Best Trade Schools in Silver City, New Mexico (2026)

Updated June 20, 2026 | TradeCareerPath Editorial Team

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

How to Get Started in Silver City

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

Compare Trade Schools Near Silver City, New Mexico

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.

#2

New Mexico State University-Grants

Grants, NM 166.8 miles away BOC Score 52.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 31
  • Annual completions: 92
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,874 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

New Mexico State University-Main Campus

Las Cruces, NM 92.5 miles away BOC Score 50.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 12
  • Annual completions: 547
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,874 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College

Ruidoso, NM 155.3 miles away BOC Score 49.2
Tuition $1,372 - $9,907
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 21.6%
  • Programs offered: 23
  • Annual completions: 96
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,827 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

New Mexico State University-Dona Ana

Las Cruces, NM 95.5 miles away BOC Score 48.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 17.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 78
  • Annual completions: 842
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,874 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Glitz School of Cosmetology

Las Cruces, NM 94.8 miles away BOC Score 40.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 63.8%
  • Programs offered: 8
  • Annual completions: 213
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $20,266 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Western New Mexico University

Silver City, NM 0.9 miles away BOC Score 40.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 33.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 12
  • Annual completions: 196
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,074 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

New Mexico State University-Alamogordo

Alamogordo, NM 136.4 miles away BOC Score 38.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 33
  • Annual completions: 62
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,874 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Olympian Academy of Cosmetology

LAS CRUCES, NM 94.2 miles away
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 63.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 7
  • Annual completions: 560
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $23,597 (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 New Mexico.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
152.6Contact school for pricing$54,874Not reportedYes*167 mi
249.2$1,372 - $9,907$54,82722%Yes*155 mi
348.7Contact school for pricing$54,87417%Yes*96 mi
442.2Contact school for pricing$59,818Not reported—162 mi
540.3Contact school for pricing$20,26664%—95 mi
638.7Contact school for pricing$54,874Not reportedYes*136 mi
7Not ratedContact school for pricing$23,59763%—94 mi

Schools closest to the main population center in New Mexico are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in New Mexico 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 Silver City, New Mexico (2026)
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Silver City, New Mexico (2026) (College Scorecard)University of New Mexico-Valencia County Campus $59818; New Mexico State University-Dona Ana $54874; New Mexico State University-Alamogordo $54874; New Mexico State University-Grants $54874; Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College $54827; Olympian Academy of Cosmetology $23597.University of New Mexico-Val...$59,818New Mexico State University-...$54,874New Mexico State University-...$54,874New Mexico State University-...$54,874Eastern New Mexico Universit...$54,827Olympian Academy of Cosmetol...$23,597
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 Silver City, New Mexico (2026)
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
University of New Mexico-Valencia County Campus$59,818
New Mexico State University-Dona Ana$54,874
New Mexico State University-Alamogordo$54,874
New Mexico State University-Grants$54,874
Eastern New Mexico University Ruidoso Branch Community College$54,827
Olympian Academy of Cosmetology$23,597

New Mexico Trade Career Outlook

Building & Construction Trades

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

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%
Tower Technician8.6%
Electrician9.5%
Wind Turbine Technician49.9%
HVAC Technician8.1%
Solar Installer42.1%

Mechanical, Automotive & Transportation

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

Healthcare: Nursing & Patient Care

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)2.6%
Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)2.6%
Hemodialysis Technician5.2%
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)2.3%
Patient Care Technician2.3%
Medical Assistant12.5%
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%
Pharmacy Technician6.4%
Dental Assistant6.4%
Phlebotomy Technician5.6%
Optician2.9%
Sterile Processing Technician10.0%

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%
Personal Trainer11.9%
Massage Therapist15.4%
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)