Best Trade Schools in Northampton, Massachusetts

Start here to compare accredited trade schools near Northampton. 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 Northampton

  • 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 Northampton, 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

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Amherst, MA 8.5 miles away BOC Score 79.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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  • 374 Whitmore Building 181 Presidents Drive Amherst, MA 01003
  • (413) 545-0111
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 83.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 17
  • Annual completions: 795
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $78,620 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Amherst College

Amherst, MA 8.6 miles away BOC Score 73.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 1
  • Annual completions: 17
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $79,243 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

College of Our Lady of the Elms

Chicopee, MA 13.3 miles away BOC Score 64.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 66.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 9
  • Annual completions: 79
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $64,421 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Westfield State University

Westfield, MA 14.7 miles away BOC Score 62.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 6
  • Annual completions: 231
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $59,434 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Springfield Technical Community College

Springfield, MA 15.7 miles away BOC Score 58.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 50
  • Annual completions: 733
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,917 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Holyoke Community College

Holyoke, MA 9.2 miles away BOC Score 43.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 30.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 27
  • Annual completions: 243
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $46,724 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Hampshire College

Amherst, MA 7.4 miles away BOC Score 40.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 55.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 6
  • Annual completions: 16
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $36,500 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology

West Springfield, MA 12.7 miles away BOC Score 29.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 74.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 4
  • Annual completions: 116
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $25,901 (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
158.4Contact school for pricing$51,917Not reportedYes*16 mi
243.9Contact school for pricing$46,72431%Yes*9 mi
329.9Contact school for pricing$25,90175%13 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 - Amherst Town-Northampton, MA's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA, BLS OEWS May 2025Plumbers $78570; HVAC technicians $73370; Culinary workers $66450; Dental assistants $54970; Medical assistants $47260.Plumbers$78,570HVAC technicians$73,370Culinary workers$66,450Dental assistants$54,970Medical assistants$47,260
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 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA
TradeMedian annual wage
Plumbers$78,570
HVAC technicians$73,370
Culinary workers$66,450
Dental assistants$54,970
Medical assistants$47,260
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Northampton, Massachusetts
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Northampton, Massachusetts (College Scorecard)Springfield Technical Community College $51917; Holyoke Community College $46724; DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology $25901.Springfield Technical Commun...$51,917Holyoke Community College$46,724DiGrigoli School of Cosmetol...$25,901
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 Northampton, Massachusetts
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
Springfield Technical Community College$51,917
Holyoke Community College$46,724
DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology$25,901

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Northampton

Among the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $47,260 to $78,570 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025); the chart above compares the five with the largest local workforces. Typical culinary worker training runs 1-2 years (culinary school or apprenticeship) (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)