Los Angeles County has more profiled trade and career schools than any other part of California, and most of them are private nursing and healthcare colleges. The lowest-cost route on this page is Long Beach City College, a public community college that charges California residents $46 a unit and teaches electrical, welding, automotive and nursing. This page compares the 27 LA County schools we profile, what they cost and which license or certificate each trade leads to.
Los Angeles at a glance
- Schools listed
- 27: 1 public community college, 6 private trade, technical, aviation and IT schools, 16 nursing and health colleges, 4 beauty, barber and massage schools
- Where
- Los Angeles (including North Hollywood, Studio City, Van Nuys, Panorama City and Granada Hills), Long Beach, Glendale, Pasadena, Alhambra, Inglewood, Gardena, Huntington Park, Paramount, South Gate, Cerritos, West Covina, Pomona, Canyon Country and Lancaster
- Lowest-cost route
- Long Beach City College at $46 a unit for California residents
- Shortest career course
- 4-week, 160-hour CNA course (Hellen School, Long Beach); 6-Saturday phlebotomy (Healthcare Career College, Paramount)
- Federal aid at
- 24 of the 27; Hellen School and Master Barbering Academy take none, and Paul Mitchell schools set their own aid
- California guides
- All California trade schools
Facts checked October 2026. Sources are linked in each section and in each school’s profile. Orange County schools will be on the Anaheim page.
Los Angeles Trade Schools and Career Colleges
Listed alphabetically within each group, not ranked. Each card links to a full profile with programs, outcomes and sources. Pick a trade to filter the list; each trade’s pay, length and license are in Trades and licensing.
Public community college (1)
Long Beach City College
The public college for Long Beach teaches its trades at the Trades, Technology, and Community Learning Campus on Pacific Coast Highway: electrical (it is state-approved electrician trainee school number 101), welding, automotive, construction, HVAC and solar. Registered and vocational nursing, medical assisting, radiologic technology and EMT are run from the Liberal Arts Campus on Carson Street. Its RN graduates passed the NCLEX-RN at 92.86% in 2024-25.
- Length
- One semester (EMT) to two years (associate degrees); vocational nursing three semesters
- Accredited
- ACCJC
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: $46 a unit for California residents, about $1,432 for a 30-unit year with standard fees; $432 a unit out of state (2026-27)
View school profile →Private trade, technical, aviation and IT schools (6)
InterCoast Colleges
West Covina teaches the hybrid Electrical Training program (900 clock hours, 40 weeks), which prepares students to apply for California’s electrician trainee card, and the HVAC Technician certificate (720 hours, 32 weeks). Its 2024-25 state fact sheets report about 82% on-time completion for electrical and 90% to 93% for HVAC. Granada Hills, approved as a branch in August 2026, lists electrical training but has no students or results yet.
- Length
- 32 weeks (HVAC) to 40 weeks (electrical)
- Accredited
- ACCET
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: $22,500 (electrical) and $18,000 (HVAC), the same at every campus (2026-27)
View school profile →San Joaquin Valley College (Antelope Valley)
SJVC’s Antelope Valley campus now teaches one program, the HVAC-R certificate, and is the only SJVC campus in California with HVAC-R but no Electrical Technology. The health programs it used to teach here moved to sister school Carrington College, which runs the medical certificates at the same address.
- Length
- About 10 months
- Accredited
- WSCUC
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: $27,647 (13 April 2026 catalog)
View school profile →Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology
The Inglewood campus trains aircraft mechanics for the FAA Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) exams: an 18-month diploma or a 22-month Aviation Maintenance Technology AOS degree, on a 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. day shift or a 5:15 p.m. to midnight night shift. An FAA testing center is on site.
- Length
- 18 months (diploma) or 22 months (AOS)
- Accredited
- Council on Occupational Education (reaffirmed June 2026); FAA Part 147 school
- Federal aid
- Yes; VA benefits and Yellow Ribbon
Cost: $57,096 (diploma) or $64,444 (AOS) from 24 September 2026
View school profile →UEI College
Four LA County campuses teach the electrician, HVAC, dental assisting and medical assisting diplomas in a hybrid format, with lectures online and campus labs twice a week; Gardena and West Covina add automotive. Results vary by campus: Gardena’s electrician program placed 2% of 2023 and 17% of 2024 graduates in the field, while Huntington Park had the best graduation rate of the UEI campuses we checked (70%).
- Length
- 34 to 36 weeks
- Accredited
- ACCSC (Gardena) or ACCET (Huntington Park, Reseda, West Covina)
- Federal aid
- Yes; Cal Grant
Cost: $19,900 to $21,500 per program (2024 state fact sheets)
View school profile →Universal Technical Institute (UTI)
UTI Long Beach has one of the broadest program lists in the system: automotive, aviation (A&P), collision repair, diesel, electrical, HVACR, industrial maintenance, robotics and welding. It is one of only two UTI campuses that teach Collision Repair & Refinish, and it offers BMW add-on training. Most core programs mix online theory with lab work.
- Length
- Most core programs 36 to 51 weeks
- Accredited
- ACCSC
- Federal aid
- Yes; VA benefits
Cost: Ask for the Long Beach price; our profile lists none for this campus
View school profile →ABCO Technology
ABCO trains for cybersecurity, networking, programming, web development and computer support jobs, with most programs tied to industry exams such as CompTIA, Cisco CCNA and EC-Council CEH. All nine programs are taught in live, instructor-led classes at its only campus, where classes are capped at 15 students, and also live online.
- Length
- About 1 month (CCNA) to about 18 months (AAS)
- Accredited
- ACCSC
- Federal aid
- Yes; GI Bill
Cost: $3,906 to $29,765 per program, including books, supplies and fees (2026-27)
View school profile →Nursing and healthcare colleges (16)
American Career College (Los Angeles)
ACC’s main campus teaches vocational nursing, the associate degree in nursing, medical, dental, optical and pharmacy diplomas, and associate degrees in radiography, surgical technology and respiratory therapy (not listed as CoARC-accredited). Its 2024 graduates passed the NCLEX-RN at 98.2% and the NCLEX-PN at 92.8%. The state’s BPPE issued the campus a Notice to Comply listing eight violations, with no fine, after a December 2025 inspection.
- Length
- Diplomas about 9 to 10 months (vocational nursing 12 to 18); associate degrees about 15 to 20 months
- Accredited
- ABHES; ACEN initial accreditation for the ADN
- Federal aid
- Yes; Cal Grant, WIOA and VA benefits
Cost: About $20,300 to $21,400 for diplomas, $43,911 for vocational nursing and $89,717 for the ADN (2024 completers)
View school profile →Carrington College (Antelope Valley)
Carrington’s Antelope Valley campus was a San Joaquin Valley College site until 2025, when the two colleges swapped programs. It teaches three certificates, medical assisting, medical office administration and pharmacy technology, with lectures online and labs on campus; there are no degree or nursing programs here.
- Length
- About 36 weeks
- Accredited
- ACCJC
- Federal aid
- Yes; Cal Grant
Cost: $22,404 for medical assisting or pharmacy technology (2024 California report)
View school profile →CBD College
CBD College’s only campus, on Wilshire Boulevard, teaches blended associate degrees in diagnostic medical sonography, MRI, surgical technology, physical therapist assistant and occupational therapy assistant, plus a Master of Occupational Therapy. Theory is online, labs are on campus and clinicals are at hospitals, surgery centers and imaging sites around Los Angeles.
- Length
- 66 weeks (MRI) to 77 weeks (most associate degrees)
- Accredited
- ABHES, plus CAAHEP, CAPTE and ACOTE for individual programs
- Federal aid
- Yes; Cal Grant
Cost: $43,774.79 to $64,619.89 for the associate degrees (terms starting 5 October 2026)
View school profile →Charter College (Canyon Country)
The Canyon Country campus, which opened in 1975 as Santa Clarita College, teaches the 10-month medical assistant certificate and the 17-month diagnostic medical sonography associate degree. Charter’s 2024-25 report gave its medical assistants 78% retention and 70% placement.
- Length
- 10 months (certificate); 17 months (sonography)
- Accredited
- ABHES
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: $24,656 for the medical assistant certificate (2026 catalog supplement)
View school profile →Concorde Career College (North Hollywood)
Concorde’s North Hollywood campus teaches vocational nursing, respiratory therapy, physical therapist assistant, surgical technology, sterile processing, and dental and medical assisting; despite older listings, it has no dental hygiene. In 2024 its NCLEX-PN pass rate was 94.4% and its national PTA exam pass rate 97.2%.
- Length
- Vocational nursing about 12 to 13 months; associate degrees about 17 to 20 months
- Accredited
- ACCSC
- Federal aid
- Yes; GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon
Cost: $43,775 for surgical technology here; California totals about $18,000 to $19,500 for assisting and $37,000 to $43,000 for vocational nursing (2024 BPPE reports)
View school profile →Glendale Career College
Glendale Career College teaches the Associate of Arts in Nursing, an RN-to-BSN, vocational nursing, surgical technology, medical assisting, medical billing and coding, and the Central Service Instrument Technician diploma. Two programs are on an ABHES warning in 2026, and vocational nursing has been on provisional state approval since November 2025.
- Length
- 34 to 64 weeks (diplomas); 24 months (RN degree)
- Accredited
- ABHES; two programs on warning in 2026
- Federal aid
- Yes; Cal Grant and veterans’ benefits
Cost: $18,491 (medical assistant), $37,991 (vocational nurse), $80,158 (RN degree), 2023-24 totals
View school profile →Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts (Van Nuys)
Gurnick’s Los Angeles-area campus teaches radiologic technology (day or evening), X-Ray Technician with Medical Assistant Skills and vocational nursing, and runs a distance B.S. in Radiation Therapy. ABHES approved the vocational nurse program here in July 2026, but Gurnick still lists Van Nuys as pending approval by the state’s BVNPT, so confirm a start date before you apply.
- Length
- 12 months full-time (vocational nursing)
- Accredited
- ABHES
- Federal aid
- Yes; Cal Grant and GI Bill
Cost: $30,422 (X-Ray Technician with MA skills); vocational nursing $40,426 to $42,873 by campus (October 2026)
View school profile →Healthcare Career College
Every program is taught at the Alondra Boulevard campus, from six-Saturday phlebotomy to an evening sonography track, with medical and dental assisting, billing and coding, nurse assistant and home health aide in between. Its accreditor deferred its renewal decision in June and September 2026, and its state approval to operate expired about November 2025, with renewal pending as of March 2026.
- Length
- 6 weeks to about 2 years
- Accredited
- COE; renewal decision deferred in 2026
- Federal aid
- Yes for diplomas and degrees; not for nurse assistant, home health aide or phlebotomy
Cost: $16,260 for medical assisting (2025-26); nurse assistant $2,275 and phlebotomy $1,995 (2023-24 catalog)
View school profile →Hellen School for CNA
A single-site school that teaches a four-week, 160-hour CNA course in person and a 40-hour Home Health Aide add-on for students who already hold a CNA certificate; the school states that the California Department of Public Health approves both. Classes start about every four weeks, with the next posted start on 9 November 2026.
- Length
- 4 weeks (160 hours)
- Accredited
- Not accredited; CDPH approval stated by the school
- Federal aid
- No; the school offers no financial aid
Cost: $2,000 all-inclusive, plus a $120 state exam fee
View school profile →High Desert Medical College (Lancaster)
Lancaster is the only HDMC campus with the associate degree in nursing, approved by the Board of Registered Nursing for 50 students a year. It also teaches vocational nursing, with a 79.41% first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate from April 2024 to March 2025, and hybrid medical and dental assisting, pharmacy technician, veterinary assistant and ultrasound programs.
- Length
- 34 to 43 weeks (certificates); 61 weeks (vocational nursing)
- Accredited
- ACCET
- Federal aid
- Yes; recertification pending since 30 September 2026, with eligibility continuing
Cost: $8,132 to $92,235 by program; $19,920 for medical assisting (2026-27)
View school profile →National Career College
National Career College teaches vocational nursing, medical assisting and dental assisting at its Roscoe Boulevard campus, with a second classroom building on Van Nuys Boulevard. A medical office diploma and two associate degrees are taught online to California residents only.
- Length
- 8 to 9 months (diplomas); about 14 months (vocational nursing)
- Accredited
- ABHES
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: $16,900 (medical assistant), $19,390 (dental assistant), $37,385 (vocational nursing)
View school profile →North-West College
Five LA County campuses teach vocational nursing and medical assisting; depending on the campus they add surgical technology, sonography, pharmacy technician, dental assisting, billing and coding and massage. West Covina, the original 1966 campus, began enrolling Electrician Technician classes in 2026, and the Marsha Fuerst School of Nursing next door teaches a 24-month RN degree. First-time LVN pass rates in 2025 ran from 68% (West Covina) to 79% (Long Beach).
- Length
- About 40 weeks (most diplomas); about 64 weeks (vocational nurse)
- Accredited
- ACCSC (Marsha Fuerst nursing site: ABHES)
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: $37,991 (vocational nurse) and $80,158 (RN degree) on 2023-24 fact sheets
View school profile →Platt College (Los Angeles)
Platt’s main campus teaches respiratory therapy (CoARC-accredited) and vocational nursing (on BVNPT provisional approval) in person, and hybrid sonography, veterinary technology, medical assisting and medical administrative programs. It also runs Platt’s online veterinary technology degree.
- Length
- Most associate degrees about 15 to 20 months
- Accredited
- ACCSC; CoARC for respiratory therapy
- Federal aid
- Yes; not for the CNA certificate
Cost: $43,058 for the sonography associate degree (2024 total)
View school profile →Southern California Health Institute (SOCHI)
SOCHI trains massage therapists, medical assistants, physical therapy aides and nursing assistants at its only campus, mostly in a hybrid format with theory online and labs on site. The student massage clinic and CNA skills lab are on campus, and classes run between 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. on weekdays.
- Length
- About 8 weeks (CNA); 36 to 38 weeks (most programs)
- Accredited
- ACCET
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: $16,165 to $16,495 for the nine-month programs (October 2023 price list)
View school profile →Stanbridge University (Los Angeles)
Stanbridge’s Los Angeles campus teaches vocational nursing, occupational and physical therapist assistant degrees, a prelicensure BSN and an entry-level master’s in occupational therapy. Its vocational nursing graduates had a 90% NCLEX-PN pass rate in 2025 (164 testers).
- Length
- About 17 months (full-time vocational nursing) to about 3 years (BSN)
- Accredited
- ACCSC
- Federal aid
- Yes; Cal Grant and GI Bill
Cost: $42,995 (vocational nursing), $59,995 (OTA or PTA), $155,995 (BSN), 2026 catalog
View school profile →West Coast University (Los Angeles)
West Coast University’s Los Angeles campus teaches two programs, the BSN and LVN to BSN, in a building with nursing simulation labs. Its 2024 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate was 84.4%, below the Ontario campus’s 94.7%. Graduate pharmacy, therapy and physician assistant degrees are at its Center for Graduate Studies on North Vermont Avenue.
- Length
- BSN 8 semesters at the accelerated pace
- Accredited
- WSCUC
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: $167,928 estimated for a California BSN starting in fall 2026
View school profile →Beauty, barber and massage schools (4)
Master Barbering Academy
A small in-person barber school with eight chairs, teaching 1,500-hour and 1,000-hour barbering courses and a 200-hour crossover for licensed cosmetologists; students cut hair for paying clients in the school clinic. It has been on five years’ BPPE probation since May 2026, and NACCAS issued a show-cause order over unpaid fees in August 2026.
- Length
- About 10 months (1,000 hours) to 11 months (1,500 hours) full-time
- Accredited
- NACCAS; show-cause order, August 2026
- Federal aid
- No (also no VA benefits or Cal Grant)
Cost: $10,000 (1,000 hours) or $15,000 (1,500 hours) tuition in the 2024 catalog, plus fees and a $1,500 kit
View school profile →National Holistic Institute (Studio City)
NHI’s Studio City campus, the largest of its branch campuses with 274 students in 2024, teaches the 800-hour Massage Therapist and Health Educator diploma, the 450-hour Advanced Neuromuscular Therapy diploma and a 1,250-hour combined program. Every NHI campus is a California Massage Therapy Council approved school.
- Length
- 8 months by day; 10 to 12 months evenings and weekends (800 hours)
- Accredited
- ACCET
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: $16,956 tuition, about $18,308 with fees, for 800 hours (July 2026)
View school profile →Paul Mitchell The School (Pasadena and Sherman Oaks)
Two separately owned Paul Mitchell schools. Pasadena teaches barbering (1,000 hours), cosmetology (1,000 or 1,200), a 600-hour hair stylist program, 600-hour skin care and 400-hour nail care. Sherman Oaks teaches barbering and cosmetology in 1,000- and 1,500-hour versions and 600-hour esthetics.
- Length
- 400 to 1,500 hours
- Accredited
- NACCAS, school by school
- Federal aid
- Ask each school; each has its own FAFSA code
Cost: Ask each school; neither price is in our profile
View school profile →Fremont University
Fremont’s only campus teaches a CAMTC-approved Massage Therapy diploma in a hybrid format, a Paralegal Studies associate degree by day or evening, and the in-person part of a hybrid medical billing, coding and office administration certificate. Online health, business and justice degrees are open to residents of a limited list of states.
- Length
- 7 to 19 months
- Accredited
- ACCSC
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: $408 per quarter credit, undergraduate (October 2026)
View school profile →No schools on this page match. Try another trade, or see all California trade schools.
These schools have LA County locations but are not hands-on trade schools, so they are not in the list above. Alliant University‘s Los Angeles campus in Alhambra teaches graduate psychology, therapy and business degrees only. DeVry University‘s Encino site is an office suite for evening and hybrid classes; DeVry listed 27 students there in 2024. Gnomon in North Hollywood teaches visual effects, 3D animation and game art ($14,042 a term for the BFA).
We have not yet profiled most of the county’s other public colleges, including Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and the other Los Angeles Community College District colleges, Cerritos College, El Camino College, Pasadena City College, Rio Hondo College and College of the Canyons, which charge the same $46 a unit. We have also not yet profiled the area’s union apprenticeship programs.
- Compare a community college first. A California resident pays about $1,432 for a full year of classes at Long Beach City College; most private trade and nursing programs on this page cost $16,000 to $45,000, and some degrees far more.
- A private electrical program is a start, not a certification. California requires general electricians to be certified after 8,000 hours of work, so ask how a program helps you register as an electrician trainee and find work.
- Check the warnings on each card. Glendale Career College, Healthcare Career College, Hellen School and Master Barbering Academy have accreditation, approval or probation issues noted in their profiles.
- Check the campus. Several schools run different programs at each campus: for example, UEI’s Reseda campus has no automotive program, and Gurnick’s Van Nuys vocational nursing program was still awaiting state approval in October 2026.
More in California: All California trade schools
Where to start, by goal
| Your goal | Schools to consider | Why they may fit |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest-cost trade training | Long Beach City College | $46 a unit for California residents; electrical, welding, automotive, construction, HVAC and solar at its trades campus |
| HVAC | InterCoast, West Covina, SJVC, Lancaster, UEI, UTI, Long Beach | Private HVAC certificates run $18,000 (InterCoast) to $27,647 (SJVC); California licenses HVAC contractors, not technicians |
| Electrician | Long Beach City College; private: InterCoast, UEI, UTI, North-West College, West Covina | Certification as a general electrician needs 8,000 hours of work as a registered trainee or apprentice |
| Welding | Long Beach City College; UTI, Long Beach | California does not license welders; structural welders in the City of Los Angeles need LADBS certification |
| Automotive or diesel | Long Beach City College; UTI, Long Beach (also diesel and collision); UEI, Gardena and West Covina | No state license; ASE tests are optional |
| Aircraft mechanic (A&P) | Spartan, Inglewood (18 or 22 months); UTI, Long Beach | Both train for the FAA Airframe and Powerplant tests; Spartan has day and night shifts |
| Registered nurse | Long Beach City College (ADN); ACC, Glendale Career College, Marsha Fuerst, West Covina, HDMC, Lancaster (ADN); West Coast University, Stanbridge (BSN) | Long Beach City College charges $46 a unit; private RN programs run about $80,000 to $168,000 |
| Vocational nurse (LVN) | Long Beach City College; private: ACC, Concorde, Glendale, Gurnick, HDMC, National Career College, North-West, Platt, Stanbridge | Private LVN programs run about $37,000 to $43,000; check each school’s NCLEX-PN pass rate |
| CNA or phlebotomy | Hellen School (4-week CNA, $2,000); Healthcare Career College; SOCHI (CNA) | California requires 160 hours of nurse assistant training; Hellen School takes no aid |
| Medical or dental assisting | ACC, Carrington, Charter, Concorde, Glendale, Healthcare Career College, HDMC, National Career College, North-West, Platt, SOCHI, UEI; Long Beach City College | Private medical assisting runs about $16,000 to $25,000; Long Beach City College is far cheaper but admits one class a year |
| Imaging, surgical tech or therapy | CBD College, Concorde, Gurnick, Platt, Stanbridge, Charter, North-West; Long Beach City College (radiography) | Competitive entry; check each program’s programmatic accreditation |
| Cosmetology or barbering | Paul Mitchell, Pasadena and Sherman Oaks; Master Barbering Academy (barbering) | California’s minimum is 1,000 hours for both; longer programs cost more |
| Massage | NHI, Studio City, SOCHI, Fremont University, North-West College | California has no state massage license; CAMTC certification is voluntary but required by many cities |
| IT or cybersecurity | ABCO Technology; Long Beach City College (Cisco and cybersecurity) | ABCO programs run $3,906 to $29,765 |
These match goals to published program features. They are not rankings.
Costs and financial aid
These are the prices each school published, with the date. They exclude tools, uniforms, and exam and license fees unless noted.
| Route | Example | Cost | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community college | Long Beach City College: California residents; out of state | $46 a unit (about $1,432 for 30 units with fees); $432 a unit | 2026-27 |
| Private trade certificate | InterCoast electrical; InterCoast HVAC; SJVC HVAC-R | $22,500; $18,000; $27,647 | 2026-27; 2026-27; April 2026 |
| Private trade diploma | UEI electrician, HVAC, automotive and assisting | $19,900 to $21,500 | 2024 fact sheets |
| Aircraft maintenance | Spartan Inglewood diploma; AOS degree | $57,096; $64,444 | From 24 September 2026 |
| IT | ABCO Technology programs | $3,906 to $29,765 | 2026-27 |
| Vocational nursing | National Career College; Glendale; Stanbridge; ACC | $37,385; $37,991; $42,995; $43,911 | Current; 2023-24; 2026; 2024 |
| RN degrees | Glendale or Marsha Fuerst ADN; ACC ADN; Stanbridge BSN; West Coast University BSN | $80,158; $89,717; $155,995; $167,928 | 2023-24; 2024; 2026; fall 2026 |
| Medical assisting | Healthcare Career College; National Career College; HDMC; Carrington; Charter | $16,260; $16,900; $19,920; $22,404; $24,656 | 2025-26; current; 2026-27; 2024; 2026 |
| CNA | Hellen School; Healthcare Career College | $2,000 plus $120 exam fee; $2,275 | Current; 2023-24 |
| Beauty and massage | NHI 800-hour massage; Master Barbering 1,000-hour barbering | About $18,308 with fees; $10,000 plus fees and kit | July 2026; 2024 |
UTI and the two Paul Mitchell schools publish no LA County price in our profiles, so ask each for its catalog. For most trades a community college costs far less than a private school, so compare total cost before you sign.
Paying for training
- California College Promise Grant and Cal Grant: at community colleges such as Long Beach City College, eligible California residents can have the $46-a-unit fee waived. Many private schools on this page, including ACC, Carrington, CBD, Glendale Career College, Gurnick, Stanbridge and UEI, also accept Cal Grants.
- Federal aid: 24 of the 27 schools listed take Pell Grants or federal loans through the FAFSA, though Healthcare Career College and Platt exclude their shortest programs. Hellen School and Master Barbering Academy take none; ask each Paul Mitchell school directly.
- Workforce funding: American Career College accepts WIOA funding for eligible students; ask your local America’s Job Center about other schools.
- Veterans: Spartan (Yellow Ribbon), ABCO, ACC, Concorde, Gurnick, Stanbridge, UTI and UEI (at approved campuses) accept GI Bill or VA benefits. Master Barbering Academy does not.
Trade pathways and licensing
How each trade works in Los Angeles, how long training takes, what it pays and which license you need. Pay is the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro median annual wage for all experience levels (BLS 2025, via O*NET OnLine); the metro area includes Orange County.
Electrical
California certifies electricians. To work as a general electrician for a licensed contractor you need state certification, which takes 8,000 hours of on-the-job experience and an exam; until then you register as an electrician trainee, which requires enrollment in a state-approved school, and work under a certified electrician. Electrical contractors need a C-10 license from the Contractors State License Board.
- Length
- Private programs of 34 to 40 weeks, then about four years of work
- LA metro median pay
- $73,810 (electricians)
- Certification
- General Electrician (8,000 hours) from the Department of Industrial Relations; C-10 contractor license from the CSLB
Schools on this page: Long Beach City College (state-approved school 101; electrical apprenticeship preparation and industrial electrician degrees), InterCoast (West Covina and Granada Hills), UEI (all four LA County campuses), UTI, Long Beach and North-West College, West Covina (new in 2026).
A school program does not make you a certified electrician. Ask whether the school is state-approved for trainee registration and how its graduates find trainee jobs: UEI Gardena placed 2% of its 2023 electrician graduates and 17% of 2024 graduates in the field. Sources: DIR electrician trainee rules; our school profiles.
HVAC and refrigeration
California licenses HVAC contractors, not technicians. A C-20 (warm-air heating, ventilating and air-conditioning) contractor license needs four years of journey-level experience in the last 10 years; education or training can count for up to three of them. Technicians who handle refrigerant need federal EPA 608 certification.
- Length
- Private certificates about 32 weeks to 10 months
- LA metro median pay
- $73,830 (HVAC mechanics)
Schools on this page: InterCoast, West Covina ($18,000), SJVC, Lancaster ($27,647), UEI and UTI, Long Beach. Long Beach City College teaches HVAC at its trades campus.
Ask how many graduates work in HVAC: UEI’s state fact sheets show low in-field placement for HVAC and electrician graduates at some California campuses. Sources: CSLB experience rules; our school profiles.
Welding
California does not license welders, but structural welders in the City of Los Angeles must pass Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) certification tests, and employers test welders to AWS standards.
- Length
- Community college certificates and degrees; UTI’s core programs 36 to 51 weeks
- LA metro median pay
- $56,160
- Certification
- LADBS welder certification for structural work in Los Angeles; employer or AWS tests
Schools on this page: Long Beach City College (Welding Technology AS and certificates, plus short noncredit welding certificates) and UTI, Long Beach. UEI Gardena no longer lists welding.
Long Beach City College promises help with industry certification exams but does not name a certifying body, so ask which tests the program prepares you for. Sources: our school profiles.
Automotive, diesel and aviation
Automotive and diesel technicians need no state license, but aircraft mechanics need the FAA mechanic certificate with Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) ratings.
- Length
- About 9 months to two years (auto); 18 to 22 months (A&P at Spartan)
- License
- ASE tests (optional); FAA A&P certificate for aircraft mechanics
Schools on this page: Long Beach City College (automotive), UTI, Long Beach (automotive, diesel, collision repair, aviation), UEI, Gardena and West Covina (automotive) and Spartan, Inglewood (A&P, with an FAA testing center on site).
Finishing an aviation program does not give you the A&P certificate: you still take FAA written, oral and practical tests. Sources: our school profiles.
Nursing and healthcare
California nurses take the NCLEX after a program approved by the Board of Registered Nursing (RN) or the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (LVN). Nurse assistants need 160 hours of training, at least 60 in class and 100 in clinical practice, and a state certification exam; assistants and technologists take national exams.
- Length
- 4 weeks (CNA) to about 3 years (BSN)
- LA metro median pay
- $135,560 RN; $79,310 LVN; $47,380 nursing assistant; $47,760 medical assistant; $46,900 dental assistant; $50,760 pharmacy technician; $81,580 surgical technologist; $108,030 radiologic technologist; $119,430 sonographer; $104,640 respiratory therapist; $82,140 PT assistant
- License
- NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN; CDPH nurse assistant certificate; national exams for assistants and technologists
Schools on this page: Long Beach City College (RN, LVN, radiography and medical assisting at $46 a unit), ACC, Concorde, Glendale Career College, Gurnick, HDMC, National Career College, North-West College, Platt, Stanbridge, West Coast University, CBD College, Carrington, Charter, Healthcare Career College, Hellen School and SOCHI.
Pass rates vary widely: in 2024 ACC Los Angeles reported 98.2% on the NCLEX-RN and West Coast University’s North Hollywood campus 84.4%, and North-West College’s 2025 LVN pass rates ran from 68% to 79% by campus. Glendale Career College’s vocational nursing has been on provisional approval since November 2025, and Platt’s is on BVNPT provisional approval. Sources: CDPH nurse assistant training rules; our school profiles.
Cosmetology, barbering, esthetics and massage
California cosmetology and barbering programs need at least 1,000 hours and esthetics 600 hours; the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology issues the licenses after the state exam. California has no state massage license: certification by the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC), which needs 500 hours of approved training, is voluntary, but many cities and counties require it.
- Length
- 400 hours (nails) to 1,500 hours (cosmetology, barbering); 800 hours (NHI massage)
- LA metro median pay
- $43,500 hairdressers; $37,680 barbers; $37,560 skincare specialists; $43,530 massage therapists
- License
- Cosmetology, barber and esthetician licenses from the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology; voluntary CAMTC certification for massage
Schools on this page: Paul Mitchell, Pasadena and Sherman Oaks (cosmetology, barbering, esthetics; Pasadena also nails), Master Barbering Academy (barbering), NHI, Studio City, SOCHI, Fremont University and North-West College (massage).
The state minimum dropped to 1,000 hours for cosmetology and barbering in 2022, so a 1,500-hour program costs more without being required for the license: at Master Barbering Academy the 1,500-hour course cost $5,000 more in 2024 tuition and had no graduates in 2023 or 2024. Sources: Board of Barbering and Cosmetology; our school profiles.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest trade school in Los Angeles?
A public community college. Long Beach City College charges California residents $46 a unit in 2026-27, about $1,432 for a full year with standard fees, and teaches electrical, welding, automotive, construction and nursing. Eligible residents can have the fee waived through the California College Promise Grant.
How do I become an electrician in Los Angeles?
California requires general electricians to be state certified, which takes 8,000 hours of on-the-job experience and an exam. Most people start as a registered electrician trainee, which requires enrollment in a state-approved school, or in an apprenticeship. Long Beach City College, InterCoast, UEI and UTI teach electrical programs in LA County.
Can I become a nurse in Los Angeles?
Yes. Long Beach City College teaches registered and vocational nursing at $46 a unit, and private colleges including ACC, Concorde, Glendale Career College, National Career College, North-West College, Stanbridge and West Coast University teach vocational nursing, RN degrees or the BSN. Check each program’s board approval and NCLEX pass rates.
How long does trade school take in Los Angeles?
From four weeks for a CNA course to two years for an associate degree. Private electrical and HVAC certificates take about 32 to 40 weeks, aircraft maintenance 18 to 22 months at Spartan, and vocational nursing about 12 to 17 months at private schools.
Do HVAC technicians and welders need a license in California?
No state license is needed to work as an HVAC technician or welder. HVAC contractors need a C-20 license from the Contractors State License Board, technicians who handle refrigerant need federal EPA 608 certification, and structural welders in the City of Los Angeles need LADBS certification.
Facts checked October 2026. School facts come from each school’s profile on this site, where the original sources are linked. Pay figures are Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro median annual wages from BLS 2025 data, via O*NET OnLine. Licensing requirements are from the California Department of Industrial Relations, the Contractors State License Board, the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology and the California Department of Public Health.