Trade School Vs Community College in New Jersey: Pros and Cons
When it comes to choosing a career, many young adults are increasingly considering skilled trades. In today’s climate, skilled trades are increasingly considered safer career options, as they're less likely to be impacted by disruptive technological innovations like AI and automation as well as economic uncertainties.
Furthermore, the United States is facing a shortage of skilled trade workers as a wave of baby boomers heads to retirement, leaving a range of open roles in their wake. Trade jobs are in high demand and projected to keep growing, particularly in New Jersey. the state of New Jersey is projected to have more open roles in the trade space, and the state has some of the highest-paying jobs in trades, with top performers making over $150,000 annually. Thus, between job availability, job security, earning potential, and the lower cost of education, learning a trade provides a strong career opportunity in New Jersey.
But in addition to choosing a skilled trade to learn, students then need to consider where and how they want to learn their skills. Many young adults are looking toward community college and trade school as alternative options. Both community college and trade school provide affordable options than traditional four-year colleges. Because of this, they also both may offer greater return on investments, that is a cheaper tuition, little (or no) debt, and immediate job prospects with earning potential.
A common question many students ask is, which is better to learn a trade, a trade school or community college? Choosing between community college and trade school means evaluating what type of trade to learn, what the educational course consists of, length and cost of the program, flexibility of the program, and more. Trade schools and community colleges have some similarities, but also some key differences that could help students make their choice. We’ll break down the pros and cons of both community colleges and trade schools below to help guide your decision.
What is Trade School?
Trade schools are an alternative post-secondary education option for learning skilled trades. Trade schools can teach anything from plumbing, electricity, HVAC, welding, and more. Trade schools teach highly specific trades and skills. Their programs are usually fast-tracked to get students the knowledge and skills they need to enter the workforce quickly. Trade schools can be both private or public, with some private schools being for-profit.
Some of the top trade schools in New Jersey are The Training Center, Lincoln Technical Institute, Universal Technical Institute, Fortis Institute, and Pennco Tech. Trade schools are specially designed to provide quality education in the skilled trades and getting you field ready to succeed in your career.
There are many factors to consider when choosing the right trade school in New Jersey, some of these factors include:
What trades do they teach: Make sure the school teaches the trade you’re looking for and has a strong reputation.
Cost and length: Look for the best bang for your buck and a program that will get you field ready with quality education quickly.
Hands-on training: There’s no substitute for getting your hands dirty, look for programs that are heavy with hands-on learning.
Flexible learning options: Can I take classes remotely or online? Is there flexible scheduling so you don’t have to surrender life commitments.
Personalized instruction: Smaller, more nimble programs can adjust to your pace and provide better learning. Look for small student-to-teacher ratios.
Job placement support: Will the school help support you with job placement? Is there a pipeline to companies or industries after graduating?
As mentioned above, trade schools blend hands-on training with classroom learning, but learning a trade means learning a skill, and skills can’t be developed by theory alone. The best programs prioritize real-world, hands-on experience because mastering a trade requires practice, not just lectures in a classroom. Be sure to choose a trade program that’s built around hands-on learning, not just sitting in a classroom.
What is Community College?
True to its name, community colleges are post-secondary educational institutions highly tied to individual communities. They are often, though not always, county-based.
Community colleges are cheaper than traditional four-year colleges, offer higher rates of acceptance, are largely commuter-based as opposed to the traditional four-year colleges where students often live on campus. These schools are frequently used for earning two-year Associate’s degrees, though there are some that provide four-year programs, too.
For many, the benefit of community college is to get a degree close to where they grew up, live at home, and being able to work while going to school. Community colleges offer a variety of learning options, including some skilled trades. Some programs at community colleges have “general education” requirements, meaning that in addition to a student’s area of study, they are required to take some basic courses in math, history, or other subjects.
In general, the programs at community colleges are classroom and textbook-based, though some trade-based programs may offer hands-on learning. Some of the top community colleges in New Jersey include Brookdale Community College, Raritan Valley Community College, Ocean County Community College, Salem Community College, Bergen County Community College, and Union College of Union County, NJ.
Trade School vs. Community College
The good news for anyone seeking to learn a skilled trade is that trade school and community college are both great options. However, anyone making this choice should also do their research and be aware that there are pros and cons to both. First, it matters what trade someone wants to learn. Anyone looking to learn a skilled trade can find a trade school that teaches their desired trade. Community colleges, however, are more limited in their offers.
Beyond that, there are some substantial differences between these schools when it comes to cost, length of the programs, learning options, learning environment, and job prospects.
Cost of Trade School vs. Community College
When it comes to price, community college is the cheaper option. Community college prices vary and can be tied to how many credits a student is taking in a given semester. In New Jersey, the costs of community college can also vary depending on if you are an in-county or out-of-county (or even out-of-state).
Here’s a cost breakdown of three different New Jersey community colleges, for in-county students, taking 12 credits in a semester.
| NJ Community College | Avg Cost per 12-credit semester | Avg Program Cost (4 semesters) |
|---|---|---|
| Brookdale Community College | $2,745 | $10,980 |
| Bergen Community College | $2,529 | $10,116 |
| Raritan Valley Community College | $2,232 | $8,928 |
Factor in two semesters per year and two years to get an Associate’s degree and the total cost of community colleges average to $8,000 - $12,000, without factoring costs like textbooks and various other fees which will increase the total cost further.
Like community colleges, the cost for trade school also varies by school and program. In some cases, the cost for big, brand-name trade schools can be closer to the cost of traditional four-year colleges, though not all trade schools are as expensive.
For reference, here are costs for New Jersey trade schools HVAC programs. Although this list is geared specific to HVAC, program costs are similar across different trades.
| NJ Trade School | Average Tuition Cost |
|---|---|
| Lincoln Tech | $29,370 |
| Pennco Tech | $23,316 |
| Fortis Institute | $21,232 |
| The Training Center | $10,000 |
Additionally, some community colleges provide specific trade programs without pursuing an associate degree. For example, Brookdale Community College provides an HVAC technician program that is fully online, self-paced for $2,895. Bergen County Community College provides a similar online self-paced HVAC Technician program for $4,695. Keep in mind that these programs are fully online with no real hands-on instructor led training.
Overall, community college is the more affordable option compared to trade school. But when it comes to choosing the right school in New Jersey to learn a trade, it’s important to not get too caught up in price alone. What really matters is value, what you get in return for your time, effort, and money. A program that gets you more field ready with more quality education can offer a better return on investment in the long run. Look beyond the sticker price and focus on which option sets you up for real success.
Length of Trade School vs. Community College
Community college programs are typically longer than most trade school programs. As mentioned, trade schools are often fast-tracked to get students the skills they need to be field ready. Some community college programs include “general education” requirements that can increase the length of their programs. Another key difference is that community college programs consist of several courses taken in one semester whereas trade schools teach all of the key components under one large, metaphorical umbrella.
Take, for instance, Brookdale Community College’s Automotive Technology Program which trains students to become automotive technicians. The program consists of 63 credits and can be completed in two years by taking 15-17 credits per semester. The program includes 20 credits of general education, consisting of some English, writing, math, and humanities or social sciences courses. Comparatively, Pennco Tech’s Automotive Technology Program takes 39 weeks, or roughly 10 months.
This is where return on investment can play a key role. Community colleges are cheaper, but longer, and may require taking unrelated, general education courses. In some cases, community college programs may also require additional schooling to get you out in the field. Trade school programs can be more expensive, but are usually shorter and focused on getting students field-ready. The focus is solely on that specific trade, and focuses their time in building the skills needed to excel in the field quickly.
Quality of Learning
The learning experiences at community college and trade school may differ as well. As we’ve covered above, community colleges may have general education requirements. The programs can consist of multiple classes per semester. The courses are largely classroom and textbook based, though many community colleges do include some hands-on learning in their trade programs. Over a two-year program, a community college may cover entire industries, including areas of a profession or skills that students might not need in their chosen trade.
Trade schools, on the other hand, are typically focused more on hands-on training. The programs are thorough but more focused on what a trade worker will need to be successful right away. For example, if you are looking to become a boiler operator in New Jersey or an HVAC technician in New Jersey, look for programs that provide the necessary hands-on real world experience needed to succeed in your desired field. This is essential for learning skilled trades, as there’s no substitute for getting your hands dirty, using tools, and learning how to assemble, break down, and push equipment to its limits. Trade school programs will still involve classroom learning and course material, but the best programs will let you develop skills primarily through hands-on learning. It’s also important to note that some states may require strict licensing or certification requirements in your field, whether its trade school or community college be sure to choose a program that provides you the certifications or licenses needed to work in your desired field. For example, to become a boiler operator in New Jersey, you must meet specific licensing and experience requirements. The state outlines clear steps to get New Jersey boiler licenses, which typically include hands on training, field experience, and passing a licensing exam. Choosing a program that prepares you for the state requirements needed in your trade is essential to build a successful career.
Flexibility and Class Schedule
If you’re going to school to learn a skilled trade, class flexibility may be important to you. It’s not uncommon for students learning a trade to juggle multiple responsibilities, between family, jobs, and school work. It’s important to find a program that works for you. That means a program with remote options, hybrid options, scheduling flexibility to make important classes and demonstrations, the ability to adjust to your pace, and even access important materials after the class has ended.
Community college courses and trade school programs are too varied to generalize what each offers. Trade school programs almost certainly demand some in-person learning to learn essential skills. Community college programs are often campus and classroom based, with limited time options. Brookdale Community College’s HVAC Technician program is 100 percent online, which offers flexibility, but comes at the cost of hands-on training and live, instructor-led experience, which are an important part to learning a skilled trade. The key here is finding a program that is less rigid where you are able to juggle multiple responsibilities. Typically, trade schools are designed more for the adult learner and provide less rigid options than community colleges, although each school program can vary.
Student-to-teacher ratio is another important aspect of flexibility. A lower student-to-teacher ratio means more access to instructors, more quality one-on-one time, and the ability to work at a more individualized pace. In programs with high student-to-teacher ratios, it’s easier to get lost, overlooked, and left behind if a student is struggling to grasp the material. This is where smaller schools become a great advantage as they are more nimble and flexible without surrendering quality of education.
Job Placement and Prep
The goal of any post-secondary education is to lay the groundwork to have a successful career. It’s important to then consider how your education will prepare you for the professional world. When it comes to learning a trade, both community colleges and trade schools can offer pipelines to companies after the program is completed.
Job prospects will be closely linked to each student’s area of study. For community colleges, those companies may be more localized, with ties to the community, and perhaps smaller in nature (though that’s not always the case). Some bigger trade schools may have ties to bigger, more national companies, though they may also have ties to smaller, more local companies.
This is also an area where school and class size can play an important role. In smaller, more personalized classes, there is a greater opportunity to network with both instructors and classmates. Those relationships can pay off down the road, as they could prove vital connections for work or open doors to opportunities. It’s easier to get lost in big programs, with dozens of students, where it’s harder to stand out.
Online Training vs In-Person Training
Online programs are becoming increasingly popular across both trade schools and community colleges. Their main appeal is convenience, allowing students to learn from the comfort of home on their own schedule. But when it comes to learning a skilled trade, convenience alone is not enough. These programs are often self paced, with no live instruction and little to no real hands on training. Without that, it is difficult to truly develop the skills needed to succeed in the field.
As mentioned earlier, the most important factor is not just flexibility or cost, but the overall value you get. If a program does not properly teach you the skill, it will not prepare you for career success. The good news is that many schools today, like The Training Center, provide hybrid style learning that provides flexibility without compromising the quality of education or hands-on experience to get you field ready.
Which is Better, Trade School or Community College?
There is no one-size-fits-all for students looking to learn a skilled trade. Choosing an education option between community college and trade school depends on many factors, and these factors can vary from student to student.
For students in New Jersey, there are tons of great options from community colleges like Brookdale, Raritan Valley Community College, and Bergen County Community College, to trade schools like The Training Center, Lincoln Tech, Fortis, and Pennco.
While cost is often a major consideration, anyone making this decision should think beyond just finding the cheapest program available. The real question is which school and program, whether it is a trade school or community college, offers the best return on investment. This article presented some factors to consider when determining value. With those in mind, it is important to look for the option that truly fits your needs and helps you build the skills and knowledge required to succeed in the trades.
The right school is one that prepares you for the job in a reasonable amount of time and supports your long term growth. They should be flexible in their course offerings, smaller in class size, and nimble in their training methods. The Training Center is proud to provide these qualities as a family-run school in New Jersey, uniquely positioned to provide the best of both worlds that a trade school and community college offers. The Training Center provides top rated training across the skilled trades, including HVAC, Boiler, Electrical, Refrigeration, Pool, and Plant Operations.
Sources for Data: Brookdale Community College Tuition & Fees 2025-26, https://www.raritanval.edu/paying-for-college/tuition-and-fees, https://bergen.edu/bursar/tuition-and-fees-current-and-previous-academic-years, Lincoln Tech 2025 program catalog, Fortis Tech 2025 program catalog, Niche, College Raptor, onlytradeschools.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
