Tidewater Community College
Tidewater Community College provides hands-on training for high-demand careers through its Skilled Trades Academy, which recently expanded to offer more opportunities in fields like carpentry, welding, sheet metal, and HVAC. The college emphasizes practical application and problem-solving, preparing students for direct entry into the workforce or for further education. TCC also offers a sponsored state-registered apprenticeship program, allowing students to gain experience with local companies and earn a paycheck while completing their education.
Programs Analyzed
Avg Grad Earnings
Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score
Tuition (In-State)
All Programs at Tidewater Community College
29 trade programs at Tidewater 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Business Administration
Business Administration, Management and Operations Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
82 | $42,521/yr | $12,275 |
|
Nursing
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
81 | $69,764/yr | $11,600 |
|
Truck Driving & CDL
Ground Transportation Compare nationwide → |
80 | $39,383/yr | $3,345 |
|
Mechanical Engineering Technology
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians Compare nationwide → |
70 | $54,461/yr | $4,719 |
|
Information Sciences
Computer and Information Sciences, General Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
70 | $45,084/yr | $13,230 |
|
Accounting
Accounting and Related Services Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
69 | $35,597/yr | $8,956 |
|
Allied Health Professions
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
68 | $62,524/yr | $10,450 |
|
Electrical Engineering Technology
Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
67 | $56,971/yr | $9,012 |
|
Electrical Installation
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
67 | $36,232/yr | — |
|
Vehicle Repair Technology
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
66 | $47,722/yr | $7,000 |
|
Engineering
Engineering, General Compare nationwide → |
65 | $68,555/yr | $9,004 |
|
Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice and Corrections Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
64 | $27,916/yr | $12,304 |
|
Health Administration
Health and Medical Administrative Services Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
63 | $29,290/yr | — |
|
Business Operations Support
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
62 | $35,687/yr | $20,823 |
|
Clinical Laboratory Science
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
60 | $37,354/yr | — |
|
Culinary Arts
Culinary Arts and Related Services Compare nationwide → |
60 | $25,938/yr | $16,637 |
|
Medical Assisting
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
58 | $29,799/yr | $9,650 |
|
Social Sciences
Social Sciences, General Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
58 | $29,425/yr | $9,163 |
|
Funeral Service & Mortuary Science
Funeral Service and Mortuary Science Compare nationwide → |
55 | $39,431/yr | — |
|
Legal Support Services
Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
55 | $36,150/yr | $12,562 |
|
Human Development & Family Studies
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
55 | $21,889/yr | $9,500 |
|
Hospitality Management
Hospitality Administration/Management Compare nationwide → |
55 | $21,416/yr | $15,637 |
|
Liberal Arts & Humanities
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
50 | $31,688/yr | $9,805 |
|
Welding & Metalworking
Precision Metal Working Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
50 | $23,785/yr | $7,500 |
|
Drafting & Design Technology
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians Compare nationwide → |
48 | $41,114/yr | — |
|
Biological & Physical Sciences
Biological and Physical Sciences Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
48 | $30,605/yr | $9,259 |
|
Mental Health Services
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
47 | $23,509/yr | $23,200 |
|
Design
Design and Applied Arts Compare nationwide → Compare in VA → |
40 | $22,935/yr | $11,348 |
|
Teaching Assistants
Teaching Assistants/Aides Compare nationwide → |
39 | $23,117/yr | $9,566 |
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 Virginia
Top-scored trade schools elsewhere in Virginia, ranked by average TradeSchoolOutlook Score across their programs.
Apprenticeship Pathways in Virginia
Earn-while-you-learn alternatives in Virginia. Registered apprenticeships skip tuition and pay you during training, though training periods are typically longer.
Trade Schools Near Norfolk
Other cities in Virginia with multiple trade schools, sorted by distance from Norfolk.
About This Data
TradeSchoolOutlook analyzes 29 trade and vocational programs at Tidewater 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.