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Highest ROI Trade Programs in 2026

100 programs ranked · Updated 2026

Trade programs that pay back the most relative to what you spend on tuition.

Programs Ranked

100

Avg Earnings

$57,414/yr

Avg TSW Score

79/100

#1 Program

Nursing

Cabrillo College

Highest ROI Trade Programs

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

#	Program	TSW Score	Earnings	AI-Proof	ROI
1	Nursing Cabrillo College · Aptos, CA	91 85–92	$91,090/yr	Moderate	1067.5x
2	Allied Health Professions Crafton Hills College · Yucaipa, CA	81 77–82	$117,351/yr	Resilient	807.8x
3	Criminal Justice San Diego Miramar College · San Diego, CA	93 89–95	$91,647/yr	Resilient	795.9x
4	Criminal Justice Santa Rosa Junior College · Santa Rosa, CA	93 89–95	$111,649/yr	Resilient	707.7x
5	Allied Health Professions Los Angeles Valley College · Valley Glen, CA	81 77–81	$82,599/yr	Resilient	666.2x
6	Allied Health Professions Merced College · Merced, CA	81 76–81	$78,871/yr	Resilient	659.6x
7	Criminal Justice Butte College · Oroville, CA	93 88–94	$73,170/yr	Resilient	630.6x
8	Nursing Yuba College · Marysville, CA	92 85–92	$117,283/yr	Moderate	587.7x
9	Dental Assisting Cabrillo College · Aptos, CA	79 75–79	$74,741/yr	Resilient	587.5x
10	Criminal Justice Moreno Valley College · Moreno Valley, CA	93 89–95	$81,339/yr	Resilient	571.8x
11	Industrial Production Technology Antelope Valley Community College District · Lancaster, CA	76 72–77	$63,060/yr	Resilient	560.0x
12	Criminal Justice Yuba College · Marysville, CA	91 87–93	$62,350/yr	Resilient	551.7x
13	Electrical Installation Los Angeles Trade Technical College · Los Angeles, CA	82 79–83	$50,745/yr	AI-Proof	550.6x
14	Mental Health Services Mt San Antonio College · Walnut, CA	83 79–84	$59,278/yr	Resilient	548.1x
15	Mechanical Engineering Technology Los Angeles Trade Technical College · Los Angeles, CA	77 73–78	$66,574/yr	Resilient	536.8x
16	Vehicle Repair Technology West Los Angeles College · Culver City, CA	83 81–84	$65,978/yr	AI-Proof	531.9x
17	Nursing Contra Costa College · San Pablo, CA	92 85–92	$101,064/yr	Moderate	514.9x
18	Mental Health Services Coalinga College · Coalinga, CA	85 81–86	$71,517/yr	Resilient	510.1x
19	Nursing Sacramento City College · Sacramento, CA	92 85–92	$100,622/yr	Moderate	503.6x
20	Nursing Santa Rosa Junior College · Santa Rosa, CA	92 85–92	$100,800/yr	Moderate	499.0x
21	Mental Health Services Lemoore College · Lemoore, CA	85 80–86	$69,125/yr	Resilient	498.5x
22	Fire Protection Santa Ana College · Santa Ana, CA	80 76–82	$53,847/yr	Resilient	483.9x
23	Vehicle Repair Technology San Diego Miramar College · San Diego, CA	78 76–78	$43,285/yr	AI-Proof	482.4x
24	Liberal Arts & Humanities San Diego Miramar College · San Diego, CA	61 61–61	$31,804/yr	AI-Proof	450.0x
25	Practical Nursing Hartnell College · Salinas, CA	88 85–88	$63,321/yr	AI-Proof	450.0x
26	Allied Health Professions Foothill College · Los Altos Hills, CA	81 77–82	$107,048/yr	Resilient	445.3x
27	Business Cabrillo College · Aptos, CA	82 76–84	$31,951/yr	Moderate	445.1x
28	Liberal Arts & Humanities San Diego Mesa College · San Diego, CA	62 62–62	$33,015/yr	AI-Proof	444.0x
29	Liberal Arts & Humanities College of the Canyons · Santa Clarita, CA	59 59–59	$28,886/yr	AI-Proof	420.2x
30	Liberal Arts & Humanities East Los Angeles College · Monterey Park, CA	62 62–62	$33,628/yr	AI-Proof	411.5x
31	Vehicle Repair Technology Santa Ana College · Santa Ana, CA	74 72–74	$36,380/yr	AI-Proof	402.4x
32	Allied Health Professions Canada College · Redwood City, CA	81 77–81	$106,691/yr	Resilient	399.5x
33	Fire Protection Modesto Junior College · Modesto, CA	79 75–81	$50,364/yr	Resilient	395.6x
34	Fire Protection Santa Ana College · Santa Ana, CA	78 74–80	$46,660/yr	Resilient	394.4x
35	Liberal Arts & Humanities Santiago Canyon College · Orange, CA	61 60–61	$31,050/yr	AI-Proof	393.0x
36	Precision Metalworking Santa Ana College · Santa Ana, CA	74 72–74	$45,864/yr	AI-Proof	387.7x
37	Health Administration Santa Barbara City College · Santa Barbara, CA	88 81–90	$47,046/yr	Moderate	380.2x
38	Accounting Austin Community College District · Austin, TX	88 80–90	$62,261/yr	Exposed	375.3x
39	Physical Science Technology College of the Mainland · Texas City, TX	70 64–72	$49,694/yr	Resilient	375.2x
40	Construction Management Technology Cabrillo College · Aptos, CA	88 86–88	$47,566/yr	AI-Proof	373.5x
41	Accounting Cabrillo College · Aptos, CA	87 80–90	$57,294/yr	Exposed	365.5x
42	Vehicle Repair Technology Tarrant County College District · Fort Worth, TX	80 78–81	$50,956/yr	AI-Proof	363.4x
43	Practical Nursing Alvin Community College · Alvin, TX	88 86–89	$64,976/yr	AI-Proof	353.3x
44	Environmental Technology Los Angeles Trade Technical College · Los Angeles, CA	70 67–71	$43,340/yr	Resilient	349.1x
45	Dental Assisting Chabot College · Hayward, CA	79 75–80	$85,175/yr	Resilient	349.1x
46	Vehicle Repair Technology Victor Valley College · Victorville, CA	80 78–80	$49,729/yr	AI-Proof	348.0x
47	Health Administration Durham Technical Community College · Durham, NC	92 86–95	$70,267/yr	Moderate	347.7x
48	Environmental Technology Riverside City College · Riverside, CA	72 69–73	$48,911/yr	Resilient	343.4x
49	Business Administration Cerritos College · Norwalk, CA	93 87–95	$56,738/yr	Moderate	333.0x
50	Ground Transportation Davidson-Davie Community College · Thomasville, NC	87 85–88	$41,081/yr	AI-Proof	327.5x
51	Ground Transportation Johnson County Community College · Overland Park, KS	95 93–95	$74,114/yr	AI-Proof	326.6x
52	Physical Science Technology Alvin Community College · Alvin, TX	71 66–73	$54,543/yr	Resilient	324.7x
53	Electrical Installation City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College · Chicago, IL	87 84–88	$142,516/yr	AI-Proof	324.4x
54	Computer Science Tarrant County College District · Fort Worth, TX	81 72–83	$37,808/yr	Exposed	316.4x
55	Practical Nursing San Jacinto Community College · Pasadena, TX	85 83–86	$51,679/yr	AI-Proof	314.0x
56	Electrical Installation Community College of Allegheny County · Pittsburgh, PA	87 84–88	$151,803/yr	AI-Proof	312.5x
57	Health & Physical Education Cabrillo College · Aptos, CA	73 70–74	$38,985/yr	Resilient	306.0x
58	Precision Metalworking Amarillo College · Amarillo, TX	74 73–75	$48,263/yr	AI-Proof	304.1x
59	Practical Nursing Pima Community College · Tucson, AZ	84 81–85	$47,205/yr	AI-Proof	298.7x
60	Medical Assisting Santa Ana College · Santa Ana, CA	71 67–71	$28,200/yr	Resilient	290.9x
61	Physical Science Technology Alvin Community College · Alvin, TX	71 66–72	$52,336/yr	Resilient	284.4x
62	Electrical Installation Arkansas State University-Newport · Newport, AR	86 83–87	$71,039/yr	AI-Proof	283.4x
63	Physical Science Technology Lee College · Baytown, TX	75 70–77	$94,986/yr	Resilient	282.3x
64	Business Administration Tarrant County College District · Fort Worth, TX	86 80–88	$38,168/yr	Moderate	281.4x
65	Medical Assisting Cabrillo College · Aptos, CA	77 73–78	$37,279/yr	Resilient	276.3x
66	Computer Networking Dallas College · Dallas, TX	83 73–85	$50,493/yr	Exposed	276.2x
67	Practical Nursing McDowell Technical Community College · Marion, NC	85 83–86	$51,299/yr	AI-Proof	271.6x
68	Computer Programming Dallas College · Dallas, TX	74 64–78	$43,727/yr	Exposed	271.0x
69	Fire Protection Hillsborough Community College · Tampa, FL	79 75–81	$50,331/yr	Resilient	270.5x
70	Industrial Production Technology Antelope Valley Community College District · Lancaster, CA	75 71–76	$60,323/yr	Resilient	267.3x
71	Biological & Physical Sciences San Diego Mesa College · San Diego, CA	54 48–55	$19,521/yr	Resilient	266.1x
72	Legal Support Services Phoenix College · Phoenix, AZ	65 58–68	$38,910/yr	Exposed	263.9x
73	Mental Health Services Coalinga College · Coalinga, CA	85 81–86	$72,116/yr	Resilient	259.5x
74	Mental Health Services Lemoore College · Lemoore, CA	85 80–85	$71,182/yr	Resilient	256.2x
75	Medical Assisting Fresno City College · Fresno, CA	75 71–75	$33,838/yr	Resilient	252.7x
76	Fire Protection Houston Community College · Houston, TX	75 70–76	$39,283/yr	Resilient	252.0x
77	Biological & Physical Sciences Modesto Junior College · Modesto, CA	64 60–65	$31,960/yr	Resilient	251.3x
78	Dental Assisting Southwestern College · Chula Vista, CA	78 74–78	$67,733/yr	Resilient	251.0x
79	Electrical Engineering Technology Dallas College · Dallas, TX	71 66–73	$59,679/yr	Moderate	250.8x
80	Dental Assisting Cerritos College · Norwalk, CA	67 63–67	$34,175/yr	Resilient	249.5x
81	Teacher Education San Juan College · Farmington, NM	85 82–86	$44,618/yr	Moderate	248.3x
82	Electrical Installation Kennebec Valley Community College · Fairfield, ME	86 82–86	$70,166/yr	AI-Proof	247.8x
83	Biological & Physical Sciences Victor Valley College · Victorville, CA	59 54–60	$26,780/yr	Resilient	243.0x
84	Business Administration Antelope Valley Community College District · Lancaster, CA	77 70–79	$26,096/yr	Moderate	242.3x
85	Business Administration San Diego Mesa College · San Diego, CA	88 81–90	$40,642/yr	Moderate	242.0x
86	Business Administration Pasadena City College · Pasadena, CA	73 64–75	$20,816/yr	Moderate	239.5x
87	Medical Assisting Santa Ana College · Santa Ana, CA	71 65–71	$28,687/yr	Resilient	237.9x
88	Computer Science Wake Technical Community College · Raleigh, NC	87 78–89	$55,264/yr	Exposed	235.6x
89	Computer Science Durham Technical Community College · Durham, NC	85 76–87	$46,966/yr	Exposed	235.5x
90	HVAC Technology Davidson-Davie Community College · Thomasville, NC	71 69–71	$46,491/yr	AI-Proof	234.0x
91	Public Health Coalinga College · Coalinga, CA	69 60–70	$29,951/yr	Moderate	233.3x
92	Biology San Diego Miramar College · San Diego, CA	52 44–54	$15,731/yr	Moderate	230.4x
93	Human Development & Family Studies Coalinga College · Coalinga, CA	68 64–70	$18,810/yr	Moderate	230.3x
94	Precision Metalworking Merced College · Merced, CA	62 61–63	$27,541/yr	AI-Proof	229.7x
95	Electromechanical Technology Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College · Minden, LA	68 62–70	$46,892/yr	Resilient	228.7x
96	Precision Metalworking Aims Community College · Greeley, CO	74 73–75	$47,680/yr	AI-Proof	227.1x
97	Biological & Physical Sciences Cerritos College · Norwalk, CA	58 52–59	$25,221/yr	Resilient	224.8x
98	Medical Assisting College of the Sequoias · Visalia, CA	84 80–84	$57,242/yr	Resilient	224.5x
99	Electrical Repair Technology Highlands College of Montana Tech · Butte, MT	76 73–77	$63,098/yr	AI-Proof	221.7x
100	Physical Science Technology San Jacinto Community College · Pasadena, TX	72 67–74	$59,496/yr	Resilient	219.0x

Methodology

Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100), combining graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and tuition ROI. Earnings data is from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

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.