Best Trade Schools in Keene, New Hampshire

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


How to Get Started in Keene

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

Compare Trade Schools Near Keene, New Hampshire

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

Keene State College

Keene, NH 1.9 miles away BOC Score 61.2
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 59.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 14
  • Annual completions: 229
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $58,191 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Colby-Sawyer College

New London, NH 36.0 miles away BOC Score 50.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 59.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 13
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $57,874 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Nashua Community College

Nashua, NH 40.7 miles away BOC Score 49.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 29
  • Annual completions: 113
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,792 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

River Valley Community College

Claremont, NH 31.1 miles away BOC Score 44.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 22
  • Annual completions: 196
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,465 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Franklin Pierce University

Rindge, NH 17.1 miles away BOC Score 41.9
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 49.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 149
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $66,687 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Keene Beauty Academy

Keene, NH 1.1 miles away BOC Score 38.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 64.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 3
  • Annual completions: 49
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $33,472 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Antioch University-New England

Keene, NH 1.2 miles away
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 194
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $63,882 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

New England College

Henniker, NH 28.9 miles away BOC Score 23.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 32.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 19
  • Annual completions: 328
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $55,330 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

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 New Hampshire.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
149.0Contact school for pricing$54,792Not reportedYes*41 mi
244.2Contact school for pricing$54,465Not reported31 mi
338.7Contact school for pricing$33,47264%1 mi

Schools closest to the main population center in New Hampshire are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in New Hampshire 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 - Keene, NH's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Keene, NH, BLS OEWS May 2025HVAC technicians $73850; Plumbers $66810; Culinary workers $63400; Dental assistants $59530; Construction trades workers $49980.HVAC technicians$73,850Plumbers$66,810Culinary workers$63,400Dental assistants$59,530Construction trades workers$49,980
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 Keene, NH
TradeMedian annual wage
HVAC technicians$73,850
Plumbers$66,810
Culinary workers$63,400
Dental assistants$59,530
Construction trades workers$49,980
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Keene, New Hampshire
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Keene, New Hampshire (College Scorecard)Nashua Community College $54792; River Valley Community College $54465; Keene Beauty Academy $33472.Nashua Community College$54,792River Valley Community College$54,465Keene Beauty Academy$33,472
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 Keene, New Hampshire
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
Nashua Community College$54,792
River Valley Community College$54,465
Keene Beauty Academy$33,472

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Keene

Among the Keene, NH area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $49,980 to $73,850 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

New Hampshire 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%
Dog Trainer5.1%
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)