Best Trade Schools in Cambridge, Massachusetts

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


How to Get Started in Cambridge

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

Compare Trade Schools Near Cambridge, Massachusetts

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

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA 0.1 miles away BOC Score 90.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 97.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 10
  • Annual completions: 351
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $134,794 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Simmons University

Boston, MA 2.3 miles away BOC Score 70.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 8
  • Annual completions: 63
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $73,823 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Emmanuel College

Boston, MA 2.3 miles away BOC Score 66.3
Tuition $48,550 - $65,252
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 75.6%
  • Graduation rate: 66.8%
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 23
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $63,280 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Bunker Hill Community College

Boston, MA 2.5 miles away BOC Score 55.2
Tuition $6,168 - $14,899
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 16.3%
  • Programs offered: 47
  • Annual completions: 429
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $56,376 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Lesley University

Cambridge, MA 0.3 miles away BOC Score 46.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 59.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 8
  • Annual completions: 295
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $55,117 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Cambridge College

Boston, MA 2.4 miles away BOC Score 35.9
Tuition $18,378 - $34,072
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 7
  • Annual completions: 132
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $61,712 (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 Massachusetts.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
155.2$6,168 - $14,899$56,37616%Yes*2 mi

Schools closest to the main population center in Massachusetts are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in Massachusetts 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 - Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, BLS OEWS May 2025Culinary workers $72470; Medical assistants $50740; Phlebotomy technicians $50420; Nursing assistants $47590; Patient care technicians $47590.Culinary workers$72,470Medical assistants$50,740Phlebotomy technicians$50,420Nursing assistants$47,590Patient care technicians$47,590
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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
TradeMedian annual wage
Culinary workers$72,470
Medical assistants$50,740
Phlebotomy technicians$50,420
Nursing assistants$47,590
Patient care technicians$47,590

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Cambridge

Among the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $47,590 to $72,470 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 Cambridge ranges from $6,168 to $14,899 per year (IPEDS and College Scorecard); schools that do not publish a rate are marked “Contact school for pricing” in the table below. Typical medical assistant training runs 9-12 months (certificate or diploma) (TradeCareerPath program data).

Trade Schools in Nearby Cities

Massachusetts Trade Career Outlook

Building & Construction Trades

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Plumber4.5%
Flooring Installer9.5%
Carpenter4.5%
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%
Veterinary Assistant8.7%
Dog Trainer5.1%

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)