The Washington Monthly is the first and only publication to rank America’s best colleges for vocational certificates. To build the rankings, we pulled numbers for the twelve most common undergraduate certificate programs from the U.S. Department of Education’s new “gainful employment” database. For each program, we rank colleges according to the median earnings of their students three years after graduation. For informational purposes, we also show the median debt-to-earnings ratios, annual debt payments, estimated total debt, and outcome under the federal government’s gainful employment criteria—pass, at risk (“zone”), or fail.
Click here for a more detailed explanation, here for all of our other rankings, and here to download the full vocational certificate data set.
| Name | Median annual earnings | Annual debt payments as % of earnings | Annual debt payments | Estimated total debt | Gainful employment outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunwoody College Of Technology ( MN ) | $38,145 | 7.74 | $2,954 | $23,080 | Pass |
| Ridgewater College ( MN ) * | $36,460 | 4.16 | $1,519 | $11,868 | Pass |
| Riverland Community College ( MN ) * | $34,697 | 4.68 | $1,657 | $12,946 | Pass |
| Minnesota State Community And Technical College ( MN ) * | $34,427 | 3.88 | $1,446 | $11,298 | Pass |
| Northeast Wisconsin Technical College ( WI ) * | $34,314 | 2.21 | $761 | $5,946 | Pass |
| Universal Technical Institute ( TX ) ° | $33,658 | 6.64 | $2,337 | $18,259 | Pass |
| St. Cloud Technical And Community College ( MN ) * | $33,521 | 3.29 | $1,150 | $8,985 | Pass |
| Century College ( MN ) * | $33,401 | 1.62 | $569 | $4,446 | Pass |
| Rosedale Technical College ( PA ) | $32,963 | 3.52 | $1,161 | $9,071 | Pass |
| Sinclair Community College ( OH ) * | $32,901 | 3.28 | $1,081 | $8,446 | Pass |
| Pennco Tech ( PA ) ° | $32,769 | 4.87 | $1,598 | $12,485 | Pass |
| Shoreline Community College ( WA ) * | $32,292 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Madison Area Technical College ( WI ) * | $31,995 | 3.77 | $1,241 | $9,696 | Pass |
| Automotive Training Center ( PA ) ° | $30,991 | 7.47 | $2,316 | $18,095 | Pass |
| Southwest Wisconsin Technical College ( WI ) * | $30,713 | 2.83 | $872 | $6,813 | Pass |
| University Of Northwestern Ohio ( OH ) | $30,447 | 5.37 | $1,702 | $13,298 | Pass |
| Universal Technical Institute ( AZ ) ° | $29,590 | 8.31 | $2,514 | $19,642 | Pass |
| Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College ( WI ) * | $29,423 | 3.16 | $937 | $7,321 | Pass |
| Central Lakes College ( MN ) * | $28,912 | 2.54 | $759 | $5,930 | Pass |
| Milwaukee Area Technical College ( WI ) * | $28,510 | 1.79 | $511 | $3,992 | Pass |
| Tennessee College Of Applied Technology - Morristown ( TN ) * | $28,367 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Ranken Technical College ( MO ) | $28,359 | 4.82 | $1,369 | $10,696 | Pass |
| Tennessee College Of Applied Technology-Hartsville ( TN ) * | $28,191 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Universal Technical Institute ( AZ ) ° | $27,945 | 8.89 | $2,580 | $20,158 | Zone |
| Lincoln College Of Technology ( IN ) ° | $27,818 | 6.45 | $1,828 | $14,282 | Pass |
| Tennessee College Of Applied Technology - Nashville ( TN ) * | $27,762 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Chippewa Valley Technical College ( WI ) * | $27,668 | 2.73 | $759 | $5,930 | Pass |
| Brookhaven College ( TX ) * | $27,631 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Flint Hills Technical College ( KS ) * | $27,479 | 1.91 | $525 | $4,102 | Pass |
| Western Technical College ( WI ) * | $27,294 | 4.79 | $1,308 | $10,219 | Pass |
| Tennessee College Of Applied Technology - Athens ( TN ) * | $26,782 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Georgia Northwestern Technical College ( GA ) * | $26,653 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Wyotech ( WY ) | $26,642 | 6.26 | $1,723 | $13,462 | Pass |
| Hinds Community College ( MS ) * | $26,255 | 2.35 | $617 | $4,821 | Pass |
| Chattahoochee Technical College ( GA ) * | $26,084 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Porter And Chester Institute Of Branford ( CT ) ° | $25,886 | 9.85 | $2,695 | $21,056 | Zone |
| Athens Technical College ( GA ) * | $25,770 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Lincoln College Of Technology ( MD ) ° | $25,435 | 8.56 | $2,273 | $17,759 | Zone |
| Palm Beach State College ( FL ) * | $25,361 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Perry Technical Institute ( WA ) | $25,333 | 5.79 | $1,509 | $11,790 | Pass |
| Motoring Technical Training Institute ( MA ) ° | $24,951 | 2.96 | $741 | $5,789 | Pass |
| Pennco Tech ( NJ ) ° | $24,811 | 10.21 | $2,535 | $19,806 | Zone |
| Sheridan Technical College ( FL ) * | $24,789 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Saint Paul College - A Community & Technical College ( MN ) * | $24,708 | 5.58 | $1,380 | $10,782 | Pass |
| Western Technical College ( TX ) ° | $24,511 | 7.95 | $2,021 | $15,790 | Pass |
| Tennessee College Of Applied Technology-Jackson ( TN ) * | $24,429 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| South Texas College ( TX ) * | $24,103 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Community Care College ( OK ) ° | $24,084 | 7.04 | $1,697 | $13,259 | Pass |
| Chattanooga State Community College ( TN ) * | $24,013 | 1.4 | $337 | $2,633 | Pass |
| Augusta Technical College ( GA ) * | $23,939 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Springfield Technical Community College ( MA ) * | $23,649 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Ohio Technical College ( OH ) ° | $23,625 | 8.16 | $2,071 | $16,181 | Zone |
| Fort Myers Technical College ( FL ) * | $23,576 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Lincoln Technical Institute ( CT ) ° | $23,567 | 7.03 | $1,657 | $12,946 | Pass |
| Advanced Technology Institute ( VA ) ° | $22,905 | 7.39 | $1,803 | $14,087 | Pass |
| Tennessee College Of Applied Technology - Covington ( TN ) * | $22,794 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Hibbing Community College ( MN ) * | $22,776 | 5.37 | $1,430 | $11,173 | Pass |
| Butte College ( CA ) * | $22,612 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Center For Employment Training ( CA ) | $22,383 | 2.03 | $469 | $3,664 | Pass |
| Washburn University - Topeka ( KS ) * | $21,934 | 2.83 | $621 | $4,852 | Pass |
| Columbus Technical College ( GA ) * | $21,803 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Central New Mexico Community College ( NM ) * | $21,716 | 1.02 | $223 | $1,742 | Pass |
| New York Automotive & Diesel Institute ( NY ) ° | $21,641 | 5.21 | $1,329 | $10,383 | Pass |
| North Georgia Technical College ( GA ) * | $21,435 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Atlanta Technical College ( GA ) * | $21,181 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Kansas City Kansas Community College ( KS ) * | $20,639 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Tennessee College Of Applied Technology - Hohenwald ( TN ) * | $20,629 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Lorain County Jvs Adult Career Center ( OH ) * | $20,289 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Reedley College ( CA ) * | $19,696 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Madison Adult Career Center ( OH ) * | $19,576 | 3.35 | $678 | $5,297 | Pass |
| American Advanced Technicians Institute ( FL ) ° | $19,376 | 3.22 | $660 | $5,157 | Pass |
| Tennessee College Of Applied Technology-Mckenzie ( TN ) * | $19,337 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Orange Technical College - Mid Florida Campus ( FL ) * | $19,091 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Texas Southmost College ( TX ) * | $18,916 | 1.94 | $483 | $3,774 | Pass |
| Lincoln Technical Institute ( NJ ) ° | $18,824 | 14.61 | $2,761 | $21,572 | Fail |
| Tennessee College Of Applied Technology-Jacksboro ( TN ) * | $18,811 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Wiregrass Georgia Technical College ( GA ) * | $18,252 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Albany Technical College ( GA ) * | $17,944 | 2.19 | $504 | $3,938 | Pass |
| Southern Crescent Technical College ( GA ) * | $17,716 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Tennessee College Of Applied Technology - Dickson ( TN ) * | $17,630 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Platt College ( OK ) ° | $17,133 | 11.32 | $2,268 | $17,720 | Pass |
| Indian Capital Technology Center, School District Number 4 ( OK ) * | $16,365 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Apex Technical School ( NY ) ° | $16,298 | 7.65 | $1,445 | $11,290 | Pass |
| Patrick Henry Community College ( VA ) * | $15,804 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Atlantic Technical College ( FL ) * | $15,786 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Tennessee College Of Applied Technology - Harriman ( TN ) * | $15,468 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Trinidad State Junior College ( CO ) * | $14,980 | 0.24 | $37 | $289 | Pass |
| Grand Rapids Community College ( MI ) * | $14,873 | 3.67 | $614 | $4,797 | Pass |
| Trumbull Career And Technical Center-Adult Training Center ( OH ) * | $13,458 | 7.7 | $1,229 | $9,602 | Pass |
| Tennessee College Of Applied Technology--Mcminnville ( TN ) * | $12,848 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Tennessee College Of Applied Technology-Memphis ( TN ) * | $11,972 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Emily Griffith Technical College ( CO ) * | $11,447 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Pickaway Ross County Joint Vocational School District ( OH ) * | $11,129 | 5.45 | $759 | $5,930 | Pass |
| Victor Valley Community College ( CA ) * | $9,143 | 0.78 | $120 | $938 | Pass |
| Texas State Technical College ( TX ) * | $8,526 | 0.73 | $132 | $1,031 | Pass |
| Tidewater Tech ( VA ) ° | $5,858 | 19.22 | $2,036 | $15,907 | Fail |