Best Trade Schools in Portsmouth, Ohio

Start here to compare accredited trade schools near Portsmouth. 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 Portsmouth

  • 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 Portsmouth, 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 32 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score 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

Buckeye Hills Career Center

Rio Grande, OH 31.6 miles away BOC Score 70.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 85.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 23
  • Annual completions: 277
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $42,114 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Ohio University-Southern Campus

Ironton, OH 21.8 miles away BOC Score 69.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 20.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 20
  • Annual completions: 10
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $70,528 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Scioto County Career Technical Center

Lucasville, OH 9.1 miles away BOC Score 54.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 73.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 21
  • Annual completions: 311
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $45,417 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Paramount Beauty Academy

Portsmouth, OH 2.2 miles away BOC Score 53.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 89.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 46
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $17,490 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

University of Rio Grande

Rio Grande, OH 31.8 miles away BOC Score 50.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 34.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 36
  • Annual completions: 92
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,840 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Shawnee State University

Portsmouth, OH 3.6 miles away BOC Score 38.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 45.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 33
  • Annual completions: 275
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,129 (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 Ohio.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
170.4Contact school for pricing$42,11486%32 mi
269.9Contact school for pricing$70,52820%Yes*22 mi
3Not ratedContact school for pricingNot reportedNot reported21 mi
454.7Contact school for pricing$45,41773%9 mi
553.8Contact school for pricing$17,49089%2 mi
650.3Contact school for pricing$51,84034%Yes*32 mi
7Not ratedContact school for pricing$55,281Not reported30 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 - Portsmouth, OH's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Portsmouth, OH, BLS OEWS May 2025Truck drivers $59800; Construction trades workers $56080; Culinary workers $53990; Veterinary technicians $47990; Veterinary assistants $36340.Truck drivers$59,800Construction trades workers$56,080Culinary workers$53,990Veterinary technicians$47,990Veterinary assistants$36,340
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 Portsmouth, OH
TradeMedian annual wage
Truck drivers$59,800
Construction trades workers$56,080
Culinary workers$53,990
Veterinary technicians$47,990
Veterinary assistants$36,340
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Portsmouth, Ohio
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Portsmouth, Ohio (College Scorecard)Ohio University-Southern Campus $70528; Elite Welding Academy South Point $55281; University of Rio Grande $51840; Scioto County Career Technical Center $45417; Buckeye Hills Career Center $42114; Paramount Beauty Academy $17490.Ohio University-Southern Cam...$70,528Elite Welding Academy South ...$55,281University of Rio Grande$51,840Scioto County Career Technic...$45,417Buckeye Hills Career Center$42,114Paramount Beauty Academy$17,490
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 Portsmouth, Ohio
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
Ohio University-Southern Campus$70,528
Elite Welding Academy South Point$55,281
University of Rio Grande$51,840
Scioto County Career Technical Center$45,417
Buckeye Hills Career Center$42,114
Paramount Beauty Academy$17,490

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Portsmouth

Among the Portsmouth, OH area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $36,340 to $59,800 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

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)