West Kentucky Community and Technical College

Paducah, KY · Public · 2,810 students · Visit Website

West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) offers hands-on training in skilled trades like welding, automotive technology, and electrical technology, with programs designed to lead directly to industry opportunities. The college emphasizes workforce development and partners with regional industries to provide customized training and support local employment pipelines. Many programs offer flexible schedules, including online and hybrid formats, to accommodate working adults and those needing to balance education with other commitments.

Programs Analyzed

15

Avg Grad Earnings

$32,581/yr

Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score

62/100

Tuition (In-State)

$4,656/yr
Out-of-state: $6,192/yr

All Programs at West Kentucky Community and Technical College

15 trade programs at West Kentucky Community and Tech, 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 10yr ROI AI Risk Job Market
Nursing
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
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80 $58,951/yr $11,068 66.2x High Very Large
292 openings/yr
Information Sciences
Computer and Information Sciences, General
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74 $41,232/yr 62.8x Very High Very Large
338 openings/yr
Business Administration
Business Administration, Management and Operations
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71 $28,653/yr $10,295 60.5x High Very Large
1,753 openings/yr
Vehicle Repair Technology
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies
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67 $35,929/yr 76.2x Low Very Large
214 openings/yr
Practical Nursing
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants
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67 $31,020/yr $6,025 65.6x Low Very Large
258 openings/yr
Electrical Installation
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers
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65 $31,942/yr 67.6x Low Very Large
230 openings/yr
Health Administration
Health and Medical Administrative Services
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65 $26,535/yr $11,000 56.0x High Very Large
729 openings/yr
Allied Health Professions
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
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64 $46,895/yr $9,618 54.6x Moderate Very Large
124 openings/yr
Welding & Metalworking
Precision Metal Working
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64 $35,603/yr $5,625 100.2x Low Very Large
164 openings/yr
Medical Assisting
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
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62 $36,362/yr 38.0x Moderate Very Large
252 openings/yr
Business Operations Support
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
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62 $26,607/yr $9,999 56.1x Very High Very Large
1,381 openings/yr
Human Development & Family Studies
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
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54 $18,132/yr $7,000 37.9x High Very Large
297 openings/yr
Health Sciences
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
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44 $30,159/yr $7,194 34.5x High Medium
15 openings/yr
Liberal Arts & Humanities
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
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42 $26,590/yr $7,620 37.5x Low Medium
13 openings/yr
Cosmetology
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
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42 $14,110/yr 33.0x Moderate Very Large
145 openings/yr

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 Kentucky

Top-scored trade schools elsewhere in Kentucky, ranked by average TradeSchoolOutlook Score across their programs.

View all trade schools in Kentucky →

Apprenticeship Pathways in Kentucky

Earn-while-you-learn alternatives in Kentucky. Registered apprenticeships skip tuition and pay you during training, though training periods are typically longer.

Browse all apprenticeship trades →

Trade Schools Near Paducah

Other cities in Kentucky with multiple trade schools, sorted by distance from Paducah.

About This Data

TradeSchoolOutlook analyzes 15 trade and vocational programs at West Kentucky Community and Technical 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.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections). Last updated 2026.