Vocational Trade Schools in Pennsylvania

Trade schools in Pennsylvania offer career-focused training in fields like healthcare, skilled trades, technology, and legal services. Trade school jobs include medical assistant, electrician, paralegal, physical therapist assistant, and paramedic. Vocational programs also train cosmetologists, chefs, dental hygienists, and respiratory therapists.

Pursuing a vocational certificate or degree helps professionals increase their earning potential and begin careers in high-demand areas. During a vocational program, students build career-ready skills in the classroom and through laboratory or clinical requirements.

Vocational programs offer several benefits compared to four-year academic programs. Earning a vocational certificate or degree generally takes 1-2 years, meaning students finish their program and enter the workforce faster. As a result, vocational training typically costs less than a bachelor’s degree.

In addition, professionals with an occupational credential benefit from a higher employment rate than those with an academic credential, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Many trade schools offer self-paced or accelerated options designed for busy students, and a growing number provide online vocational programs that maximize flexibility.

Our ranking lists the best vocational schools in Pennsylvania to help prospective students find the right fit to reach their career goals. This page also provides career and salary data for trade school occupations, introduces popular vocational programs, and lists scholarship opportunities for trade students in Pennsylvania.

Explore programs of your interests with the high-quality standards and flexibility you need to take your career to the next level.

Trade schools provide job-oriented training for careers in healthcare, the skilled trades, construction, and other fields. Colleges generally focus on academic programs, although many also offer vocational programs.

Trade schools educate students in areas like allied health, technology, and the skilled trades. Specialized trade schools offer training in cosmetology and the culinary arts.

Vocational jobs include careers in the skilled trades like electrician, HVAC technician, and mechanic. In the allied health field, vocational jobs include medical assistant, occupational therapy assistant, and respiratory therapist. Other occupational jobs include paralegal, cosmetologist, and paramedic.

The cost of vocational programs varies depending on the program length and school. Trade school students can research the most affordable vocational programs, including public community colleges with vocational programs.

Prospective trade school students should always check a school’s accreditation and licensure status before applying. By avoiding non-accredited, non-licensed schools, also known as diploma mills, students can make sure their vocational training prepares them for the workforce.

Accredited schools meet high standards for educating students. To earn accreditation, colleges and universities voluntarily submit to a rigorous review from an independent, nonprofit accrediting agency. During the review, the accrediting agency measures the school’s student learning outcomes, faculty qualifications, and graduation requirements.

Choosing an accredited school helps students. Credits earned from an accredited institution are more likely to transfer, and only students at accredited schools can receive federal financial aid. Accreditation continues to matter after graduation. Many professional licenses and certifications require an accredited degree.

In Pennsylvania, schools that offer vocational programs may hold regional or national accreditation. Community colleges and four-year universities often hold regional accreditation. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education grants regional accreditation in Pennsylvania.

Trade and vocational schools in Pennsylvania often pursue national accreditation from specialized accrediting agencies like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, which awards accreditation to over 650 trade and technical schools. Similarly, the Distance Education Accrediting Commission grants accreditation to online schools. Accrediting agencies should always hold approval from the Department of Education.

In addition to accreditation, postsecondary institutions should hold a license to operate in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Education approves technical schools, community colleges, and universities in the state.

Trade schools in Pennsylvania offer vocational training for careers in high-demand fields. By choosing a top-ranked vocational program, professionals can advance their education and increase their earning potential, often in under two years. The following list ranks the best vocational schools in Pennsylvania.

Many trade school careers provide strong salaries and job growth. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports much faster-than-average projected job growth for dental hygienists, paralegals, and HVAC technicians between 2018 and 2028.

The salary for trade school careers varies depending on the industry and location. Overall, technical and trade school occupations pay an annual mean salary of $68,480.

According to 2023 BLS statistics, on the lower end of the salary scale for trade school careers, personal care and service occupations collective pay an average median salary of about $34,000 per year, while on the high end, management occupations earn about $117,000 annually. In the healthcare field, healthcare practitioners and technical workers make about $64,000 per year and healthcare support occupations earn about $36,000 per year.

Location also influences salaries. For example, in Pennsylvania, BLS wage estimates report that electricians earn a mean annual wage of about $73,000 per year — substantially more than the national mean salary of about $68,000 for the profession. In the allied health field, healthcare practitioners and technical professionals in Pennsylvania earned a mean annual salary of $97,160, slightly lower than the national mean of $102,060.

Students considering trade schools in Pennsylvania can research salary and job growth data for their specific field.

Trade school programs prepare students for in-demand careers in allied health, skilled trades, legal services, and emergency services. For example, graduates work as dental hygienists, paralegals, and radiology technicians. A vocational certificate or degree combines classroom learning and fieldwork to prepare graduates for the workforce.

This section introduces some popular trade school programs but is not an exhaustive list. In addition to these programs, prospective students can research vocational programs for electricians, cosmetologists, engineering technologists, and construction managers.

Financial aid in the form of loans, grants, scholarships, and work-study programs helps trade school students pay for their certificate or degree.

The federal financial aid program awards loans and grants to qualifying students. Applicants must complete the FAFSA to receive federal financial aid, and only certain schools meet Department of Education requirements to distribute federal aid.

Unlike loans, scholarships and grants support students financially with no obligation to repay the award. Students pursuing career and technical training can apply for scholarships to make their program more affordable. The following section introduces scholarships for trade school students.