Best Trade Schools in Searcy, Arkansas

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


How to Get Started in Searcy

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

Compare Trade Schools Near Searcy, Arkansas

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 Salon Professional Academy

Sherwood, AR 38.4 miles away BOC Score 73.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 86.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 171
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $28,025 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Harding University

Searcy, AR 0.6 miles away BOC Score 63.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 69.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 18
  • Annual completions: 147
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $53,024 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Arkansas Welding Academy

Jacksonville, AR 33.5 miles away BOC Score 55.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 87.5%
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 134
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $47,615 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

University of Arkansas Community College-Batesville

Batesville, AR 38.7 miles away BOC Score 54.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 60.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 51
  • Annual completions: 459
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $45,597 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Hendrix College

Conway, AR 41.1 miles away BOC Score 54.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 70.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 1
  • Annual completions: 2
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,422 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Arkansas State University-Beebe

Beebe, AR 14.9 miles away BOC Score 49.5
Tuition $3,336 - $18,771
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 40.0%
  • Programs offered: 39
  • Annual completions: 905
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $41,404 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Searcy Beauty College

Searcy, AR 0.2 miles away BOC Score 30.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 47.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 4
  • Annual completions: 41
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $15,982 (College Scorecard)

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 Arkansas.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
173.0Contact school for pricing$28,02587%38 mi
255.7Contact school for pricing$47,61588%34 mi
354.5Contact school for pricing$45,59760%Yes*39 mi
449.5$3,336 - $18,771$41,40440%Yes*15 mi
530.5Contact school for pricing$15,98247%0 mi
627.6Contact school for pricingNot reported56%32 mi

Schools closest to the main population center in Arkansas are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in Arkansas 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 - Searcy, AR's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Searcy, AR, BLS OEWS May 2025Truck drivers $51550; HVAC technicians $48110; Culinary workers $46170; Auto mechanics $44160; Dental assistants $42830.Truck drivers$51,550HVAC technicians$48,110Culinary workers$46,170Auto mechanics$44,160Dental assistants$42,830
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 Searcy, AR
TradeMedian annual wage
Truck drivers$51,550
HVAC technicians$48,110
Culinary workers$46,170
Auto mechanics$44,160
Dental assistants$42,830
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Searcy, Arkansas
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Searcy, Arkansas (College Scorecard)Arkansas Welding Academy $47615; University of Arkansas Community College-Batesville $45597; Arkansas State University-Beebe $41404; The Salon Professional Academy $28025; Searcy Beauty College $15982.Arkansas Welding Academy$47,615University of Arkansas Commu...$45,597Arkansas State University-Be...$41,404The Salon Professional Academy$28,025Searcy Beauty College$15,982
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 Searcy, Arkansas
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
Arkansas Welding Academy$47,615
University of Arkansas Community College-Batesville$45,597
Arkansas State University-Beebe$41,404
The Salon Professional Academy$28,025
Searcy Beauty College$15,982

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Searcy

Among the Searcy, AR area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $42,830 to $51,550 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025); the chart above compares the five with the largest local workforces. Published tuition across the trade-relevant schools serving Searcy ranges from $3,336 to $18,771 per year (IPEDS and College Scorecard); schools that do not publish a rate are marked “Contact school for pricing” in the table below. Typical culinary worker training runs 1-2 years (culinary school or apprenticeship) (TradeCareerPath program data).

Trade Schools in Nearby Cities

Arkansas 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)