Best Trade Schools in Willmar, Minnesota

Start here to compare accredited trade schools near Willmar. 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 Willmar

  • 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 Willmar, 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

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, MN 46.9 miles away BOC Score 74.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 75.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 1
  • Annual completions: 3
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $72,829 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

College of Saint Benedict

Saint Joseph, MN 47.1 miles away BOC Score 71.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 80.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 1
  • Annual completions: 14
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $63,895 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Ridgewater College

Willmar, MN 1.4 miles away BOC Score 68.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 47.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 57
  • Annual completions: 610
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $49,859 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

St Cloud Technical and Community College

Saint Cloud, MN 53.1 miles away BOC Score 63.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
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

#5

Rasmussen University-Minnesota

St. Cloud, MN 50.6 miles away BOC Score 59.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
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

#6

Minnesota West Community and Technical College

Granite Falls, MN 33.0 miles away BOC Score 58.5
Tuition $6,491 - $17,408
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 49.2%
  • Programs offered: 72
  • Annual completions: 1146
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $52,390 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN 52.9 miles away BOC Score 54.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
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

#8

Model College of Hair Design

Saint Cloud, MN 52.9 miles away BOC Score 44.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
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

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
168.7Contact school for pricing$49,85948%Yes*1 mi
263.7Contact school for pricing$58,69144%Yes*53 mi
359.9Contact school for pricing$59,99653%Yes*51 mi
458.5$6,491 - $17,408$52,39049%Yes*33 mi
544.9Contact school for pricing$34,50161%53 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 Annual Wage by Trade - Willmar, MN's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Willmar, MN, BLS OEWS May 2025Electricians $78160; HVAC technicians $76350; Dental assistants $65270; Culinary workers $62600; Medical assistants $50480.Electricians$78,160HVAC technicians$76,350Dental assistants$65,270Culinary workers$62,600Medical assistants$50,480
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 Willmar, MN
TradeMedian annual wage
Electricians$78,160
HVAC technicians$76,350
Dental assistants$65,270
Culinary workers$62,600
Medical assistants$50,480
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Willmar, Minnesota
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Willmar, Minnesota (College Scorecard)Rasmussen University-Minnesota $59996; St Cloud Technical and Community College $58691; Minnesota West Community and Technical College $52390; Ridgewater College $49859; Model College of Hair Design $34501.Rasmussen University-Minnesota$59,996St Cloud Technical and Commu...$58,691Minnesota West Community and...$52,390Ridgewater College$49,859Model College of Hair Design$34,501
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 Willmar, Minnesota
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
Rasmussen University-Minnesota$59,996
St Cloud Technical and Community College$58,691
Minnesota West Community and Technical College$52,390
Ridgewater College$49,859
Model College of Hair Design$34,501

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Willmar

Among the Willmar, MN area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $50,480 to $78,160 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 Willmar ranges from $6,491 to $17,408 per year (IPEDS and College Scorecard); schools that do not publish a rate are marked “Contact school for pricing” in the table below. Typical culinary worker training runs 1-2 years (culinary school or apprenticeship) (TradeCareerPath program data).

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

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)