Data sources and methods

Trade School Map lists 3,329 schools. The data was last rebuilt on 2026-10-27.

Sources

• IPEDS: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS 2024-25 provisional (HD2024, C2024_A) and IC2023_PY
• Scorecard: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Cohorts data released 2026-10-15
• Census: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 state population estimates (NST-EST2024)

Methods

1. Schools: every active institution in IPEDS 2024-25 that reported at least one graduate in a covered program, at the certificate or associate level, in the latest completions file (C2024_A). Closed schools and schools the College Scorecard marks as not currently operating are removed.

2. Programs: matched by federal Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code. For example, welding is CIP 48.0508, HVAC is 47.0201 and 15.0501, and CNA is 51.3902. Graduates are first-major awards in the latest year.

3. Program price and length: from the IPEDS program-year file (IC2023_PY), which clock-hour and program-based schools report for their largest programs. Community colleges report tuition per year instead, so their program price shows as n/a and their yearly in-state tuition and net price appear on the school page.

4. Net price, completion rate, debt and earnings: College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (released October 15, 2026). Program earnings are median earnings one year after completing, for graduates who received federal aid; the Department of Education suppresses small programs for privacy.

5. Hub pages: a state or city page is published only when at least three schools there offer the program, so every page lists real choices.

Independence

Listings are free. No school can pay to be listed, to rank higher in a list, or to change its data. If we ever add paid features such as featured placement, they will be labeled as sponsored wherever they appear.