Trade schools by state
Trade schools in Virginia
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data · Updated October 17, 2026
29 colleges and trade schools in Virginia reported 58 electrician, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), plumbing or construction programs with graduates in the latest two reported years, according to the federal College Scorecard. For each one you can see how many certificates or degrees it awarded, what graduates typically earned a year and four years later, and what a year at the school costs after grants.
Electrician programs in Virginia
18 programs at 16 schools. Listed by graduates' pay one year after finishing, then by size; click any column heading to sort by it, and click again to reverse.
All 18 programs
| School | Program | Graduates 2023–24 | Typical pay 1 year after | Typical pay 4 years after | Yearly cost after grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Highlands Community CollegeAbingdon · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 44 | $49,948 | $45,108 | $6,872 |
| Virginia Highlands Community CollegeAbingdon · Public · Scorecard | Associate degree | 15 | $49,722 | $43,026 | $6,872 |
| Danville Community CollegeDanville · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 14 | $48,812 | $69,652 | $4,767 |
| Virginia Western Community CollegeRoanoke · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 36 | $40,876 | $49,602 | $4,912 |
| Centura College-NorfolkNorfolk · Private for-profit · Scorecard | Certificate | 30 | $35,618 | — | $29,979 |
| Blue Ridge Community CollegeWeyers Cave · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 62 | — | — | $13,500 |
| Tidewater Community CollegeNorfolk · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 57 | — | $64,803 | $11,681 |
| New River Community CollegeDublin · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 49 | — | — | $6,105 |
| Mountain Gateway Community CollegeClifton Forge · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 34 | — | — | $4,762 |
| Tidewater Community CollegeNorfolk · Public · Scorecard | Associate degree | 26 | — | $67,415 | $11,681 |
| Wytheville Community CollegeWytheville · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 24 | — | — | $4,056 |
| Central Virginia Community CollegeLynchburg · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 18 | — | — | $5,305 |
| Brightpoint Community CollegeChester · Public · Scorecard | Associate degree | 13 | — | — | $4,793 |
| Paul D Camp Community CollegeFranklin · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 12 | — | — | $4,676 |
| Mountain Empire Community CollegeBig Stone Gap · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 9 | — | — | $7,931 |
| Southside Virginia Community CollegeAlberta · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 2 | — | — | $10,096 |
| Southwest Virginia Community CollegeCedar Bluff · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 2 | — | — | $5,173 |
| Rappahannock Community CollegeGlenns · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 0 | — | — | $5,014 |
Nationally, the typical pay one year after finishing was $44,469 for certificate programs; $55,611 for associate degree programs.
Virginia electrician license: hours, exam and costs
HVAC programs in Virginia
27 programs at 23 schools. Listed by graduates' pay one year after finishing, then by size; click any column heading to sort by it, and click again to reverse.
All 27 programs
| School | Program | Graduates 2023–24 | Typical pay 1 year after | Typical pay 4 years after | Yearly cost after grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tidewater Tech-TradesNorfolk · Private for-profit · Scorecard | Certificate | 100 | $43,202 | $41,817 | $28,473 |
| Advanced Technology InstituteVirginia Beach · Private for-profit · Scorecard | Certificate | 22 | $42,049 | $44,428 | $17,832 |
| Centura College-Newport NewsNewport News · Private for-profit · Scorecard | Certificate | 77 | $40,955 | $43,168 | $25,742 |
| Centura College-ChesapeakeChesapeake · Private for-profit · Scorecard | Certificate | 6 | $40,955 | $43,168 | $30,677 |
| Fortis College-RichmondRichmond · Private for-profit · Scorecard | Certificate | 77 | $40,190 | $44,022 | $25,648 |
| Fortis College-NorfolkNorfolk · Private for-profit · Scorecard | Certificate | 4 | $40,190 | $44,022 | $31,024 |
| Virginia Western Community CollegeRoanoke · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 20 | $39,309 | $50,813 | $4,912 |
| Southside Virginia Community CollegeAlberta · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 63 | — | — | $10,096 |
| Northern Virginia Community CollegeAnnandale · Public · Scorecard | Associate degree | 32 | — | $75,318 | $5,880 |
| Northern Virginia Community CollegeAnnandale · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 29 | — | $70,726 | $5,880 |
| Virginia Highlands Community CollegeAbingdon · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 28 | — | — | $6,872 |
| Mountain Empire Community CollegeBig Stone Gap · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 26 | — | — | $7,931 |
| Brightpoint Community CollegeChester · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 21 | — | $56,038 | $4,793 |
| Central Virginia Community CollegeLynchburg · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 20 | — | — | $5,305 |
| Danville Community CollegeDanville · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 19 | — | $40,285 | $4,767 |
| Wytheville Community CollegeWytheville · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 17 | — | — | $4,056 |
| Advanced Technology InstituteVirginia Beach · Private for-profit · Scorecard | Associate degree | 15 | — | — | $17,832 |
| Eastern Shore Community CollegeMelfa · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 14 | — | — | $4,303 |
| Tidewater Community CollegeNorfolk · Public · Scorecard | Associate degree | 14 | — | — | $11,681 |
| Virginia Highlands Community CollegeAbingdon · Public · Scorecard | Associate degree | 13 | — | — | $6,872 |
| New River Community CollegeDublin · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 11 | — | — | $6,105 |
| Tidewater Community CollegeNorfolk · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 11 | — | — | $11,681 |
| Rappahannock Community CollegeGlenns · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 9 | — | — | $5,014 |
| Southwest Virginia Community CollegeCedar Bluff · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 9 | — | — | $5,173 |
| Laurel Ridge Community CollegeMiddletown · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 8 | — | — | $5,184 |
| Virginia Peninsula Community CollegeHampton · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 4 | — | — | $6,830 |
| Paul D Camp Community CollegeFranklin · Public · Scorecard | Certificate | 1 | — | — | $4,676 |
Nationally, the typical pay one year after finishing was $42,278 for certificate programs; $48,589 for associate degree programs.
Virginia HVAC license: hours, exam and costs
Plumbing programs in Virginia
No school in Virginia reported a plumbing program with graduates in the latest two reported years. Most plumbers train through apprenticeships.
Virginia plumbing license: hours, exam and costs
Construction programs in Virginia
13 programs at 12 schools. Listed by graduates' pay one year after finishing, then by size; click any column heading to sort by it, and click again to reverse.
All 13 programs
| School | Program | Graduates 2023–24 | Typical pay 1 year after | Typical pay 4 years after | Yearly cost after grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg · Public · Scorecard | Bachelor's degreeConstruction Management | 94 | $77,148 | $95,165 | $25,808 |
| Mountain Empire Community CollegeBig Stone Gap · Public · Scorecard | CertificateConstruction Trades, General | 0 | $59,787 | — | $7,931 |
| Tidewater Tech-TradesNorfolk · Private for-profit · Scorecard | CertificateBuilding/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection | 104 | $37,388 | $42,871 | $28,473 |
| Centura College-NorfolkNorfolk · Private for-profit · Scorecard | CertificateCarpenters | 30 | $35,631 | — | $29,979 |
| Wytheville Community CollegeWytheville · Public · Scorecard | CertificateConstruction Trades, General | 31 | — | — | $4,056 |
| Northern Virginia Community CollegeAnnandale · Public · Scorecard | Associate degreeConstruction Trades, General | 27 | — | — | $5,880 |
| Northern Virginia Community CollegeAnnandale · Public · Scorecard | CertificateConstruction Trades, General | 18 | — | — | $5,880 |
| Liberty UniversityLynchburg · Private nonprofit · Scorecard | Associate degreeConstruction Trades, General | 13 | — | — | $29,235 |
| Virginia Western Community CollegeRoanoke · Public · Scorecard | CertificateConstruction Trades, General | 12 | — | — | $4,912 |
| Norfolk State UniversityNorfolk · Public · Scorecard | Bachelor's degreeConstruction Engineering Technology/Technician | 11 | — | — | $12,180 |
| Brightpoint Community CollegeChester · Public · Scorecard | CertificateConstruction Trades, General | 8 | — | — | $4,793 |
| Tidewater Community CollegeNorfolk · Public · Scorecard | CertificateConstruction Trades, General | 5 | — | — | $11,681 |
| Danville Community CollegeDanville · Public · Scorecard | CertificateConstruction Trades, General | 0 | — | — | $4,767 |
Nationally, the typical pay one year after finishing was $77,872 for bachelor's degree programs in construction engineering technology/technician; $39,348 for certificate programs in construction trades, general; $74,049 for associate degree programs in construction trades, general; $35,931 for certificate programs in carpenters; $35,572 for certificate programs in building/construction finishing, management, and inspection; $75,379 for bachelor's degree programs in construction management.
Virginia contractor license: hours, exam and costs
How to read these numbers
- Where they come from: the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. Schools report their programs and graduates; the pay figures come from federal tax records.
- Graduates: the number of certificates or degrees the school reported awarding in that field in the 2023–24 school year. Programs with no graduates in the two latest reported years (2022–23 and 2023–24) are left out.
- Typical pay: the median yearly earnings (wages plus self-employment income) of graduates who were working and not back in school. The 1-year figure is for people who finished in 2020–21 or 2021–22; the 4-year figure is for people who finished in 2017–18 or 2018–19. Both are in 2024 dollars.
- Who's counted: only graduates who got federal student aid (federal grants or student loans). Graduates who didn't get federal aid aren't in the figures, so the numbers may not describe every graduate.
- A dash (—) means the Department didn't publish a figure. For pay, that's usually because too few graduates were measured, so the figure is withheld to protect their privacy. Most small programs have no pay figure.
- Yearly cost after grants: the school's average net price: a year's tuition, fees, books and living costs, minus the average grant and scholarship aid, for full-time students starting college for the first time who got federal aid (at public schools, only students paying in-state tuition). At most colleges it's an average across all programs, not the one listed; at schools that enroll students year-round instead of by semester, it's for the school's largest program, and for a program shorter than a year it's the cost of the whole program. A school's own net price calculator, if it has one, gives a closer estimate.
- Program names follow the federal list of fields of study. "Electrical" includes power line worker programs; "construction" includes general construction trades, carpentry, building finishing and inspection, construction technology and construction management.
Sources (3)
- College Scorecard data (field of study and institution files, through the College Scorecard API), U.S. Department of Education. Data as of October 17, 2026.
- Technical documentation: field of study data, U.S. Department of Education, October 2026 version.
- College Scorecard data dictionary, U.S. Department of Education.