Best Trade Schools in Lancaster, California

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


How to Get Started in Lancaster

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

Compare Trade Schools Near Lancaster, California

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

College of the Canyons

Santa Clarita, CA 29.8 miles away BOC Score 60.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 44.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 54
  • Annual completions: 1572
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $64,248 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Career Care Institute

Lancaster, CA 1.5 miles away BOC Score 45.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 71.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 6
  • Annual completions: 537
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,045 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

San Joaquin Valley College-Lancaster

Lancaster, CA 3.5 miles away BOC Score 41.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 49.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 9
  • Annual completions: 328
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $42,211 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Antelope Valley Community College District

Lancaster, CA 1.3 miles away BOC Score 40.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 32.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 49
  • Annual completions: 2041
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $46,723 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, CA 30.5 miles away BOC Score 38.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 65.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 6
  • Annual completions: 186
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $35,256 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

High Desert Medical College

Lancaster, CA 2.2 miles away BOC Score 38.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 67.0%
  • Programs offered: 15
  • Annual completions: 1467
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $35,943 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Los Angeles Mission College

Sylmar, CA 29.6 miles away BOC Score 38.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 20.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 25
  • Annual completions: 808
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,147 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Lancaster Beauty School

Lancaster, CA 2.2 miles away BOC Score 33.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 68.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 86
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $17,813 (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 California.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
160.9Contact school for pricing$64,24844%30 mi
245.6Contact school for pricing$44,04572%2 mi
341.3Contact school for pricing$42,21149%4 mi
440.9Contact school for pricing$46,72333%1 mi
538.6Contact school for pricing$35,94367%2 mi
638.0Contact school for pricing$44,14720%Yes*30 mi
733.1Contact school for pricing$17,81368%2 mi

Schools closest to the main population center in California are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in California 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 - Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, BLS OEWS May 2025Culinary workers $69990; Phlebotomy technicians $52940; Medical assistants $47760; Nursing assistants $47380; Patient care technicians $47380.Culinary workers$69,990Phlebotomy technicians$52,940Medical assistants$47,760Nursing assistants$47,380Patient care technicians$47,380
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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
TradeMedian annual wage
Culinary workers$69,990
Phlebotomy technicians$52,940
Medical assistants$47,760
Nursing assistants$47,380
Patient care technicians$47,380
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Lancaster, California
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Lancaster, California (College Scorecard)College of the Canyons $64248; Antelope Valley Community College District $46723; Los Angeles Mission College $44147; Career Care Institute $44045; San Joaquin Valley College-Lancaster $42211; High Desert Medical College $35943.College of the Canyons$64,248Antelope Valley Community Co...$46,723Los Angeles Mission College$44,147Career Care Institute$44,045San Joaquin Valley College-L...$42,211High Desert Medical College$35,943
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 Lancaster, California
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
College of the Canyons$64,248
Antelope Valley Community College District$46,723
Los Angeles Mission College$44,147
Career Care Institute$44,045
San Joaquin Valley College-Lancaster$42,211
High Desert Medical College$35,943

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Lancaster

Among the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $47,380 to $69,990 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025); the chart above compares the five with the largest local workforces. Typical medical assistant training runs 9-12 months (certificate or diploma) (TradeCareerPath program data).

Trade Schools in Nearby Cities

California Trade Career Outlook

Building & Construction Trades

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

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)
Veterinary Technician9.1%
Dog Trainer5.1%
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)