Best Trade Schools in Northport, Alabama

Start here to compare accredited trade schools near Northport. This guide links to programs, state licensing steps, and related career paths so you can get job-ready quickly in Alabama.


How to Get Started in Northport

  • Compare schools and program lengths above
  • Check your state licensing steps: Alabama
  • Explore careers: Skilled trades hub
  • Ask each school about tuition, schedules, and embedded certifications (EPA 608, NCCER, ASE)

Compare Trade Schools Near Northport, Alabama

How We Rank Schools

We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
25%
Average net price (lower is better)
20%
Retention rate
15%
Fully online availability
10%

Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL 4.5 miles away BOC Score 69.7
Tuition $12,180 - $34,172
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 76.6%
  • Graduation rate: 73.5%
  • Programs offered: 13
  • Annual completions: 846
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $70,439 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

University Academy of Hair Design

Tuscaloosa, AL 4.1 miles away BOC Score 62.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 80.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 3
  • Annual completions: 34
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $15,367 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Bevill State Community College

Jasper, AL 43.3 miles away BOC Score 50.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 40.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 27
  • Annual completions: 1889
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,972 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

University of Montevallo

Montevallo, AL 44.1 miles away BOC Score 45.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 51.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 65
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $46,262 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Shelton State Community College

Tuscaloosa, AL 9.8 miles away BOC Score 40.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 25.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 32
  • Annual completions: 909
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,082 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Lawson State Community College

Birmingham, AL 43.0 miles away BOC Score 38.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 26.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 43
  • Annual completions: 463
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,506 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

BOC Score, tuition, graduation rate, and median graduate earnings from federal IPEDS and U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard data. Earnings are reported across all programs at the school (all majors), not a single trade. Distance is measured from the main population center in Alabama.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
162.0Contact school for pricing$15,36780%4 mi
250.6Contact school for pricing$51,97241%Yes*43 mi
345.1Contact school for pricingNot reported71%38 mi
4Not ratedContact school for pricingNot reportedNot reported42 mi
540.6Contact school for pricing$50,08226%Yes*10 mi
638.3Contact school for pricing$44,50626%Yes*43 mi

Schools closest to the main population center in Alabama are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in Alabama is shown for reference. The BOC Score is an independent measure of school outcomes (graduation, earnings, net price, retention) expressed as a 0–100 percentile within each school's peer group; higher is better and advertising never affects it. *Online availability refers to coursework; hands-on trade training is completed in person. Read the full methodology.

Median Annual Wage by Trade - Tuscaloosa, AL's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Tuscaloosa, AL, BLS OEWS May 2025Culinary workers $65900; Electricians $60110; Plumbers $59530; HVAC technicians $48430; Dental assistants $38050.Culinary workers$65,900Electricians$60,110Plumbers$59,530HVAC technicians$48,430Dental assistants$38,050
Trades ranked by local employment (BLS QCEW); wages are median annual pay (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; metro area where reported, otherwise statewide).
Median annual wage by trade in Tuscaloosa, AL
TradeMedian annual wage
Culinary workers$65,900
Electricians$60,110
Plumbers$59,530
HVAC technicians$48,430
Dental assistants$38,050
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Northport, Alabama
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Northport, Alabama (College Scorecard)Bevill State Community College $51972; Shelton State Community College $50082; Lawson State Community College $44506; University Academy of Hair Design $15367.Bevill State Community College$51,972Shelton State Community Coll...$50,082Lawson State Community College$44,506University Academy of Hair D...$15,367
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard - median earnings of all graduates at each school (not a single program).
Median graduate earnings by school for schools serving Best Trade Schools in Northport, Alabama
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
Bevill State Community College$51,972
Shelton State Community College$50,082
Lawson State Community College$44,506
University Academy of Hair Design$15,367

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Northport

Among the Tuscaloosa, AL area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $38,050 to $65,900 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025); the chart above compares the five with the largest local workforces. Typical culinary worker training runs 1-2 years (culinary school or apprenticeship) (TradeCareerPath program data).

Trade Schools in Nearby Cities

Alabama Trade Career Outlook

Building & Construction Trades

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Plumber4.5%
Welder2.2%
Carpenter4.5%
Flooring Installer9.5%
Construction Worker7.3%

Construction Management & Inspection

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Construction Manager8.7%
Home Inspector-0.8%

Electrical & Energy Systems

Mechanical, Automotive & Transportation

Healthcare: Administration & Office Support

Therapy, Rehab & Fitness

Animal Care & Training

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Dog Trainer5.1%
Veterinary Technician9.1%
Veterinary Assistant8.7%

Beauty & Personal Care

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Esthetician6.7%
Beauty Professional5.6%
Cosmetologist5.6%

Culinary & Hospitality Careers

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Culinary Chef7.1%
Pastry Chef7.1%

Business & Legal Support

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Digital Court Reporter-0.3%
Paralegal0.2%
Bookkeeper-5.8%

Job growth uses state projections when available and national projections (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034) when state data is unavailable. Median pay for each trade is shown in the comparison table above.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections (2024-2034). Projected U.S. change shown for each trade.


Next Steps


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)