Best Trade Schools in Columbus, Georgia

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


How to Get Started in Columbus

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

Compare Trade Schools Near Columbus, Georgia

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

South Georgia Technical College

Americus, GA 48.3 miles away BOC Score 54.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 93
  • Annual completions: 2566
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $40,852 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Columbus Technical College

Columbus, GA 3.7 miles away BOC Score 47.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 23.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 109
  • Annual completions: 2527
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $43,818 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Columbus State University

Columbus, GA 3.8 miles away BOC Score 45.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 41.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 16
  • Annual completions: 456
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $60,912 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Georgia Southwestern State University

Americus, GA 49.7 miles away BOC Score 44.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
  • 800 Georgia Southwestern State University Dr. Americus, GA 31709-4693
  • (877) 871-4594
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 36.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 6
  • Annual completions: 61
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $62,132 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

LaGrange College

Lagrange, GA 37.5 miles away BOC Score 41.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 44.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 7
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $62,232 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Point University

West Point, GA 31.2 miles away BOC Score 31.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 37.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 11
  • Annual completions: 90
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $45,849 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Miller-Motte College-Columbus

Columbus, GA 4.0 miles away BOC Score 21.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 28.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 126
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $34,393 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Rivertown School of Beauty Barber Skin Care and Nails

Columbus, GA 3.1 miles away BOC Score 21.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 41.8%
  • Programs offered: 6
  • Annual completions: 99
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $19,067 (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 Georgia.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
154.3Contact school for pricing$40,852Not reportedYes*48 mi
247.2Contact school for pricing$43,81824%Yes*4 mi
321.7Contact school for pricing$34,39329%4 mi
421.7Contact school for pricing$19,06742%3 mi

Schools closest to the main population center in Georgia are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in Georgia 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 - Columbus, GA-AL's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Columbus, GA-AL, BLS OEWS May 2025Radiologic technologists $64910; Phlebotomy technicians $40200; Medical assistants $36050; Nursing assistants $34970; Patient care technicians $34970.Radiologic technologists$64,910Phlebotomy technicians$40,200Medical assistants$36,050Nursing assistants$34,970Patient care technicians$34,970
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 Columbus, GA-AL
TradeMedian annual wage
Radiologic technologists$64,910
Phlebotomy technicians$40,200
Medical assistants$36,050
Nursing assistants$34,970
Patient care technicians$34,970
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Columbus, Georgia
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Columbus, Georgia (College Scorecard)Columbus Technical College $43818; South Georgia Technical College $40852; Miller-Motte College-Columbus $34393; Rivertown School of Beauty Barber Skin Care and Nails $19067.Columbus Technical College$43,818South Georgia Technical Coll...$40,852Miller-Motte College-Columbus$34,393Rivertown School of Beauty B...$19,067
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 Columbus, Georgia
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
Columbus Technical College$43,818
South Georgia Technical College$40,852
Miller-Motte College-Columbus$34,393
Rivertown School of Beauty Barber Skin Care and Nails$19,067

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Columbus

Among the Columbus, GA-AL area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $34,970 to $64,910 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

Georgia Trade Career Outlook

Building & Construction Trades

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Plumber4.5%
Carpenter4.5%
Welder2.2%
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)