |
Nursing
Northcentral Technical College · Wausau, WI |
84
78–84 |
$63,958/yr | Moderate | 79.4x |
| 28 |
Nursing
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College · Green Bay, WI |
80
75–80 |
$61,633/yr | Moderate | 63.9x |
| 29 |
Nursing
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College · Fennimore, WI |
81
75–82 |
$61,748/yr | Moderate | 72.2x |
| 30 |
Electrical Installation
Chippewa Valley Technical College · Eau Claire, WI |
84
79–85 |
$60,950/yr | AI-Proof | 197.8x |
| 31 |
Nursing
Chippewa Valley Technical College · Eau Claire, WI |
82
76–82 |
$64,532/yr | Moderate | 73.1x |
| 32 |
Business Administration
Waukesha County Technical College · Pewaukee, WI |
78
72–80 |
$44,016/yr | Moderate | 54.5x |
| 33 |
Nursing
Western Technical College · La Crosse, WI |
82
76–82 |
$64,274/yr | Moderate | 71.9x |
| 34 |
Criminal Justice
Northwood Technical College · Rice Lake, WI |
75
72–76 |
$44,966/yr | Resilient | 48.7x |
| 35 |
Nursing
Northwood Technical College · Rice Lake, WI |
82
77–82 |
$64,281/yr | Moderate | 75.2x |
| 36 |
Practical Nursing
Herzing University-Madison · Madison, WI |
72
68–73 |
$47,310/yr | AI-Proof | 49.0x |
| 37 |
Practical Nursing
Herzing University-Kenosha · Kenosha, WI |
72
68–73 |
$47,310/yr | AI-Proof | 49.0x |
| 38 |
Practical Nursing
Herzing University-Brookfield · Brookfield, WI |
72
68–73 |
$47,310/yr | AI-Proof | 49.0x |
| 39 |
Culinary Arts
Fox Valley Technical College · Appleton, WI |
71
69–71 |
$34,736/yr | AI-Proof | 40.6x |
| 40 |
Precision Metalworking
Fox Valley Technical College · Appleton, WI |
73
72–73 |
$53,507/yr | AI-Proof | 118.2x |
| 41 |
Precision Metalworking
Fox Valley Technical College · Appleton, WI |
65
65–66 |
$52,449/yr | AI-Proof | 60.8x |
| 42 |
Business Administration
Gateway Technical College · Kenosha, WI |
82
77–84 |
$40,426/yr | Moderate | 82.3x |
| 43 |
Business Administration
Milwaukee Area Technical College · Milwaukee, WI |
76
71–78 |
$43,437/yr | Moderate | 46.9x |
| 44 |
Business Administration
Northcentral Technical College · Wausau, WI |
78
73–80 |
$42,172/yr | Moderate | 57.9x |
| 45 |
Electrical Installation
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College · Fennimore, WI |
81
77–82 |
$53,024/yr | AI-Proof | 155.0x |
| 46 |
Business Administration
Western Technical College · La Crosse, WI |
85
78–87 |
$41,118/yr | Moderate | 109.8x |
| 47 |
Business Administration
Western Technical College · La Crosse, WI |
76
70–78 |
$40,548/yr | Moderate | 50.9x |
| 48 |
Business Administration
Northwood Technical College · Rice Lake, WI |
78
71–80 |
$41,564/yr | Moderate | 56.0x |
| 49 |
Business Administration
Madison Area Technical College · Madison, WI |
76
72–78 |
$43,085/yr | Moderate | 44.1x |
| 50 |
Criminal Justice
Blackhawk Technical College · Janesville, WI |
72
69–74 |
$40,164/yr | Resilient | 50.8x |
Methodology
This ranking includes the top 100 trade programs at Wisconsin schools, drawn from 408 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 Wisconsin?
By TradeSchoolOutlook Score, Ground Transportation at Fox Valley Technical College ranks #1 in Wisconsin with a score of 92/100 and graduate earnings of $67,999/yr.
How many trade programs are in Wisconsin?
Our database includes 408 trade programs across Wisconsin 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.