Best Trade Schools in Colonial Heights, Virginia (2026)

Updated June 20, 2026 | TradeCareerPath Editorial Team

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

How to Get Started in Colonial Heights

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

Compare Trade Schools Near Colonial Heights, Virginia

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

Southside College of Health Sciences

Colonial Heights, VA 0.3 miles away BOC Score 78.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
  • 430 Clairmont Court - Suite 200 Colonial Heights, VA 23834
  • (804) 765-5800
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 4
  • Annual completions: 46
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $76,113 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 19.9 miles away BOC Score 65.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 64.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 28
  • Annual completions: 1386
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $64,703 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Brightpoint Community College

Chester, VA 5.6 miles away BOC Score 54.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 38.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 35
  • Annual completions: 706
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,344 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

J Sargeant Reynolds Community College

Richmond, VA 19.0 miles away BOC Score 52.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 31.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 36
  • Annual completions: 793
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,140 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Virginia State University

Petersburg, VA 2.6 miles away BOC Score 42.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 40.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 7
  • Annual completions: 112
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,739 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Chester Career College

CHESTER, VA 6.8 miles away BOC Score 33.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 58.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 9
  • Annual completions: 162
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $41,883 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Empire Beauty School-Richmond

Richmond, VA 19.0 miles away BOC Score 16.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 56
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $27,559 (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 Virginia.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
182.7Contact school for pricing$79,623Not reported—19 mi
278.8Contact school for pricing$76,113Not reported—0 mi
3Not ratedContact school for pricingNot reportedNot reported—2 mi
454.3Contact school for pricing$50,34439%Yes*6 mi
552.7Contact school for pricing$54,14031%Yes*19 mi
6Not ratedContact school for pricingNot reportedNot reported—2 mi
733.9Contact school for pricing$41,88358%—7 mi
816.7Contact school for pricing$27,559Not reported—19 mi

Schools closest to the main population center in Virginia are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in Virginia 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 Colonial Heights, Virginia (2026)
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Colonial Heights, Virginia (2026) (College Scorecard)Bon Secours St Mary's Hospital School of Medical Imaging $79623; Southside College of Health Sciences $76113; J Sargeant Reynolds Community College $54140; Brightpoint Community College $50344; Chester Career College $41883; Empire Beauty School-Richmond $27559.Bon Secours St Mary's Hospit...$79,623Southside College of Health ...$76,113J Sargeant Reynolds Communit...$54,140Brightpoint Community College$50,344Chester Career College$41,883Empire Beauty School-Richmond$27,559
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 Colonial Heights, Virginia (2026)
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
Bon Secours St Mary's Hospital School of Medical Imaging$79,623
Southside College of Health Sciences$76,113
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College$54,140
Brightpoint Community College$50,344
Chester Career College$41,883
Empire Beauty School-Richmond$27,559

Virginia 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%
Wind Turbine Technician49.9%
Electrician9.5%
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%
Auto Mechanic4.2%
Automotive Technician4.2%
Heavy Equipment Operator3.6%
Truck Driver (CDL)4.0%
Maintenance Technician3.8%

Healthcare: Nursing & Patient Care

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)2.6%
Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)2.6%
Mental Health Technician20.0%
Hemodialysis Technician5.2%
Medical Assistant12.5%
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)2.3%
Patient Care Technician2.3%
Home Health Aide17.0%

Healthcare: Allied Health & Diagnostics

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer13.0%
Radiologic Technologist4.3%
EKG Technician3.0%
Surgical Technologist4.5%
Optician2.9%
Dental Assistant6.4%
Sterile Processing Technician10.0%
Phlebotomy Technician5.6%
Pharmacy Technician6.4%

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%
Massage Therapist15.4%
Personal Trainer11.9%
Physical Therapy Aide2.8%

Animal Care & Training

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Dog Trainer5.1%
Veterinary Technician9.1%
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)
Paralegal0.2%
Digital Court Reporter-0.3%
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)