Best Trade Schools in Poughkeepsie, New York

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


How to Get Started in Poughkeepsie

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

Compare Trade Schools Near Poughkeepsie, New York

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

State University of New York at New Paltz

New Paltz, NY 8.9 miles away BOC Score 73.7
Tuition $8,572 - $28,428
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 61.6%
  • Graduation rate: 70.3%
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 100
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $56,933 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Marist University

Poughkeepsie, NY 2.0 miles away BOC Score 72.1
Tuition $47,750 - $67,574
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 56.5%
  • Graduation rate: 79.7%
  • Programs offered: 16
  • Annual completions: 389
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $78,561 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Culinary Institute of America

Hyde Park, NY 3.6 miles away BOC Score 69.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 63.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 4
  • Annual completions: 934
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,285 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, NY 1.4 miles away BOC Score 65.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 90.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 45
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $61,818 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Ulster County Community College

Stone Ridge, NY 15.5 miles away BOC Score 62.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 32.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 14
  • Annual completions: 149
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,370 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Mount Saint Mary College

Newburgh, NY 13.5 miles away BOC Score 59.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 65.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 6
  • Annual completions: 47
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $77,894 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Dutchess Community College

Poughkeepsie, NY 2.4 miles away BOC Score 55.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 27
  • Annual completions: 264
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,694 (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 York.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
169.3Contact school for pricing$51,28564%Yes*4 mi
262.6Contact school for pricing$50,37032%Yes*16 mi
360.0Contact school for pricingNot reportedNot reported14 mi
455.7Contact school for pricing$44,694Not reportedYes*2 mi

Schools closest to the main population center in New York are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in New York 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 - Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY, BLS OEWS May 2025Culinary workers $72340; HVAC technicians $65530; Plumbers $64990; Dental assistants $49120; Medical assistants $45450.Culinary workers$72,340HVAC technicians$65,530Plumbers$64,990Dental assistants$49,120Medical assistants$45,450
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 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY
TradeMedian annual wage
Culinary workers$72,340
HVAC technicians$65,530
Plumbers$64,990
Dental assistants$49,120
Medical assistants$45,450
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Poughkeepsie, New York
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Poughkeepsie, New York (College Scorecard)Culinary Institute of America $51285; Ulster County Community College $50370; Dutchess Community College $44694.Culinary Institute of America$51,285Ulster County Community Coll...$50,370Dutchess Community College$44,694
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 Poughkeepsie, New York
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
Culinary Institute of America$51,285
Ulster County Community College$50,370
Dutchess Community College$44,694

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Poughkeepsie

Among the Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $45,450 to $72,340 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 York Trade Career Outlook

Building & Construction Trades

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

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


Outcome figures such as graduation, completion, and job placement rates are reported by schools and by federal data sources, reflect prior student cohorts, and are not a prediction or promise of future results. Individual outcomes may vary.


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)