Best Trade Schools in Harker Heights, Texas

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


How to Get Started in Harker Heights

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

Compare Trade Schools Near Harker Heights, Texas

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 37 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

Texas A&M University-Central Texas

Killeen, TX 7.5 miles away BOC Score 78.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 8
  • Annual completions: 160
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $57,267 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

Belton, TX 10.6 miles away BOC Score 43.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 14
  • Annual completions: 130
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $61,024 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Temple College

Temple, TX 17.5 miles away BOC Score 39.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 28.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 26
  • Annual completions: 402
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,976 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Central Texas College

Killeen, TX 10.6 miles away BOC Score 37.4
Tuition $3,750 - $13,822
Contact
  • 6200 West Central Texas Expressway Killeen, TX 76549-4199
  • (254) 526-7161
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 13.1%
  • Programs offered: 54
  • Annual completions: 1594
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $60,854 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Central Texas Beauty College-Temple

Temple, TX 15.8 miles away BOC Score 33.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 61.2%
  • Programs offered: 6
  • Annual completions: 130
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $28,691 (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 Texas.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
146.2Contact school for pricingNot reported62%29 mi
243.0Contact school for pricingNot reportedNot reported37 mi
339.9Contact school for pricing$54,97629%Yes*18 mi
437.4$3,750 - $13,822$60,85413%Yes*11 mi
536.1Contact school for pricingNot reported63%5 mi
633.3Contact school for pricing$28,69161%16 mi

Schools closest to the main population center in Texas are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in Texas 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 - Killeen-Temple, TX's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Killeen-Temple, TX, BLS OEWS May 2025Radiologic technologists $77990; Medical assistants $40270; Phlebotomy technicians $37930; Nursing assistants $36120; Patient care technicians $36120.Radiologic technologists$77,990Medical assistants$40,270Phlebotomy technicians$37,930Nursing assistants$36,120Patient care technicians$36,120
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 Killeen-Temple, TX
TradeMedian annual wage
Radiologic technologists$77,990
Medical assistants$40,270
Phlebotomy technicians$37,930
Nursing assistants$36,120
Patient care technicians$36,120
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Harker Heights, Texas
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Harker Heights, Texas (College Scorecard)Central Texas College $60854; Temple College $54976; Central Texas Beauty College-Temple $28691.Central Texas College$60,854Temple College$54,976Central Texas Beauty College...$28,691
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 Harker Heights, Texas
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
Central Texas College$60,854
Temple College$54,976
Central Texas Beauty College-Temple$28,691

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Harker Heights

Among the Killeen-Temple, TX area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $36,120 to $77,990 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 Harker Heights ranges from $3,750 to $13,822 per year (IPEDS and College Scorecard); schools that do not publish a rate are marked “Contact school for pricing” in the table below. Typical medical assistant training runs 9-12 months (certificate or diploma) (TradeCareerPath program data).

Trade Schools in Nearby Cities

Texas 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

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)