Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech) offers over 150 programs, with strong options in nursing, allied health, computer and information sciences, and various vehicle maintenance and repair technologies. The college emphasizes hands-on training, particularly in nursing with modern labs and clinical partnerships, and in skilled trades like electrical work and machining. A-B Tech also focuses on workforce development through apprenticeships and connections with local employers.
Programs Analyzed
Avg Grad Earnings
Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score
Tuition (In-State)
All Programs at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
12 trade programs at Asheville-Buncombe Technical CC, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size). Use the “compare” links to see how this school’s programs stack up against others nationally.
| Program | Score | Earnings | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nursing
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Compare nationwide → Compare in NC → |
86 | $63,410/yr | $18,176 |
|
Business Administration
Business Administration, Management and Operations Compare nationwide → Compare in NC → |
77 | $29,126/yr | $15,500 |
|
Information Sciences
Computer and Information Sciences, General Compare nationwide → Compare in NC → |
75 | $41,027/yr | — |
|
Health Administration
Health and Medical Administrative Services Compare nationwide → Compare in NC → |
75 | $30,592/yr | — |
|
Vehicle Repair Technology
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies Compare nationwide → Compare in NC → |
74 | $37,714/yr | — |
|
Culinary Arts
Culinary Arts and Related Services Compare nationwide → Compare in NC → |
74 | $32,602/yr | — |
|
Allied Health Professions
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Compare nationwide → Compare in NC → |
69 | $48,052/yr | $20,000 |
|
Welding & Metalworking
Precision Metal Working Compare nationwide → Compare in NC → |
67 | $37,078/yr | — |
|
Dental Assisting
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions Compare nationwide → Compare in NC → |
66 | $36,817/yr | — |
|
Medical Assisting
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services Compare nationwide → Compare in NC → |
64 | $33,274/yr | $21,000 |
|
Veterinary Technology
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians Compare nationwide → Compare in NC → |
58 | $36,095/yr | — |
|
Liberal Arts & Humanities
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Compare nationwide → Compare in NC → |
49 | $29,456/yr | $15,638 |
Reading the table: Score combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size on a 0–100 scale. Earnings = median first-year salary from College Scorecard. Debt = median federal debt at graduation (blank where Scorecard suppresses small samples). 10yr ROI = projected 10-year earnings ÷ in-state tuition. AI Risk reflects task-level AI exposure across mapped occupations. Job Market = annual openings nationwide for connected occupations.
More Trade Schools in North Carolina
Top-scored trade schools elsewhere in North Carolina, ranked by average TradeSchoolOutlook Score across their programs.
Apprenticeship Pathways in North Carolina
Earn-while-you-learn alternatives in North Carolina. Registered apprenticeships skip tuition and pay you during training, though training periods are typically longer.
Trade Schools Near Asheville
Other cities in North Carolina with multiple trade schools, sorted by distance from Asheville.
About This Data
TradeSchoolOutlook analyzes 12 trade and vocational programs at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College using earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034).
The TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100) combines graduate earnings, return on investment, AI resilience, and job market size. AI Risk reflects task-level exposure for the occupations each program feeds into. Job Market shows the size of the national hiring pool. Programs without published debt figures had small reporting samples that the College Scorecard suppresses for privacy.