Best Trade Schools in Big Lake, Minnesota (2026)

Updated June 20, 2026 | TradeCareerPath Editorial Team

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

How to Get Started in Big Lake

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

Compare Trade Schools Near Big Lake, Minnesota

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

St Cloud Technical and Community College

Saint Cloud, MN 26.6 miles away BOC Score 63.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 43.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 56
  • Annual completions: 817
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $58,691 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Rasmussen University-Minnesota

St. Cloud, MN 26.6 miles away BOC Score 59.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 53.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 35
  • Annual completions: 2084
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $59,996 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Hennepin Technical College

Brooklyn Park, MN 23.7 miles away BOC Score 58.9
Tuition $5,940 - $16,032
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 42.8%
  • Programs offered: 87
  • Annual completions: 2896
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $59,906 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN 24.4 miles away BOC Score 54.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 43.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 24
  • Annual completions: 621
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $59,194 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Anoka Technical College

Anoka, MN 18.3 miles away BOC Score 51.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 45
  • Annual completions: 1309
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $55,035 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

North Hennepin Community College

Brooklyn Park, MN 24.3 miles away BOC Score 49.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 19.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 32
  • Annual completions: 605
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $60,483 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Anoka-Ramsey Community College

Coon Rapids, MN 22.5 miles away BOC Score 46.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 19
  • Annual completions: 201
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $53,298 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

PCI Academy-Plymouth

Plymouth, MN 24.3 miles away BOC Score 45.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 70.2%
  • Programs offered: 4
  • Annual completions: 174
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $37,914 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Model College of Hair Design

Saint Cloud, MN 25.1 miles away BOC Score 44.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 61.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 182
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $34,501 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Empire Beauty School-Spring Lake Park

Spring Lake Park, MN 28.4 miles away BOC Score 22.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 48.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 58
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $27,175 (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 Minnesota.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
163.7Contact school for pricing$58,69144%Yes*27 mi
259.9Contact school for pricing$59,99653%Yes*27 mi
358.9$5,940 - $16,032$59,90643%Yes*24 mi
451.7Contact school for pricing$55,035Not reportedYes*18 mi
549.7Contact school for pricing$60,48319%Yes*24 mi
646.3Contact school for pricing$53,298Not reportedYes*22 mi
745.1Contact school for pricing$37,91470%—24 mi
844.9Contact school for pricing$34,50161%—25 mi
922.3Contact school for pricing$27,17548%—28 mi

Schools closest to the main population center in Minnesota are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in Minnesota 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 Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Big Lake, Minnesota (2026)
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Big Lake, Minnesota (2026) (College Scorecard)North Hennepin Community College $60483; Rasmussen University-Minnesota $59996; Hennepin Technical College $59906; St Cloud Technical and Community College $58691; Anoka Technical College $55035; Anoka-Ramsey Community College $53298.North Hennepin Community Col...$60,483Rasmussen University-Minnesota$59,996Hennepin Technical College$59,906St Cloud Technical and Commu...$58,691Anoka Technical College$55,035Anoka-Ramsey Community College$53,298
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 Big Lake, Minnesota (2026)
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
North Hennepin Community College$60,483
Rasmussen University-Minnesota$59,996
Hennepin Technical College$59,906
St Cloud Technical and Community College$58,691
Anoka Technical College$55,035
Anoka-Ramsey Community College$53,298

Minnesota Trade Career Outlook

Building & Construction Trades

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

Construction Management & Inspection

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Construction Manager8.7%
Home Inspector-0.8%

Electrical & Energy Systems

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Lineworker6.6%
Electrician9.5%
Tower Technician8.6%
HVAC Technician8.1%
Wind Turbine Technician49.9%
Solar Installer42.1%

Mechanical, Automotive & Transportation

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Aircraft Mechanic (A&P)4.0%
Heavy Equipment Operator3.6%
Diesel Technician2.4%
Truck Driver (CDL)4.0%
CNC Machinist0.0%
Maintenance Technician3.8%
Auto Mechanic4.2%
Automotive Technician4.2%
Gunsmith2.0%

Healthcare: Nursing & Patient Care

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)2.6%
Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)2.6%
Hemodialysis Technician5.2%
Medical Assistant12.5%
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)2.3%
Patient Care Technician2.3%
Mental Health Technician20.0%
Home Health Aide17.0%

Healthcare: Allied Health & Diagnostics

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer13.0%
Radiologic Technologist4.3%
Surgical Technologist4.5%
EKG Technician3.0%
Dental Assistant6.4%
Sterile Processing Technician10.0%
Pharmacy Technician6.4%
Optician2.9%
Phlebotomy Technician5.6%

Healthcare: Administration & Office Support

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Medical Billing & Coding Specialist7.1%
Medical Office Administrator4.2%

Therapy, Rehab & Fitness

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Occupational Therapy Assistant19.2%
Massage Therapist15.4%
Personal Trainer11.9%
Physical Therapy Aide2.8%

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)