Home / Trade schools / North Carolina
Home / Trade schools / North Carolina
Trade schools in North Carolina
College Scorecard lists 56 schools in North Carolina that graduated students in electrical, HVAC, plumbing or construction programs in the latest year: 41 electrical, 38 HVAC, 10 plumbing, 23 construction trades, 1 construction management.1
$2,588median public tuition a year
| School | City | Programs | Credential | Type | Completers | Tuition | Cost a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake Technical Community College | Raleigh | Electrical, Construction trades, Plumbing, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 394 | $2,284 | $12,665 |
| Pitt Community College | Winterville | Electrical, Construction trades, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 223 | $2,680 | $15,930 |
| Cape Fear Community College | Wilmington | Electrical, Construction trades, Plumbing, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 210 | $2,772 | $13,161 |
| Central Piedmont Community College | Charlotte | Electrical, Construction trades, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 148 | $2,454 | $11,351 |
| Fayetteville Technical Community College | Fayetteville | Electrical, Construction trades, Plumbing, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 135 | $2,344 | $11,235 |
| Guilford Technical Community College | Jamestown | Electrical, Construction trades, Plumbing, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 115 | $2,334 | $22,684 |
| Gaston College | Dallas | Electrical, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 108 | $3,229 | $14,217 |
| Rowan-Cabarrus Community College | Salisbury | Electrical, Construction trades, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 106 | $2,080 | $21,028 |
| Appalachian State University | Boone | Construction management | Bachelor's | Public | 105 | $7,642 | $24,140 |
| Richmond Community College | Hamlet | Electrical, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 88 | $1,956 | $8,392 |
| Forsyth Technical Community College | Winston-Salem | Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC | Certificate | Public | 87 | $2,276 | $9,331 |
| Robeson Community College | Lumberton | Electrical, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 79 | $2,634 | $15,524 |
| Johnston Community College | Smithfield | HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 77 | $2,756 | $16,164 |
| Nash Community College | Rocky Mount | Electrical | Associate, Certificate | Public | 71 | $2,800 | $9,264 |
| Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College | Asheville | Electrical, Construction trades, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 70 | $2,882 | $18,442 |
| Coastal Carolina Community College | Jacksonville | Electrical, HVAC | Certificate, Associate | Public | 64 | $2,512 | $18,644 |
| Isothermal Community College | Spindale | Electrical, Construction trades | Associate, Certificate | Public | 63 | $2,050 | $17,949 |
| Catawba Valley Community College | Hickory | Electrical, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 60 | $2,427 | $16,914 |
| Cleveland Community College | Shelby | Electrical, Construction trades, Plumbing, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 56 | $2,588 | $5,500 |
| Central Carolina Community College | Sanford | Electrical, Construction trades, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 54 | $2,741 | $14,877 |
| Wilkes Community College | Wilkesboro | Construction trades | Associate, Certificate | Public | 48 | $2,572 | $10,787 |
| Montgomery Community College | Troy | Electrical, Construction trades, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 46 | $2,538 | $15,881 |
| Durham Technical Community College | Durham | Electrical | Associate, Certificate | Public | 39 | $1,986 | $10,327 |
| Martin Community College | Williamston | Electrical, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 35 | $2,523 | $14,010 |
| College of the Albemarle | Elizabeth City | Electrical, HVAC | Certificate | Public | 33 | $2,273 | $9,655 |
| Surry Community College | Dobson | Electrical, Construction trades, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 32 | $2,728 | $10,673 |
| Alamance Community College | Graham | HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 32 | $2,592 | $13,712 |
| James Sprunt Community College | Kenansville | Electrical | Associate, Certificate | Public | 31 | $2,592 | $11,822 |
| Southeastern Community College | Whiteville | Construction trades, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 31 | $2,600 | $12,630 |
| Wayne Community College | Goldsboro | HVAC | Certificate | Public | 26 | $2,598 | $9,197 |
| Randolph Community College | Asheboro | Electrical | Associate, Certificate | Public | 25 | $2,416 | $16,003 |
| McDowell Technical Community College | Marion | Electrical, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 24 | $2,032 | $16,724 |
| Davidson-Davie Community College | Thomasville | HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 21 | $1,979 | $9,320 |
| Bladen Community College | Dublin | Electrical | Associate, Certificate | Public | 20 | $2,638 | $16,670 |
| Vance-Granville Community College | Henderson | Electrical, HVAC | Certificate, Associate | Public | 19 | $1,964 | $13,110 |
| South Piedmont Community College | Polkton | Electrical, Construction trades, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 19 | $2,022 | $15,435 |
| Sampson Community College | Clinton | Electrical, Construction trades, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 18 | $2,877 | $18,417 |
| Halifax Community College | Weldon | Electrical, Plumbing | Certificate | Public | 18 | $2,638 | $10,848 |
| Roanoke-Chowan Community College | Ahoskie | HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 16 | $2,642 | $8,342 |
| Wilson Community College | Wilson | Electrical, Construction trades, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 14 | $2,572 | $14,082 |
| Mitchell Community College | Statesville | Electrical, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 13 | $2,641 | $15,218 |
| Southwestern Community College | Sylva | HVAC | Certificate | Public | 12 | $2,448 | $19,210 |
| Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute | Hudson | Electrical | Associate, Certificate | Public | 11 | $2,620 | $11,351 |
| Rockingham Community College | Wentworth | Electrical, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 10 | $2,006 | $8,834 |
| Stanly Community College | Albemarle | Electrical, HVAC | Certificate, Associate | Public | 9 | $2,681 | $15,516 |
| Haywood Community College | Clyde | Electrical | Associate, Certificate | Public | 7 | $2,647 | $11,384 |
| Edgecombe Community College | Tarboro | Electrical, Construction trades | Certificate | Public | 5 | $2,640 | $8,860 |
| Western Piedmont Community College | Morganton | Construction trades | Associate, Certificate | Public | 4 | $2,650 | $16,768 |
| Tri-County Community College | Murphy | Electrical, Construction trades, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 2 | $2,705 | $12,936 |
| Pamlico Community College | Grantsboro | Electrical, Plumbing | Associate, Certificate | Public | 1 | $1,946 | $14,114 |
| Piedmont Community College | Roxboro | Electrical | Associate, Certificate | Public | 0 | $2,616 | $14,116 |
| Miller-Motte College-Fayetteville | Fayetteville | Plumbing | Certificate | For-profit | 0 | $19,790 | $30,130 |
| Miller-Motte College-Jacksonville | Jacksonville | Plumbing, HVAC | Certificate | For-profit | 0 | $21,040 | $30,800 |
| Universal Technical Institute-Mooresville | Mooresville | HVAC | Certificate | For-profit | 0 | $53,500 | $33,267 |
| Carteret Community College | Morehead City | Construction trades | Associate, Certificate | Public | 0 | $1,900 | $18,686 |
| Sandhills Community College | Pinehurst | Construction trades | Associate, Certificate | Public | 0 | $2,040 | $16,207 |
Construction trades (CIP 46.04) covers carpentry, masonry, roofing and other building trades together. Tuition: in-state tuition for a year, or program tuition at schools that bill by program. Cost a year: average cost of attendance at the school.
Which trade schools in North Carolina graduate the most students?
Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh had the most completers in these programs in the latest year, 394, then Pitt Community College with 223.1
How much does trade school cost in North Carolina?
Public schools on the list charge a median $2,588 a year in in-state tuition; for-profit schools charge a median $21,040 in program tuition.1
Certificate or associate degree?
55 of the 56 schools offer a certificate in these trades and 46 offer an associate degree.1 A certificate is the shorter credential; an associate degree adds general education courses.
What is the highest-paying trade in North Carolina?
Of the five trades on this site, general contractors have the highest median pay in North Carolina, $36.19 an hour.2
| Trade | Median hourly | Schools | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Contractors | $36.19 | 24 | Schools · Salary · Apprenticeships |
| HVAC Technicians | $27.53 | 38 | Schools · Salary · Apprenticeships |
| Plumbers | $27.44 | 10 | Schools · Salary · Apprenticeships |
| Electricians | $27.31 | 41 | Schools · Salary · Apprenticeships |
| Roofers | $23.56 | 23 | Salary · Apprenticeships |
Pick a trade in North Carolina
Sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (field of study and institution data) (collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, North Carolina, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)