Best Trade Schools in Lincoln, Nebraska

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


How to Get Started in Lincoln

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

Compare Trade Schools Near Lincoln, Nebraska

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 Nebraska-Lincoln

Lincoln, NE 1.1 miles away BOC Score 69.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 66.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 12
  • Annual completions: 495
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $62,769 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Bryan College of Health Sciences

Lincoln, NE 1.9 miles away BOC Score 66.9
Tuition $20,640 - $32,845
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 67.4%
  • Graduation rate: 72.6%
  • Programs offered: 4
  • Annual completions: 18
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $77,318 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Nebraska Wesleyan University

Lincoln, NE 2.6 miles away BOC Score 61.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 67.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 24
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $61,753 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

College of Hair Design-Downtown

Lincoln, NE 1.4 miles away BOC Score 56.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 86.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 1
  • Annual completions: 55
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $30,904 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Southeast Community College Area

Lincoln, NE 2.7 miles away BOC Score 55.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 35.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 89
  • Annual completions: 2293
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,277 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Joseph's College Cosmetology

Lincoln, NE 0.6 miles away BOC Score 45.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 74.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 116
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $26,838 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Union Adventist University

Lincoln, NE 2.8 miles away BOC Score 43.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 49.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 12
  • Annual completions: 17
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $61,367 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Myotherapy Institute

Lincoln, NE 3.9 miles away BOC Score 41.5
Tuition $16,750 - $35,500
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 1
  • Annual completions: 9
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $34,284 (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 Nebraska.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
156.5Contact school for pricing$30,90486%1 mi
255.6Contact school for pricing$54,27736%Yes*3 mi
345.7Contact school for pricing$26,83874%1 mi
441.5$16,750 - $35,500$34,284Not reported4 mi

Schools closest to the main population center in Nebraska are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in Nebraska 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 - Lincoln, NE's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Lincoln, NE, BLS OEWS May 2025Plumbers $60670; Culinary workers $59680; HVAC technicians $59350; Dental assistants $48440; Medical assistants $47190.Plumbers$60,670Culinary workers$59,680HVAC technicians$59,350Dental assistants$48,440Medical assistants$47,190
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 Lincoln, NE
TradeMedian annual wage
Plumbers$60,670
Culinary workers$59,680
HVAC technicians$59,350
Dental assistants$48,440
Medical assistants$47,190
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Lincoln, Nebraska
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Lincoln, Nebraska (College Scorecard)Southeast Community College Area $54277; Myotherapy Institute $34284; College of Hair Design-Downtown $30904; Joseph's College Cosmetology $26838.Southeast Community College ...$54,277Myotherapy Institute$34,284College of Hair Design-Downt...$30,904Joseph's College Cosmetology$26,838
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 Lincoln, Nebraska
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
Southeast Community College Area$54,277
Myotherapy Institute$34,284
College of Hair Design-Downtown$30,904
Joseph's College Cosmetology$26,838

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Lincoln

Among the Lincoln, NE area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $47,190 to $60,670 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 Lincoln ranges from $16,750 to $35,500 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).

Trade Schools in Nearby Cities

Nebraska Trade Career Outlook

Building & Construction Trades

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Plumber4.5%
Welder2.2%
Carpenter4.5%
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)