Best Trade Schools in Lima, Ohio

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


How to Get Started in Lima

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

Compare Trade Schools Near Lima, Ohio

We could not confirm enough colleges teaching this subject within range of this location, so the list below shows nearby institutions instead. Confirm with each school that it offers the program before you apply.

How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention. Advertising plays no part.

This page lists 8 schools within 27 miles, nearest first in 25-mile distance bands, then by BOC Score inside each band with the highest at the top. 8 of them carry a score.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%

Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.

#1

Ohio Northern University

Ada, OH 14.7 miles away BOC Score 65.1
Tuition $39,800
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 74.4%
  • Graduation rate: 75.5%
  • Programs offered: 11
  • Annual completions: 85
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $72,080 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

University of Northwestern Ohio

Lima, OH 2.3 miles away BOC Score 63.8
Tuition $13,875
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 54.0%
  • Programs offered: 17
  • Annual completions: 871
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $56,340 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

James A. Rhodes State College

Lima, OH 0.4 miles away BOC Score 60.9
Tuition $4,560 in-state / $9,120 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 47.0%
  • Programs offered: 35
  • Annual completions: 398
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $57,771 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Apollo Career Center

Lima, OH 2.1 miles away BOC Score 51.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 59.0%
  • Programs offered: 14
  • Annual completions: 531
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $46,663 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Ohio State Beauty Academy

Lima, OH 3.0 miles away BOC Score 46.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 57.1%
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 47
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $24,533 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Bluffton University

Bluffton, OH 15.4 miles away BOC Score 46.2
Tuition $37,362
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 67.2%
  • Graduation rate: 52.9%
  • Programs offered: 7
  • Annual completions: 12
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $49,053 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Vantage Career Center

Van Wert, OH 25.9 miles away BOC Score 65.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 91.9%
  • Programs offered: 8
  • Annual completions: 192
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,179 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Wright State University-Lake Campus

Celina, OH 27.4 miles away BOC Score 40.7
Tuition $7,728 in-state / $17,428 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 40.9%
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 1
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $62,601 (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. Tuition is the published annual figure for the latest reported year and excludes room, board, books and fees. Earnings are reported across all programs at the school (all majors), not a single trade. Distance is measured from the main population center in Ohio.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)Tuition (published, per year)Median grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
163.8$13,875$56,34054%Yes*2 mi
260.9$4,560 in-state / $9,120 out-of-state$57,77147%Yes*0 mi
351.2Contact school for pricing$46,66359%—2 mi
446.5Contact school for pricing$24,53357%—3 mi
565.4Contact school for pricing$44,17992%—26 mi

Schools closest to the main population center in Ohio are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in Ohio 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 - Lima, OH's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Lima, OH, BLS OEWS May 2025Plumbers $61160; HVAC technicians $60950; Dental assistants $45570; Culinary workers $45270; Medical assistants $43530.Plumbers$61,160HVAC technicians$60,950Dental assistants$45,570Culinary workers$45,270Medical assistants$43,530
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 Lima, OH
TradeMedian annual wage
Plumbers$61,160
HVAC technicians$60,950
Dental assistants$45,570
Culinary workers$45,270
Medical assistants$43,530
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Lima, Ohio
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Lima, Ohio (College Scorecard)James A. Rhodes State College $57771; University of Northwestern Ohio $56340; Apollo Career Center $46663; Vantage Career Center $44179; Ohio State Beauty Academy $24533.James A. Rhodes State College$57,771University of Northwestern O...$56,340Apollo Career Center$46,663Vantage Career Center$44,179Ohio State Beauty Academy$24,533
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 Lima, Ohio
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
James A. Rhodes State College$57,771
University of Northwestern Ohio$56,340
Apollo Career Center$46,663
Vantage Career Center$44,179
Ohio State Beauty Academy$24,533

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Lima

Among the Lima, OH area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $43,530 to $61,160 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 Lima ranges from $13,875 to $26,266 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

Ohio Trade Career Outlook

Building & Construction Trades

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

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


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)