Best Trade Schools in New Bedford, Massachusetts

Start here to compare accredited trade schools near New Bedford. 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 New Bedford

  • 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 New Bedford, 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

Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Buzzards Bay, MA 17.1 miles away BOC Score 78.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 76.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 148
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $103,680 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Motoring Technical Training Institute

Seekonk, MA 21.4 miles away BOC Score 67.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 88.6%
  • Programs offered: 13
  • Annual completions: 718
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $46,174 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, MA 2.6 miles away BOC Score 56.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 16
  • Annual completions: 272
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $69,251 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Bristol Community College

Fall River, MA 9.9 miles away BOC Score 49.8
Tuition $5,832 - $12,168
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 21.5%
  • Programs offered: 67
  • Annual completions: 345
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,840 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Rob Roy Academy-Fall River

Fall River, MA 11.3 miles away BOC Score 48.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 85.1%
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 113
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $19,985 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Spa Tech Institute-Plymouth

Plymouth, MA 23.4 miles away BOC Score 42.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 86.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 3
  • Annual completions: 469
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $32,586 (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 Massachusetts.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
167.8Contact school for pricing$46,17489%21 mi
249.8$5,832 - $12,168$48,84022%Yes*10 mi
348.5Contact school for pricing$19,98585%11 mi
442.9Contact school for pricing$32,58687%23 mi
5Not ratedContact school for pricingNot reportedNot reported18 mi
6Not ratedContact school for pricingNot reportedNot reported1 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 - Providence-Warwick, RI-MA's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Providence-Warwick, RI-MA, BLS OEWS May 2025Culinary workers $79340; Medical assistants $47020; Phlebotomy technicians $46430; Nursing assistants $46330; Patient care technicians $46330.Culinary workers$79,340Medical assistants$47,020Phlebotomy technicians$46,430Nursing assistants$46,330Patient care technicians$46,330
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 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
TradeMedian annual wage
Culinary workers$79,340
Medical assistants$47,020
Phlebotomy technicians$46,430
Nursing assistants$46,330
Patient care technicians$46,330
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in New Bedford, Massachusetts
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in New Bedford, Massachusetts (College Scorecard)Bristol Community College $48840; Motoring Technical Training Institute $46174; Spa Tech Institute-Plymouth $32586; Rob Roy Academy-Fall River $19985.Bristol Community College$48,840Motoring Technical Training ...$46,174Spa Tech Institute-Plymouth$32,586Rob Roy Academy-Fall River$19,985
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 New Bedford, Massachusetts
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
Bristol Community College$48,840
Motoring Technical Training Institute$46,174
Spa Tech Institute-Plymouth$32,586
Rob Roy Academy-Fall River$19,985

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in New Bedford

Among the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $46,330 to $79,340 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 New Bedford ranges from $5,832 to $12,168 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


Outcome figures such as graduation, completion, and job placement rates are reported by schools and by federal data sources, reflect prior student cohorts, and are not a prediction or promise of future results. Individual outcomes may vary.


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)