Best Trade Schools in Richmond, Virginia

Start here to compare accredited trade schools near Richmond. 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 Richmond

  • 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 Richmond, Virginia

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 2 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.

#4

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 1.9 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

J Sargeant Reynolds Community College

Richmond, VA 2.3 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

Empire Beauty School-Richmond

Richmond, VA 2.3 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 reported2 mi
2Not ratedContact school for pricingNot reportedNot reported2 mi
3Not ratedContact school for pricingNot reportedNot reported2 mi
452.7Contact school for pricing$54,14031%Yes*2 mi
550.5Contact school for pricingNot reportedNot reported2 mi
616.7Contact school for pricing$27,559Not reported2 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 Annual Wage by Trade - Richmond, VA's most-employed trades
Median annual wage by trade in Richmond, VA, BLS OEWS May 2025Radiologic technologists $80600; Phlebotomy technicians $46370; Medical assistants $44490; Nursing assistants $42720; Patient care technicians $42720.Radiologic technologists$80,600Phlebotomy technicians$46,370Medical assistants$44,490Nursing assistants$42,720Patient care technicians$42,720
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 Richmond, VA
TradeMedian annual wage
Radiologic technologists$80,600
Phlebotomy technicians$46,370
Medical assistants$44,490
Nursing assistants$42,720
Patient care technicians$42,720
Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Richmond, Virginia
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Richmond, Virginia (College Scorecard)Bon Secours St Mary's Hospital School of Medical Imaging $79623; J Sargeant Reynolds Community College $54140; Empire Beauty School-Richmond $27559.Bon Secours St Mary's Hospit...$79,623J Sargeant Reynolds Communit...$54,140Empire 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 Richmond, Virginia
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
Bon Secours St Mary's Hospital School of Medical Imaging$79,623
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College$54,140
Empire Beauty School-Richmond$27,559

Cost, Earnings, and Program Length in Richmond

Among the Richmond, VA area’s most-employed trades (BLS QCEW 2024), median annual pay ranges from $42,720 to $80,600 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025); the chart above compares the five with the largest local workforces. Typical medical assistant training runs 9-12 months (certificate or diploma) (TradeCareerPath program data).

Trade Schools in Nearby Cities

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

Mechanical, Automotive & Transportation

Healthcare: Administration & Office Support

Therapy, Rehab & Fitness

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


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)