CALIFORNIA — Federal Data, September 2026
The Best Trade Schools in California, Ranked On What Graduates Owe And Earn
12 accredited institutions in California report enough federal data to be compared. They are ranked here on a single measure: how many months of gross pay it takes a graduate to cover the median debt.
See The California RankingU.S. Department of Education data. No school paid to be listed.
Across the 12 ranked trade schools in California, the median graduate needs 4.5 months of gross pay to cover a median federal debt of $15,910, against median earnings of $40,368 one year after completion.
That puts California slower than the national median of 3.6 months measured across the 153 institutions in our national ranking. The best performer in the state is CET-San Jose in San Jose, at 2.5 months.
Only schools that are currently operating, accredited, predominantly certificate or associate granting, and reporting both debt and earnings on at least four trade programs appear here. That is why this list is short: most institutions do not publish enough for a fair comparison.
CALIFORNIA At A Glance
What the federal data says about trade schools in California
The Ranking
12 trade schools in California, ranked by months of gross pay to cover the debt
Lower is better.
| # | School | Type | Months | Debt | Earnings | Completion | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CET-San JoseSan Jose, CA | nonprofit | 2.5 | $6,954 | $33,741 | 81% | 6 |
| 2 | CET-ColtonColton, CA | nonprofit | 2.9 | $6,841 | $30,651 | 72% | 4 |
| 3 | UEI College-Huntington ParkHuntington Park, CA | for-profit | 3.8 | $9,500 | $30,150 | 70% | 4 |
| 4 | San Joaquin Valley College-Trades Education CenterFresno, CA | for-profit | 3.9 | $18,956 | $43,388 | 80% | 7 |
| 5 | San Joaquin Valley College-VisaliaVisalia, CA | for-profit | 4.4 | $19,040 | $40,614 | 36% | 10 |
| 6 | San Joaquin Valley College-BakersfieldBakersfield, CA | for-profit | 4.4 | $13,000 | $40,368 | 58% | 7 |
| 7 | San Joaquin Valley College-ModestoSalida, CA | for-profit | 4.6 | $15,842 | $41,399 | 77% | 4 |
| 8 | San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho MirageRancho Mirage, CA | for-profit | 4.8 | $15,978 | $40,614 | 70% | 4 |
| 9 | Institute of TechnologyClovis, CA | for-profit | 5.2 | $10,286 | $25,502 | 73% | 6 |
| 10 | San Joaquin Valley College-OntarioOntario, CA | for-profit | 5.8 | $18,956 | $40,368 | 64% | 7 |
| 11 | San Joaquin Valley College-HesperiaHesperia, CA | for-profit | 5.8 | $18,956 | $40,368 | 63% | 5 |
| 12 | San Joaquin Valley College-TemeculaTemecula, CA | for-profit | 5.8 | $18,956 | $40,368 | 82% | 5 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Cohorts by Field of Study and by Institution (published 9 June 2026). Debt is the median federal Stafford and Grad PLUS loan debt of completers; earnings are median earnings one year after completion; both are medians across the school’s trade programs. Completion is the institution’s published rate.
The Top Five, In Detail
The five fastest payback schools in California, one by one
CET-San Jose
San Jose, CA
CET-San Jose is a private nonprofit institution in San Jose. Across its 6 trade programs with publishable figures, the median graduate leaves with $6,954 of federal debt and reports median earnings of $33,741 a year after completing, so the debt is covered by 2.5 months of gross pay: the fastest payback in the state, and 2.0 months faster than the California state median of 4.5. It reports a 81% completion rate. Its fastest program here is Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR).
CET-Colton
Colton, CA
CET-Colton is a private nonprofit institution in Colton. Across its 4 trade programs with publishable figures, the median graduate leaves with $6,841 of federal debt and reports median earnings of $30,651 a year after completing, so the debt is covered by 2.9 months of gross pay: the second fastest in the state, and 1.6 months faster than the California state median of 4.5. It reports a 72% completion rate. Its fastest program here is Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR).
UEI College-Huntington Park
Huntington Park, CA
UEI College-Huntington Park is a private for-profit institution in Huntington Park. Across its 4 trade programs with publishable figures, the median graduate leaves with $9,500 of federal debt and reports median earnings of $30,150 a year after completing, so the debt is covered by 3.8 months of gross pay: the third fastest in the state, and 0.7 months faster than the California state median of 4.5. It reports a 70% completion rate. Its fastest program here is Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR).
San Joaquin Valley College-Trades Education Center
Fresno, CA
San Joaquin Valley College-Trades Education Center is a private for-profit institution in Fresno. Across its 7 trade programs with publishable figures, the median graduate leaves with $18,956 of federal debt and reports median earnings of $43,388 a year after completing, so the debt is covered by 3.9 months of gross pay: fourth in the state, and 0.6 months faster than the California state median of 4.5. It reports a 80% completion rate. Its fastest program here is Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians.
San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia
Visalia, CA
San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia is a private for-profit institution in Visalia. Across its 10 trade programs with publishable figures, the median graduate leaves with $19,040 of federal debt and reports median earnings of $40,614 a year after completing, so the debt is covered by 4.4 months of gross pay: fifth in the state, and right on the California state median of 4.5. It reports a 36% completion rate. Its fastest program here is Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians.
Read It Carefully
Why this list is short, and what it does not measure
Absence from this page is not a verdict. Most trade schools in California are missing because the Department of Education suppresses figures for programs with small cohorts, not because they scored badly. A small, excellent school will often have no publishable data at all.
The measure is also a ratio, not a repayment plan, and it counts federal loan debt only. Cash payments, private loans and employer sponsorship are invisible here. Local wages shape earnings as much as the school does, which is exactly why comparing within a state, as this page does, is more informative than comparing across the country.
By Trade
Or narrow it down to one trade in California
For CALIFORNIA School Operators
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