Best Trade Schools in Onalaska, Wisconsin (2026)

Updated June 20, 2026 | TradeCareerPath Editorial Team

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

How to Get Started in Onalaska

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

Compare Trade Schools Near Onalaska, Wisconsin

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.

#1

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

La Crosse, WI 5.1 miles away BOC Score 75.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 71.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 11
  • Annual completions: 352
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $60,184 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Eau Claire, WI 64.5 miles away BOC Score 69.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 65.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 6
  • Annual completions: 305
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $60,838 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College

Fennimore, WI 69.2 miles away BOC Score 65.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 59.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 70
  • Annual completions: 946
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,757 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

The Salon Professional Academy-Onalaska

Onalaska, WI 1.1 miles away BOC Score 62.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 91.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 122
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $32,128 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Chippewa Valley Technical College

Eau Claire, WI 64.3 miles away BOC Score 61.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 48.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 93
  • Annual completions: 3593
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $57,493 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

University of Wisconsin-Stout

Menomonie, WI 77.4 miles away BOC Score 59.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 53.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 15
  • Annual completions: 380
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $64,234 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Viterbo University

La Crosse, WI 6.1 miles away BOC Score 58.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 66.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 7
  • Annual completions: 39
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $69,675 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Mid-State Technical College

Wisconsin Rapids, WI 78.7 miles away BOC Score 56.9
Tuition $5,002 - $15,840
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 53.1%
  • Programs offered: 75
  • Annual completions: 1445
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $53,827 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Western Technical College

La Crosse, WI 5.3 miles away BOC Score 56.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 36.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 84
  • Annual completions: 1710
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $53,114 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

The Professional Hair Design Academy

Eau Claire, WI 63.1 miles away BOC Score 50.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 76.0%
  • Programs offered: 6
  • Annual completions: 60
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $30,327 (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 Wisconsin.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)TuitionMedian grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
165.2Contact school for pricing$50,75760%Yes*69 mi
262.6Contact school for pricing$32,12891%—1 mi
361.2Contact school for pricing$57,49348%Yes*64 mi
456.9$5,002 - $15,840$53,82753%Yes*79 mi
556.2Contact school for pricing$53,11436%Yes*5 mi
650.2Contact school for pricing$30,32776%—63 mi

Schools closest to the main population center in Wisconsin are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in Wisconsin 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 Onalaska, Wisconsin (2026)
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Onalaska, Wisconsin (2026) (College Scorecard)Chippewa Valley Technical College $57493; Mid-State Technical College $53827; Western Technical College $53114; Southwest Wisconsin Technical College $50757; The Salon Professional Academy-Onalaska $32128; The Professional Hair Design Academy $30327.Chippewa Valley Technical Co...$57,493Mid-State Technical College$53,827Western Technical College$53,114Southwest Wisconsin Technica...$50,757The Salon Professional Acade...$32,128The Professional Hair Design...$30,327
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 Onalaska, Wisconsin (2026)
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
Chippewa Valley Technical College$57,493
Mid-State Technical College$53,827
Western Technical College$53,114
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College$50,757
The Salon Professional Academy-Onalaska$32,128
The Professional Hair Design Academy$30,327

Wisconsin Trade Career Outlook

Building & Construction Trades

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

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%
Electrician9.5%
Wind Turbine Technician49.9%
HVAC Technician8.1%
Tower Technician8.6%
Solar Installer42.1%

Mechanical, Automotive & Transportation

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Heavy Equipment Operator3.6%
Aircraft Mechanic (A&P)4.0%
Gunsmith2.0%
Diesel Technician2.4%
CNC Machinist0.0%
Truck Driver (CDL)4.0%
Maintenance Technician3.8%
Auto Mechanic4.2%
Automotive Technician4.2%

Healthcare: Nursing & Patient Care

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)2.6%
Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)2.6%
Hemodialysis Technician5.2%
Medical Assistant12.5%
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)2.3%
Patient Care Technician2.3%
Mental Health Technician20.0%
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%
Sterile Processing Technician10.0%
Dental Assistant6.4%
Phlebotomy Technician5.6%
Pharmacy Technician6.4%
Optician2.9%

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)
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

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)