Baltimore is one of the few places where you can learn a trade for free or be paid from the first day: NCIA’s training center near Little Italy teaches free 17-week HVAC/R, automotive and Class B CDL courses to eligible adults, and the UA Local 486 plumbers and steamfitters apprenticeship charges no tuition and pays $24.54 an hour in year one. Private schools such as North American Trade Schools, All-State Career School, Fortis Institute and Lincoln Tech teach HVAC, electrical, welding, diesel and CDL courses in under a year, at $2,195.70 to about $42,000. This page compares the 9 schools and apprenticeships we have profiled in the Baltimore area.
Baltimore at a glance
- Schools listed
- 9: 5 private career schools, a public community college, a free nonprofit training center and 2 paid plumbing apprenticeships
- Where
- Baltimore City, Towson, Rosedale, Catonsville and Essex, Columbia, Linthicum Heights and Westminster
- Free or paid training
- NCIA (free to eligible adults); UA Local 486 ($0 tuition, paid work; apply 2 to 30 November 2026)
- Short programs
- Class B CDL in 42 hours ($3,425, All-State) or 48 hours ($2,195.70, NATS); Class A CDL at NATS in 320 hours ($5,500)
- Federal aid at
- 6 of the 9: All-State, NATS, Fortis, Lincoln, Cortiva and Carroll (credit programs)
- More in Maryland
- All Maryland trade schools
Facts checked October 2026. Sources are linked in each section and in each school’s profile.
Baltimore Trade Schools
Listed by area, 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.
Baltimore City (3)
All-State Career School
The Baltimore campus teaches Class A and Class B CDL, a 48-week HVAC-R diploma, medical assisting, expanded functions dental assisting (toward Maryland’s DRT and QDA dental credentials) and pharmacy technician, which no other All-State campus offers; medical billing and coding no longer enrolls. In its January 2026 accreditor disclosure, Baltimore graduated 74% of HVAC-R and 64% of truck-driving students, with 72% and 70% working in the field, but only 45% of medical assisting and 32% of dental assisting students graduated. Its federal graduation rate for 2021-22 entrants is 60%.
- Length
- 42 hours (Class B CDL) to 48 weeks (HVAC-R and dental assisting)
- Accredited
- Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC)
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: $3,425 (Class B CDL), $12,657 (24-week tractor-trailer), $18,772 (medical assisting), $24,332 (HVAC-R), catalog totals 2026-27
View school profile →North American Trade Schools
NATS awards diplomas in diesel technology, electrical technology, HRVAC, combination welding and building construction (1,152 hours, 39 weeks by day or up to 58 in the evening; welding 864 hours) and runs Class A and Class B CDL courses. Its 2025 accreditor report shows in-field placement of 70% to 82% in every program, but only 50% to 58% of evening students in the long programs finished. 69% of full-time students who started in 2021-22 graduated, and median loan debt for 2025-26 graduates was about $9,640 in the long programs.
- Length
- 48 hours (Class B CDL) to 1,152 hours (39 weeks day, up to 58 weeks evening)
- Accredited
- ACCSC since 1987
- Federal aid
- Yes; GI Bill and Tolbert Grant
Cost: $2,195.70 (Class B CDL), $5,500 (Class A), $16,325 (welding), $20,825 (HRVAC), $21,325 (electrical); diesel $26,200 on its program page or $21,300 in a July 2026 disclosure
View school profile →NCIA Training Center
NCIA, a Baltimore nonprofit, teaches free 17-week courses in automotive maintenance and light repair, HVAC/R (with EPA 608 and a Maryland apprentice license) and Class B commercial driving, four hours a day Monday to Thursday. Each student gets a case manager, job-readiness classes and 12 months of follow-up; referrals come from re-entry programs, among others, and it takes walk-ins. NCIA says 75% complete and 75% of job-ready graduates find work within a year, but these are its own undated figures.
- Length
- 17 weeks
- Accredited
- None found; outside certifications (EPA 608, ASE, OSHA 10) and a state CDL
- Federal aid
- Not needed: free to eligible participants
Cost: Free to eligible participants, depending on grant funds when you apply; a fee-for-service CDL track for paying trainees
View school profile →Towson and Baltimore County (3)
Fortis Institute Towson
Fortis Institute Towson teaches medical assisting (with ABHES programmatic accreditation), dental assisting, HVAC-R, pharmacy technician and medical office administration; its massage therapy program is being taught out, and neither Maryland Fortis campus teaches nursing. Fortis prices are largely the same at every campus and include kits, books, exam fees and a laptop. Education Affiliates, which also owns All-State Career School, settled federal False Claims Act allegations over student aid for $13 million in 2015.
- Length
- 36 weeks (medical assisting) to 48 weeks (HVAC-R)
- Accredited
- ABHES
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: $18,572 (medical assisting), $23,759 (HVAC-R) and $23,849 (dental assisting), Fortis catalog totals
View school profile →Maryland PHCC plumbing apprenticeship
Maryland PHCC sponsors a four-year plumbing apprenticeship it says is registered with the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council. Apprentices work about 40 hours a week for a plumbing contractor, starting at 50% of the average journeyperson wage, and attend classes two evenings a week, 6 to 9 pm, September to May, aiming for the Maryland Journey Plumber/Gas Fitter exam. You must find your own employer first, and it publishes no completion or pass rates. It has no HVAC program despite its name.
- Length
- 4 years: 7,500 paid work hours plus 165 classroom hours a year
- Accredited
- Not a school; registered apprenticeship (per the association)
- Federal aid
- No; approved for VA benefits
Cost: $2,600 for employees of member firms, $4,700 for others (2026-27; ask whether that is per year)
View school profile →UA Local 486 Apprenticeship
The Plumbers and Steamfitters UA Local 486 apprenticeship hires apprentices to work full-time for about 100 contractors while attending class two evenings a week for five years, with HVACR, gasfitting, welding, medical gas and backflow training built in. First-year pay is $24.54 an hour, and graduates can sit Maryland’s journey plumber and HVACR journeyman exams. Applications for the 2027-28 class are open only from 2 to 30 November 2026, with an open house on 7 November 2026.
- Length
- 5 years: about 1,250 classroom hours plus paid full-time work
- Accredited
- Registered apprenticeship sponsor since 1962
- Federal aid
- Not needed: tuition is $0
Cost: $0 tuition; $25 application fee, books of about $250 in year one and union dues of $31 a month
View school profile →Columbia, Linthicum Heights and Westminster (3)
Lincoln Tech (Lincoln College of Technology)
Columbia is Lincoln’s only Maryland campus today. It teaches automotive, electrical, HVAC, welding and medical assisting, and electrical students can take a Johnson Controls preparation track. Lincoln has announced a second Maryland campus in Suitland, teaching only electrical and HVAC, for late 2027. Lincoln’s catalogs for other campuses describe trade certificates of about 960 to 1,320 clock hours (about 44 to 57 weeks by day), and it offers an American Hero Scholarship of up to $1,000 for military members and veterans who enroll by 31 December 2026.
- Length
- About 37 weeks (medical assisting); trades about 44 to 57 weeks by day at the campuses Lincoln describes
- Accredited
- ACCSC
- Federal aid
- Yes; GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon
Cost: Lincoln’s 2025 tuition sheets list about $32,000 to $42,000 for core trade programs and about $23,700 for medical assisting; ask Columbia for its own sheet
View school profile →Cortiva Institute
Cortiva’s Maryland campus teaches two programs: a 750-hour Professional Massage Therapy diploma (about nine months) and 600-hour Esthetics Training, with clinic practice and free MBLEx review sessions. For its 2023-24 cohorts it reported 66% completion, 85% in-field employment and an 85% exam pass rate in massage, and 69%, 82% and 91% in esthetics.
- Length
- 600 hours (esthetics) or 750 hours (massage, about 9 months)
- Accredited
- ACCSC; approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission
- Federal aid
- Yes, but its last published federal aid agreement (to September 2025) was provisional
Cost: $13,777 (esthetics) and $16,840 (massage), totals on the tuition sheet effective 2 June 2025
View school profile →Carroll Community College
Carroll runs four-year evening apprenticeships in electrical, HVACR and plumbing work for apprentices sponsored by a licensed contractor, plus noncredit welding (about 120 hours, AWS D1.1 test included) and automotive technician courses (156 hours). Its RN degree passed 91.30% on the NCLEX-RN in FY2025 (Maryland 90.25%), and it also teaches physical therapist assistant, paramedic, cybersecurity and law enforcement. The Ratcliffe Works grant can cover up to 100% of listed noncredit trade courses, and a planned trades center in Westminster is to add CDL-A training.
- Length
- About 120 hours (welding) to four-year apprenticeships; RN degree 70 credits
- Accredited
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education; NLN CNEA, CAPTE and CAAHEP for programs
- Federal aid
- Yes, for credit programs
Cost: $183.25 a credit with fees for Carroll County residents, $309.50 for other Marylanders, $423.25 out of state (2026-27); welding $3,173, automotive $3,036, plumbing apprenticeship $2,600
View school profile →No schools on this page match. Try another trade, or see all Maryland trade schools.
Fortis College Landover teaches dental hygiene and radiography degrees, Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics in Hagerstown trains aircraft mechanics, and UA Local 486 also trains apprentices in Hagerstown. See every region on the Maryland page.
We have not yet profiled the Community College of Baltimore County (where Maryland PHCC holds its classes), Baltimore City Community College, Anne Arundel, Howard and Harford community colleges, union electrical apprenticeships, or the area’s private beauty, barber and CDL schools. Strayer University has a Baltimore campus for advising and some classes, but its degrees are online business, IT and health administration programs rather than trade training.
- Apprenticeships are jobs. UA Local 486 picks apprentices once a year as contractors need them, and Maryland PHCC and Carroll’s apprenticeships need you to find a sponsoring employer first.
- Three of the nine take no federal aid: Maryland PHCC, NCIA (free) and UA Local 486 ($0 tuition).
- Cortiva’s last published federal aid agreement was provisional, and only 45% of All-State’s Baltimore medical assisting students graduated in its January 2026 disclosure. Ask about both.
- Ask NATS which diesel price applies: $26,200 on its program page or $21,300 in its July 2026 disclosure.
More in Maryland: All Maryland trade schools
Where to start, by goal
| Your goal | Schools to consider | What it leads to |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest-cost route | NCIA (free to eligible adults); UA Local 486 ($0 tuition, paid work); Carroll Community College ($183.25 a credit with fees for Carroll County residents) | Industry certifications, a CDL, or a journey license after an apprenticeship |
| Electrician | NATS electrical technology ($21,325); Lincoln Tech (with a Johnson Controls track); Carroll evening apprenticeship (employer-sponsored) | Maryland journeyperson license after four years of supervised work and the PSI exam |
| HVAC | NATS ($20,825); All-State ($24,332); Fortis Institute Towson ($23,759); Lincoln Tech; NCIA (free); apprenticeships at UA Local 486 and Carroll | EPA 608; Maryland HVACR apprentice, then journeyman license |
| Plumber | UA Local 486 (5 years, $0 tuition); Maryland PHCC (4 years, $2,600 or $4,700); Carroll plumbing apprenticeship ($2,600) | Maryland journey plumber license after four years and 7,500 hours |
| Welder | NATS combination welding ($16,325, AWS D1.1 and ASME tests); Lincoln Tech; Carroll noncredit welding ($3,173) | Employer weld tests; no state license |
| Truck driver | NATS (Class A $5,500; Class B $2,195.70); All-State (Class B $3,425; 24-week Class A $12,657); NCIA (Class B, free) | Maryland CDL after entry-level training and a skills test |
| Automotive or diesel | NATS diesel; Lincoln Tech automotive; NCIA (free); Carroll automotive technician ($3,036) | ASE certifications; no state license |
| Nurse (RN) | Carroll Community College (91.30% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, FY2025) | NCLEX-RN and a Maryland nursing license |
| Medical, dental or pharmacy assisting | All-State (medical and dental assisting, pharmacy technician); Fortis Institute Towson; Lincoln Tech (medical assisting); Carroll noncredit CNA/GNA, dental, medical and pharmacy courses | NHA exams; Maryland dental and CNA credentials |
| Massage or esthetics | Cortiva Institute (750-hour massage, $16,840; 600-hour esthetics, $13,777) | Maryland massage or esthetician credential after a state exam |
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. Private school totals include fees, books and kits as listed; community college rates do not include program fees.
| Route | Example | Cost | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free or paid training | NCIA; UA Local 486 | Free to eligible participants; $0 tuition with paid work (books and dues extra) | October 2026 |
| Community college | Carroll Community College | $183.25 a credit with fees (Carroll County), $309.50 (other Maryland), $423.25 (out of state); welding $3,173; automotive $3,036 | 2026-27 |
| Apprenticeship classes | Maryland PHCC; Carroll plumbing | $2,600 for member-firm employees or $4,700; $2,600 | 2026-27 |
| Trade diplomas | NATS; All-State; Fortis | Welding $16,325, HRVAC $20,825 and electrical $21,325 (NATS); HVAC-R $24,332 (All-State) and $23,759 (Fortis) | Undated; 2026-27; catalog |
| Lincoln Tech | Columbia | About $32,000 to $42,000 for core trade programs on Lincoln’s 2025 sheets | 2025 |
| CDL | NATS; All-State | Class B $2,195.70 or $3,425; Class A $5,500 (NATS) or $12,657 for 24 weeks (All-State) | Undated; 2026-27 |
| Healthcare | All-State; Fortis | Medical assisting $18,772 or $18,572; pharmacy technician $18,302; dental assisting $23,957 | 2026-27; catalog |
| Massage and esthetics | Cortiva Institute | Massage $16,840; esthetics $13,777 | June 2025 |
NATS gives no year for its prices. Ask any school for the current total in writing before you sign, and compare private diplomas with community college and apprenticeship routes.
Paying for training
- Federal aid: 6 of the 9 take Pell Grants or federal loans through the FAFSA: All-State, NATS, Fortis, Lincoln, Cortiva and Carroll (credit programs only). Cortiva’s last published federal agreement was provisional, so confirm your aid with it. Maryland PHCC, NCIA and UA Local 486 take no federal aid.
- Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship: the Maryland Community College Promise Scholarship is a last-dollar award of up to $5,000 a year for tuition and fees left after other aid, at your county’s community college. It covers credit certificates and degrees, noncredit courses that lead to a license or certification, and registered apprenticeships. For 2025-26 it required a FAFSA (or MHEC One App) by 1 April, income under $100,000 single or $150,000 for a couple or two-parent household, and a 2.3 high-school GPA; check the current rules with the college. On this page it applies at Carroll for Carroll County residents; Baltimore-area residents use their own county’s college.
- Private career schools: Maryland’s Jack F. Tolbert Memorial Grant pays up to $500 to full-time students (at least 18 clock hours a week) at approved private career schools, based on the FAFSA; funds are limited. NATS lists it.
- Free noncredit training at Carroll: the Ratcliffe Works at Carroll grant can cover up to 100% of tuition, fees and testing for listed workforce courses, including automotive, plumbing and welding.
- Apprenticeships: UA Local 486 and Maryland PHCC apprentices are paid while they learn, and Maryland’s Apprenticeship Incentive Program pays sponsors and employers up to $3,000 for each newly registered adult apprentice. See the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Program.
- Workforce funding: NATS lists WIOA, Vocational Rehabilitation and Trade Adjustment Assistance among its funding sources; ask an American Job Center through the Maryland Department of Labor whether your program qualifies.
- Veterans: NATS accepts GI Bill chapters 30, 31, 32, 33 and 1606; Lincoln takes the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon and offers an American Hero Scholarship of up to $1,000 (enroll by 31 December 2026); the Maryland Higher Education Commission lists All-State’s Baltimore programs as VA-approved; Cortiva accepts the Post-9/11 GI Bill; and Maryland PHCC is approved for VA benefits.
Trade pathways and licensing
How each trade works in Baltimore, how long training takes, what it pays and which license you need. Pay is the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metro median annual wage for all experience levels (BLS 2025, via O*NET OnLine).
Electrical
The Maryland State Board of Electricians licenses apprentice, journeyperson and master electricians. A journeyperson needs four years of electrical work under a licensed master electrician and the PSI exam; the board can waive the experience for graduates of a state- or federally registered apprenticeship with at least 576 classroom hours and 8,000 work hours who apply within two years of finishing. A master license takes seven years of experience. Apprentices work under a licensed journeyperson or master electrician, and some counties also register electricians, so check locally.
- Length
- 39 weeks by day or 58 in the evening (NATS, 1,152 hours); four-year evening apprenticeship (Carroll, 630 classroom and 8,000 work hours)
- Baltimore median pay
- $65,590 electricians
- License
- Apprentice license to start; journeyperson after four years of supervised work and the PSI exam
Schools on this page: electrical technology at NATS (NCCER Core and Level 1) and Lincoln Tech in Columbia; the employer-sponsored electrical apprenticeship at Carroll Community College. Read our guide: How to become an electrician in Maryland.
A diploma does not make you a journeyperson: you still need four years of licensed, supervised work. Sources: Maryland State Board of Electricians; our school profiles.
HVAC, plumbing and welding
Plumbers and HVACR technicians also need state licenses. The Maryland State Board of Plumbing requires a journey plumber to hold an apprentice license for at least four years, log 7,500 hours under a licensed master plumber, take 32 hours of backflow training and pass a written exam; a journey gas fitter license takes 3,750 hours over at least two years. The Maryland State Board of HVACR Contractors issues a journeyman license after four years as a licensed apprentice with 6,000 hours under a licensed contractor and a 70% exam score. Refrigerant work needs federal EPA 608 certification. Maryland does not license welders; employers test them.
- Length
- 17 weeks (NCIA HVAC/R) to 48 weeks (All-State and Fortis HVAC-R); 4 to 5-year apprenticeships
- License
- Maryland HVACR and plumbing apprentice, then journey licenses; EPA 608; none for welders
Schools on this page: HVAC at NATS, All-State, Fortis Institute Towson, Lincoln Tech and NCIA; plumbing and pipefitting apprenticeships at UA Local 486, Maryland PHCC and Carroll; welding at NATS, Lincoln Tech and Carroll. Read our guide: Plumbing schools in Maryland.
UA Local 486 applicants must be able to get Maryland plumber and HVACR apprentice licenses, and HRVAC applicants at NATS with certain criminal convictions are rejected. Sources: Maryland State Board of Plumbing; Maryland State Board of HVACR Contractors; our school profiles.
Truck driving, automotive and diesel
Maryland does not license auto or diesel mechanics; employers look for ASE certification and manufacturer training. Truck drivers need a CDL from the Maryland MVA after federal entry-level driver training, a DOT physical and a skills test.
- Length
- 42 or 48 hours (Class B); 320 hours (NATS Class A) or 24 weeks (All-State); 17 weeks (NCIA); 39 weeks (NATS diesel)
- License
- A Maryland CDL for truck drivers; none for mechanics
Schools on this page: CDL at NATS (range in Woodlawn), All-State (range on North Point Road) and NCIA (Class B only); diesel at NATS; automotive at Lincoln Tech, NCIA and Carroll.
CDL applicants need a DOT physical, a drug screen and a clean enough driving record, and criminal convictions can limit trucking jobs. Ask NCIA whether it is on the federal Training Provider Registry. Sources: our school profiles.
Nursing and healthcare
Registered and practical nurses, CNAs and geriatric nursing assistants are certified or licensed by the Maryland Board of Nursing. Dental assistants who take x-rays or do expanded functions need credentials from the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners after DANB exams, and medical assistants, pharmacy technicians and coders train for national exams such as NHA, PTCB and AAPC.
- Length
- 36 weeks (medical assisting, pharmacy technician) to 48 weeks (dental assisting); RN degree 70 credits
- Baltimore median pay
- $99,550 RN; $46,790 medical assistants; $48,410 dental assistants; $45,230 pharmacy technicians
- License
- Maryland RN license after the NCLEX; CNA/GNA certification; Maryland dental credentials; NHA exams
Schools on this page: RN degree at Carroll Community College (91.30% NCLEX-RN, FY2025); medical assisting at All-State, Fortis Institute Towson and Lincoln Tech; dental assisting and pharmacy technician at All-State and Fortis Institute Towson; noncredit CNA/GNA, phlebotomy and other short courses at Carroll.
None of the private schools on this page teaches nursing. All-State’s medical assisting externship is unpaid. Sources: Maryland Board of Nursing; Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners; our school profiles.
Massage and esthetics
Massage therapists need a credential from the Maryland State Board of Massage Therapy Examiners, and estheticians and cosmetologists are licensed by the Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists. Both require approved training hours and a state exam.
- Length
- 600 hours (esthetics) or 750 hours (massage)
- License
- Maryland massage credential or esthetician license after a state exam
Schools on this page: Cortiva Institute in Linthicum Heights.
Cortiva’s posted Maryland price sheet dates from June 2025; ask for a current written price. Sources: Maryland State Board of Massage Therapy Examiners; Maryland State Board of Cosmetologists; our school profiles.
Frequently asked questions
Is there free trade school in Baltimore?
Yes, for eligible adults. NCIA’s Baltimore training center teaches free 17-week courses in automotive repair, HVAC/R and Class B commercial driving, paid for by grants and donors, so a free place depends on funds when you apply. The UA Local 486 plumbing and steamfitting apprenticeship charges no tuition and pays apprentices $24.54 an hour in year one.
How do I become an electrician in Baltimore?
Get a Maryland apprentice electrician license and a job under a licensed master electrician. A journeyperson license needs four years of supervised work and the state exam; the board can waive the experience for graduates of a registered apprenticeship with at least 576 classroom hours and 8,000 work hours. NATS and Lincoln Tech teach electrical diplomas, and Carroll Community College runs an evening apprenticeship for sponsored apprentices.
How do I become a plumber in Baltimore?
Apply to a plumbing apprenticeship. UA Local 486 takes applications for its five-year, tuition-free program from 2 to 30 November 2026, and Maryland PHCC runs a four-year evening program at CCBC Catonsville and Essex ($2,600 or $4,700 in 2026-27) for apprentices who already work for a plumbing contractor. A Maryland journey plumber license needs four years as a licensed apprentice, 7,500 supervised hours, 32 hours of backflow training and an exam.
Where can I get a CDL in Baltimore?
North American Trade Schools charges $5,500 for 320-hour Class A training and $2,195.70 for Class B, with a range in Woodlawn. All-State Career School charges $3,425 for Class B and $12,657 for its 24-week tractor-trailer program (2026-27). NCIA trains Class B drivers free for eligible adults.
Where can I train for HVAC in Baltimore?
NATS (1,152 hours, $20,825), All-State (48 weeks, $24,332), Fortis Institute Towson ($23,759) and Lincoln Tech in Columbia teach HVAC diplomas, and NCIA teaches a free 17-week HVAC/R course. All prepare for EPA 608; a Maryland HVACR journeyman license then takes four years as a licensed apprentice and 6,000 supervised hours.
Facts checked October 2026. School facts come from each school’s profile on this site, where the original sources are linked. Pay figures are Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metro median annual wages from BLS 2025 data, via O*NET OnLine. Licensing requirements are from the Maryland Department of Labor’s licensing boards, the Maryland Board of Nursing and the other boards linked above.