Best Trade Schools in Bozeman, Montana

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


How to Get Started in Bozeman

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

Compare Trade Schools Near Bozeman, Montana

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

Carroll College

Helena, MT 79.1 miles away BOC Score 66.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 67.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 1
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $59,396 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Academy of Cosmetology Inc

Bozeman, MT 1.0 miles away BOC Score 64.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 40
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $36,889 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Montana State University

Bozeman, MT 1.8 miles away BOC Score 51.3
Tuition $8,460 - $33,287
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 82.1%
  • Graduation rate: 57.2%
  • Programs offered: 36
  • Annual completions: 582
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $65,157 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

The University of Montana-Western

Dillon, MT 83.5 miles away BOC Score 50.4
Tuition $6,670 - $21,403
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 99.8%
  • Graduation rate: 50.3%
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 9
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,338 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Helena College University of Montana

Helena, MT 78.1 miles away BOC Score 50.2
Tuition $4,146 - $15,819
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 36.7%
  • Programs offered: 21
  • Annual completions: 245
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,913 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Highlands College of Montana Tech

Butte, MT 72.1 miles away BOC Score 40.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 35.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 22
  • Annual completions: 325
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $79,369 (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 Montana.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
164.8Contact school for pricing$36,889Not reported1 mi
250.2$4,146 - $15,819$50,91337%Yes*78 mi
347.0Contact school for pricingNot reported74%120 mi
440.9Contact school for pricing$79,36936%72 mi
5Not ratedContact school for pricingNot reportedNot reported75 mi

Schools closest to the main population center in Montana are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in Montana 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 - Bozeman, MT's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Bozeman, MT, BLS OEWS May 2025Plumbers $81310; Electricians $78230; HVAC technicians $72970; Culinary workers $62460; Medical assistants $46980.Plumbers$81,310Electricians$78,230HVAC technicians$72,970Culinary workers$62,460Medical assistants$46,980
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 Bozeman, MT
TradeMedian annual wage
Plumbers$81,310
Electricians$78,230
HVAC technicians$72,970
Culinary workers$62,460
Medical assistants$46,980
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Bozeman, Montana
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Bozeman, Montana (College Scorecard)Highlands College of Montana Tech $79369; Helena College University of Montana $50913; Academy of Cosmetology Inc $36889.Highlands College of Montana...$79,369Helena College University of...$50,913Academy of Cosmetology Inc$36,889
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 Bozeman, Montana
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
Highlands College of Montana Tech$79,369
Helena College University of Montana$50,913
Academy of Cosmetology Inc$36,889

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Bozeman

Among the Bozeman, MT area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $46,980 to $81,310 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 Bozeman ranges from $4,146 to $15,819 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).

Montana 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)
Dog Trainer5.1%
Veterinary Technician9.1%
Veterinary Assistant8.7%

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)