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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front Range Community College ( CO ) * | $28,560 | 1.69 | $484 | $3,781 | Pass |
| Minneapolis Community And Technical College ( MN ) * | $28,501 | 1.94 | $555 | $4,336 | Pass |
| Northland Community And Technical College ( MN ) * | $27,789 | 1.61 | $450 | $3,516 | Pass |
| Concorde Career College ( CO ) ° | $26,965 | 4.71 | $1,272 | $9,938 | Pass |
| Salter College ( MA ) ° | $26,799 | 4.75 | $1,275 | $9,962 | Pass |
| Blake Austin College ( CA ) ° | $25,873 | 5.06 | $1,311 | $10,243 | Pass |
| Concorde Career Institute ( FL ) ° | $25,538 | 4.72 | $1,207 | $9,430 | Pass |
| Concorde Career Institute ( FL ) ° | $24,770 | 4.98 | $1,234 | $9,641 | Pass |
| Concorde Career College ( OR ) ° | $24,451 | 4.82 | $1,179 | $9,212 | Pass |
| Francis Tuttle Technology Center School District No. 21 ( OK ) * | $24,092 | 1.01 | $244 | $1,906 | Pass |
| Bossier Parish Community College ( LA ) * | $24,035 | 2.44 | $588 | $4,594 | Pass |
| Antonelli Medical & Professional Institute ( PA ) ° | $23,473 | 2.53 | $595 | $4,649 | Pass |
| North Central Michigan College ( MI ) * | $23,440 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Lansdale School Of Business ( PA ) ° | $23,177 | 3.26 | $757 | $5,914 | Pass |
| Yti Career Institute ( PA ) ° | $23,056 | 6.59 | $1,521 | $11,884 | Pass |
| Schoolcraft College ( MI ) * | $22,581 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Interface College ( WA ) ° | $22,530 | 5.81 | $1,311 | $10,243 | Pass |
| Westmoreland County Community College ( PA ) * | $22,366 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Pccenter ( TX ) ° | $22,343 | 4.69 | $1,049 | $8,196 | Pass |
| Concorde Career College ( CA ) ° | $22,057 | 5.49 | $1,211 | $9,462 | Pass |
| Fortis Institute ( NJ ) ° | $21,415 | 5.6 | $1,200 | $9,376 | Pass |
| Fortis Institute ( MD ) ° | $21,328 | 3.97 | $847 | $6,618 | Pass |
| Pci Health Training Center ( TX ) ° | $20,937 | 1.73 | $364 | $2,844 | Pass |
| Concorde Career College ( CA ) ° | $20,759 | 5.67 | $1,179 | $9,212 | Pass |
| Eastland-Fairfield Career And Technical Schools ( OH ) * | $20,689 | 3.96 | $821 | $6,414 | Pass |
| Trumbull Career And Technical Center-Adult Training Center ( OH ) * | $20,629 | 3.86 | $809 | $6,321 | Pass |
| Fortis College ( VA ) ° | $20,610 | 6.44 | $1,329 | $10,383 | Pass |
| Santa Barbara Business College ( CA ) ° | $20,508 | 7.77 | $1,739 | $13,587 | Pass |
| Delta College Of Arts & Technology ( LA ) ° | $20,426 | 1.85 | $379 | $2,961 | Pass |
| Hunter Business School ( NY ) ° | $20,233 | 2.42 | $506 | $3,953 | Pass |
| Concorde Career College ( MO ) ° | $20,052 | 6.53 | $1,311 | $10,243 | Pass |
| Concorde Career Institute ( FL ) ° | $19,951 | 6.03 | $1,204 | $9,407 | Pass |
| Brightwood College ( CA ) ° | $19,621 | 5.43 | $1,066 | $8,329 | Pass |
| Concorde Career College ( TX ) ° | $19,113 | 6.4 | $1,311 | $10,243 | Pass |
| Fortis College ( AL ) ° | $18,954 | 4.21 | $799 | $6,243 | Pass |
| Concorde Career College ( CA ) ° | $18,780 | 6.53 | $1,268 | $9,907 | Pass |
| Charles A. Jones Skills And Business Education Center ( CA ) * | $18,637 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Ultimate Medical Academy ( FL ) | $18,375 | 8.68 | $1,596 | $12,470 | Zone |
| Buckeye Career Center ( OH ) * | $18,262 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Concorde Career College ( TN ) ° | $17,916 | 6.6 | $1,183 | $9,243 | Pass |
| American School Of Business ( LA ) ° | $17,874 | 4.84 | $871 | $6,805 | Pass |
| Fortis College ( TX ) ° | $17,852 | 7.09 | $1,266 | $9,891 | Pass |
| Medical Training College ( LA ) ° | $17,701 | 3.38 | $600 | $4,688 | Pass |
| A - Technical College ( CA ) ° | $17,555 | 3.41 | $600 | $4,688 | Pass |
| Southeastern Technical College ( GA ) * | $17,542 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Cape Girardeau Career And Technology Center ( MO ) * | $17,445 | 2.16 | $386 | $3,016 | Pass |
| Concorde Career College ( CA ) ° | $17,444 | 7.38 | $1,289 | $10,071 | Pass |
| Brightwood College ( TX ) ° | $17,433 | 6.38 | $1,121 | $8,758 | Pass |
| Saint Louis College Of Health Careers ( MO ) ° | $17,019 | 7.22 | $1,311 | $10,243 | Pass |
| National College ( TN ) ° | $16,919 | 7.79 | $1,319 | $10,305 | Pass |
| Miller-Motte Technical College ( VA ) ° | $16,784 | 11.56 | $1,953 | $15,259 | Zone |
| Metro Business College ( MO ) ° | $16,666 | 1.91 | $319 | $2,492 | Pass |
| Miller - Motte Technical College ( TN ) ° | $16,662 | 11.94 | $1,990 | $15,548 | Zone |
| Mccann School Of Business & Technology ( PA ) ° | $16,574 | 6.22 | $1,032 | $8,063 | Pass |
| Brightwood College ( TX ) ° | $16,554 | 7.43 | $1,231 | $9,618 | Pass |
| Yti Career Institute - Altoona ( PA ) ° | $16,399 | 7.5 | $1,230 | $9,610 | Pass |
| San Joaquin Valley College ( CA ) ° | $16,362 | 7.48 | $1,311 | $10,243 | Pass |
| Santa Barbara Business College ( CA ) ° | $16,301 | 8.94 | $1,532 | $11,970 | Zone |
| Brightwood Career Institute ( PA ) ° | $16,010 | 7.69 | $1,311 | $10,243 | Pass |
| Ashtabula County Technical And Career Campus ( OH ) * | $15,976 | 1.84 | $322 | $2,516 | Pass |
| Harrison College ( IN ) ° | $15,915 | 15.99 | $2,545 | $19,884 | Zone |
| Brightwood College ( IN ) ° | $15,908 | 7.65 | $1,288 | $10,063 | Pass |
| Mildred Elley ( NY ) ° | $15,663 | 8.02 | $1,287 | $10,055 | Zone |
| Fortis College ( AL ) ° | $15,593 | 4.59 | $716 | $5,594 | Pass |
| West Tennessee Business College ( TN ) ° | $15,491 | 5.31 | $823 | $6,430 | Pass |
| Orion College ( FL ) ° | $15,419 | 5.1 | $787 | $6,149 | Pass |
| Fortis College ( LA ) ° | $15,353 | 6.63 | $1,018 | $7,954 | Pass |
| Brightwood College ( TX ) ° | $15,312 | 7.9 | $1,211 | $9,462 | Pass |
| Santa Barbara Business College ( CA ) ° | $15,139 | 10.84 | $1,642 | $12,829 | Zone |
| Career Quest Learning Center ( MI ) ° | $15,024 | 5.29 | $860 | $6,719 | Pass |
| Calc, Institute Of Technology ( IL ) ° | $14,927 | 5.58 | $834 | $6,516 | Pass |
| Blue Cliff College ( LA ) ° | $14,923 | 8.78 | $1,311 | $10,243 | Zone |
| Centura Institute ( FL ) ° | $14,826 | 8.93 | $1,325 | $10,352 | Zone |
| Southwest School Of Business & Technical Careers ( TX ) ° | $14,621 | 5.1 | $747 | $5,836 | Pass |
| Brightwood College ( TX ) ° | $14,401 | 8.41 | $1,248 | $9,751 | Zone |
| American National University ( VA ) ° | $14,190 | 8.58 | $1,254 | $9,798 | Zone |
| Career College Consultants ( CA ) ° | $13,851 | 9.46 | $1,311 | $10,243 | Zone |
| Career Point College ( TX ) ° | $13,797 | 11.27 | $1,556 | $12,157 | Zone |
| Tennessee College Of Applied Technology - Knoxville ( TN ) * | $13,716 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Southern Careers Institute ( TX ) ° | $13,636 | 5.18 | $707 | $5,524 | Pass |
| Centura College ( SC ) ° | $13,602 | 9.28 | $1,311 | $10,243 | Zone |
| Institute For Business & Technology ( CA ) ° | $13,560 | 8.71 | $1,267 | $9,899 | Zone |
| Medtech College ( VA ) ° | $13,421 | 7.59 | $1,311 | $10,243 | Pass |
| Brightwood College ( CA ) ° | $13,370 | 8.33 | $1,263 | $9,868 | Zone |
| Brightwood College ( CA ) ° | $13,324 | 8.27 | $1,183 | $9,243 | Pass |
| Brightwood Career Institute ( PA ) ° | $13,258 | 9.88 | $1,310 | $10,235 | Zone |
| Mayfield College ( CA ) ° | $13,099 | 8.16 | $1,176 | $9,188 | Zone |
| Delta College ( LA ) ° | $13,000 | 4.14 | $590 | $4,610 | Pass |
| South Texas Vocational Technical Institute ( TX ) ° | $12,836 | 9.84 | $1,311 | $10,243 | Zone |
| Platt College ( OK ) ° | $12,738 | 9.21 | $1,311 | $10,243 | Zone |
| Center For Employment Training ( CA ) | $12,406 | 3.36 | $507 | $3,961 | Pass |
| Manhattan School Of Computer Technology ( NY ) | $12,358 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Mti Business College ( CA ) ° | $12,105 | 4.83 | $763 | $5,961 | Pass |
| Institute Of Technology ( CA ) ° | $12,009 | 9.58 | $1,290 | $10,079 | Zone |
| American National University ( IN ) ° | $11,934 | 10.05 | $1,311 | $10,243 | Pass |
| Indian Capital Technology Center, School District Number 4 ( OK ) * | $11,217 | 0 | $0 | $0 | Pass |
| Detroit Business Institute - Downriver ( MI ) ° | $10,333 | 1.81 | $246 | $1,922 | Pass |
| Vatterott College ( IA ) ° | $7,276 | 28.11 | $2,754 | $21,517 | Fail |