Jersey City, Newark and the towns around them have three county community colleges and a mix of private trade and healthcare schools: automotive, diesel, HVAC and welding in Bloomfield, electrical and HVAC in Union, evening trade courses in North Bergen and Linden, and nursing in Jersey City, Newark and Nutley. This page compares the community colleges in Hudson, Essex and Union counties and the 7 schools we have profiled here and in Iselin and Woodbridge.
Jersey City and Newark at a glance
- Schools listed
- 10: Hudson County Community College, Essex County College, UCNJ Union College, 3 trade schools, 3 nursing and healthcare colleges and DeVry University
- Where
- Jersey City, Newark, Bloomfield, Nutley, Union, Linden, North Bergen, Iselin and Woodbridge
- Short programs
- 12- to 29-week evening or weekend trade courses (Hudson Training Center, $2,600 to $5,800 a course); 36- to 51-week automotive, diesel, HVAC and welding programs (UTI)
- Federal aid at
- All 3 community colleges and 6 of the 7 private schools
- Local median pay
- Electricians $79,020; HVAC mechanics $77,990; auto technicians $57,760; registered nurses $119,720 (New York-Newark-Jersey City area, BLS 2025)
- More in New Jersey
- Paterson and Bergen County trade schools; All New Jersey trade schools
Facts checked October 2026. Sources are linked in each section and in each school’s profile.
Jersey City and Newark Trade Schools
Grouped by type, not ranked. Each private-school card links to a full profile with programs, outcomes and sources; the community college cards link to the colleges’ own sites and stay on the list whichever trade you pick, because we have not yet checked their programs trade by trade. Each trade’s pay, length and license are in Trades and licensing.
Community colleges (3)
Hudson County Community College
Hudson County’s public community college. It is the lowest-cost route to a certificate or associate degree here, and residents with family income up to $65,000 can have their remaining tuition covered by the state’s Community College Opportunity Grant. Programs and limited-entry health programs vary, so check the college’s program list.
- Length
- Certificates of a semester or more; 2-year associate degrees
- Accredited
- Middle States (MSCHE)
- Federal aid
- Yes, plus the state Community College Opportunity Grant
Cost: $197 a credit tuition for Hudson County residents in 2026-27, plus $90.55 a credit in fees and $30.10 a term; $4,343.35 for a 15-credit term (HCCC tuition)
Visit the college’s site →Essex County College
Essex County’s public community college. It is the lowest-cost route to a certificate or associate degree here, and residents with family income up to $65,000 can have their remaining tuition covered by the state’s Community College Opportunity Grant. Programs and limited-entry health programs vary, so check the college’s program list.
- Length
- Certificates of a semester or more; 2-year associate degrees
- Accredited
- Middle States (MSCHE)
- Federal aid
- Yes, plus the state Community College Opportunity Grant
Cost: $142.46 a credit tuition for Essex County residents, $201.03 a credit with fees (2026-27, Essex tuition)
Visit the college’s site →UCNJ Union College of Union County
Union County’s public community college. It is the lowest-cost route to a certificate or associate degree here, and residents with family income up to $65,000 can have their remaining tuition covered by the state’s Community College Opportunity Grant. Programs and limited-entry health programs vary, so check the college’s program list.
- Length
- Certificates of a semester or more; 2-year associate degrees
- Accredited
- Middle States (MSCHE)
- Federal aid
- Yes, plus the state Community College Opportunity Grant
Cost: $225 a credit part-time or $2,745 a semester full-time (12 to 18 credits) for New Jersey residents, 2026-27 (UCNJ tuition)
Visit the college’s site →Skilled trades and automotive (3)
Universal Technical Institute (Bloomfield)
UTI’s New Jersey campus lists automotive, diesel, HVAC and welding training. Courses mix online theory with lab work in three-week blocks, and graduates can apply for manufacturer training afterwards. The campus runs a shuttle; UTI has no dorms but helps students find housing.
- Length
- Most core programs 36 to 51 weeks
- Accredited
- ACCSC
- Federal aid
- Yes, plus VA benefits
Cost: No Bloomfield price published; core programs cost about $27,000 (welding, HVACR) to $46,725 (automotive) at UTI’s Avondale, Arizona campus (August 2026)
View school profile →Lincoln Tech
Lincoln Tech started in Newark in 1946. Its Union campus now teaches automotive, electrical and HVAC; Iselin teaches practical nursing, medical and dental assisting, patient care and computer support, and its practical nurses passed the NCLEX-PN at 83% in 2025. Lincoln’s trade campuses in Mahwah and South Plainfield add welding, machining and diesel.
- Length
- 44 to 57 weeks by day for most trade programs; 52 weeks by day for practical nursing
- Accredited
- ACCSC
- Federal aid
- Yes, plus GI Bill
Cost: $32,770 (HVAC, Mahwah) to $41,838 (heavy equipment, South Plainfield) for trade programs; $36,539 (practical nursing, Iselin); 2025 tuition sheets including books and tools
View school profile →Hudson Training Center
A fee-based center selling part-time certificate courses in automotive mechanics, electrical work, HVAC/R and plumbing, on weekday evenings or in five-hour weekend blocks. Its own terms say its certificates are not state licenses, and its course pages list no curriculum or clock hours, so ask for them before you pay.
- Length
- 12 to 29 weeks, one or two classes a week
- Accredited
- None
- Federal aid
- No
Cost: $2,600 to $5,800 a core course plus $301 in fees (2026-27 sections)
View school profile →Nursing and healthcare (3)
Eastern International College
A one-campus college teaching an AAS in Nursing for the NCLEX-RN, plus bachelor’s degrees in nursing, dental hygiene and diagnostic medical sonography. In January to September 2025, AAS graduates passed the NCLEX-RN at 88.89% (8 of 9) and the first BSN graduates at 100% (12 of 12). Only 24.4% of the AAS students who started in 2022-23 finished within 150% of normal time.
- Length
- 24 months (AAS in Nursing); 120 to 123 credits (bachelor’s)
- Accredited
- Middle States (MSCHE)
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: $7,927 to $11,077 a full-time term (2026-27), plus $304 to $1,701 a term in supplies and lab fees
View school profile →Berkeley College
Berkeley’s Newark and Woodbridge campuses teach a CAAHEP-accredited medical assistant certificate, patient care and sterile processing; its medical assistant students passed their certification exam at 96.30% in 2024. Practical nursing, the LPN-to-BSN bridge and surgical technology are taught at its Woodland Park campus. Business and IT degrees run on campus and online.
- Length
- Health certificates 30 to 75 weeks; LPN to BSN 7 full-time semesters
- Accredited
- Middle States (MSCHE)
- Federal aid
- Yes, plus GI Bill
Cost: $17,900 to $38,000 for certificates; $30,200 a year full-time for degrees (2026-27)
View school profile →Eastwick College
Eastwick’s Nutley campus teaches practical nursing, LPN-to-RN and LPN-to-BSN bridges, cardiovascular sonography, medical assisting and billing, business, HVACR, electronics and cybersecurity. Its sister campuses in Ramsey and Hackensack, and its HoHoKus trade school in Paterson, are on our Paterson page.
- Length
- 6 to 27 months (certificates and diplomas); 15 to 51 months (degrees)
- Accredited
- ACCSC; Middle States (MSCHE) since June 2026
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: $32,858 (LPN, Hackensack) to $37,979 (LPN, Nutley); $34,388 (HVACR AAS, Nutley); $41,266 (LPN-to-RN AAS, Nutley); state training-provider list, undated
View school profile →Business, IT and degrees (1)
DeVry University (Iselin)
New Jersey’s only DeVry campus holds onsite classes on weekday evenings, typically 6 to 10 pm, and most coursework is online. Programs include business, accounting, IT, cybersecurity and health information, with CPC, CCS or RHIT exam vouchers for health information students who meet the score thresholds.
- Length
- Certificates about 10 months to 1½ years; bachelor’s about 2⅓ to 4 years
- Accredited
- Higher Learning Commission
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: $514 a credit hour for undergraduates (2025-26 sessions)
View school profile →No private schools on this page match. Try another trade, or see Paterson and Bergen County trade schools and all New Jersey trade schools.
We have not yet profiled the area’s union apprenticeship programs, the adult schools of the Hudson, Essex and Union county vocational districts, or most of its beauty and truck-driving schools. Check any school’s state approval before you enroll.
- A school certificate is not a license. New Jersey electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians train as registered apprentices and journeymen, and only contractors and master plumbers hold state licenses.
- Hudson Training Center is not accredited and takes no federal aid.
- Check nursing results: Eastern International’s AAS graduates passed the NCLEX-RN at 88.89% (8 of 9) in January to September 2025, but only 24.4% of its 2022-23 AAS starters finished within 150% of normal time. We could not confirm Board of Nursing approval for Eastwick’s Nutley nursing programs; ask the school.
- UTI and Lincoln Tech cost about $27,000 to $47,000 a program. Compare them with the community colleges before you sign.
More in New Jersey: Paterson and Bergen County trade schools · All New Jersey trade schools
Where to start, by goal
| Your goal | Schools to consider | What it leads to |
|---|---|---|
| Electrician | Lincoln Tech (Union; 52-week electrical program); Hudson Training Center (part-time electrical courses); the HoHoKus School in Paterson (900-hour Electrician Apprenticeship diploma) | A registered apprenticeship; a state electrical contractor license after five years |
| HVAC technician | UTI (Bloomfield, HVAC); Lincoln Tech (Union, 52 weeks); Eastwick (Nutley, HVACR diploma or AAS); Hudson Training Center (part-time HVAC/R) | EPA 608; a master HVACR license after an apprenticeship and a year as a journeyperson |
| Plumber | Hudson Training Center (part-time plumbing courses); the HoHoKus School in Paterson (Plumber Apprenticeship diploma) | A registered apprenticeship; a master plumber license later |
| Auto or diesel technician | UTI (Bloomfield: automotive and diesel); Lincoln Tech (Union: automotive); Hudson Training Center (automotive mechanics courses) | ASE certification |
| Welder | UTI (Bloomfield, welding) | AWS welder tests; no state license |
| Registered nurse | Eastern International College (AAS and BSN, Jersey City); Eastwick (LPN-to-RN and LPN-to-BSN bridges, Nutley) | NCLEX-RN and a New Jersey RN license |
| Practical nurse (LPN) | Lincoln Tech (Iselin, 52 weeks by day); Eastwick (Nutley, 18 months by day) | NCLEX-PN and a New Jersey LPN license |
| Medical assistant | Berkeley College (Newark, Woodbridge; CAAHEP-accredited); Lincoln Tech (Iselin); Eastwick (Nutley) | National certification such as the CMA or CCMA |
| Sonographer or dental hygienist | Eastern International College (bachelor’s in sonography and dental hygiene); Eastwick (cardiovascular sonography AAS) | ARDMS or CCI exams; a dental hygiene license |
| IT, cybersecurity or business | DeVry University (Iselin, evenings and online); Eastwick (cybersecurity AAS, Nutley); Berkeley College | CompTIA and other industry certifications; degrees |
These match goals to published program features. They are not rankings. The community colleges may also teach these subjects; check their program lists.
Costs and financial aid
These are the prices each school published, with the date. Community colleges charge by the credit; most private schools charge one price per program.
| Route | Example | Cost | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community colleges | Essex County College; HCCC; UCNJ | $201.03 a credit with fees at Essex; $197 a credit plus fees at HCCC ($4,343.35 for 15 credits); $225 a credit or $2,745 a full-time semester at UCNJ (county or state residents) | 2026-27 |
| Part-time trade courses | Hudson Training Center | $2,600 to $5,800 a course plus $301 in fees | 2026-27 |
| Trade programs | Lincoln Tech; UTI | $32,770 to $41,838 for most Lincoln trade programs; about $27,000 to $46,725 at UTI (Arizona prices; no Bloomfield price published) | 2025; August 2026 |
| Nursing | Eastern International; Eastwick; Lincoln Tech | $7,927 to $11,077 a full-time term at Eastern International; $37,979 (LPN, Nutley) and $41,266 (LPN-to-RN, Nutley) at Eastwick; $36,539 (LPN, Iselin) at Lincoln | 2026-27; undated; 2025 |
| Healthcare certificates | Berkeley; Lincoln Tech | $17,900 to $38,000 at Berkeley; $16,832 to $23,697 for Lincoln’s Iselin patient care, dental and medical assisting | 2026-27; 2025 |
| Degrees | DeVry; Berkeley | $514 a credit at DeVry; $30,200 a year full-time at Berkeley | 2025-26; 2026-27 |
Ask any school for the current total, including books, tools and exam fees, in writing before you sign. Community college prices are from each college’s tuition page; private-school prices are from our school profiles.
Paying for training
- Federal aid: the three community colleges and 6 of the 7 private schools take Pell Grants and federal loans through the FAFSA. Hudson Training Center does not.
- Community College Opportunity Grant: New Jersey residents with family income (AGI) up to $65,000 can have remaining tuition and approved fees covered at their county community college, for a first associate degree. File the FAFSA or the NJ Alternative Financial Aid Application by the state deadline (15 September for new fall students) and take at least 6 credits a term.
- Workforce funding: programs on New Jersey’s training-provider list (NJ Training Explorer) can be paid for with WIOA funds through a One-Stop Career Center.
- Veterans: UTI, Lincoln Tech and Berkeley accept GI Bill benefits; check with the VA that your program is approved.
Trade pathways and licensing
How each trade works in New Jersey, how long training takes, what it pays and which license you need. Pay is the New York-Newark-Jersey City area median annual wage for all experience levels (BLS 2025, via O*NET OnLine).
Electrical
New Jersey licenses electrical contractors, not individual electricians. Electricians work as registered apprentices and then journeymen for a licensed contractor. To sit the contractor exam with the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors you need five years in the trade, including a four-year US Department of Labor apprenticeship and a year as a journeyman. School courses can shorten the path into an apprenticeship but do not replace it.
- Length
- 12 to 29 weeks a course (Hudson Training Center) to 52 weeks (Lincoln Tech); a 4-year apprenticeship
- Local median pay
- $79,020 electricians
- License
- Electrical contractor license; none for individual electricians
Schools on this page: Lincoln Tech (Union) and Hudson Training Center (North Bergen, Linden); the HoHoKus School’s Electrician Apprenticeship diploma in Paterson. Read our guide: How to become an electrician in New Jersey.
Ask how a program’s hours count toward an apprenticeship. Sources: N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.3; N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.2; N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.2; our school profiles.
HVAC, plumbing and welding
Plumbing and HVACR follow the same pattern as electrical work: the state licenses master plumbers and master HVACR contractors. A master plumber license from the State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers needs a four-year apprenticeship plus a year (1,200 hours) as a journeyman plumber in New Jersey; a master HVACR license from the State Board of Examiners of HVACR Contractors needs a four-year apprenticeship plus a year as a journeyperson, or a degree route. Anyone who handles refrigerant needs federal EPA 608 certification. New Jersey has no welder license; employers test welders to AWS codes.
- Length
- Part-time courses of 12 to 29 weeks to 36 to 52 weeks full-time; a 4-year apprenticeship for a master license
- License
- EPA 608; master plumber and master HVACR licenses; none for welders
Schools on this page: HVAC at UTI, Lincoln Tech, Eastwick (Nutley) and Hudson Training Center; plumbing at Hudson Training Center; welding at UTI. Read our guides: Plumbing schools in New Jersey · Welding classes in New Jersey.
Hudson Training Center is not accredited and its certificates are not licenses. Sources: N.J.A.C. 13:31-2.3; N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.2; N.J.A.C. 13:32A-2.2; our school profiles.
Automotive and diesel
Aircraft mechanics need the FAA Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certificate. New Jersey has no license for auto or diesel technicians; ASE certification is the usual credential. Truck drivers need a commercial driver’s license from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission after federal entry-level driver training.
- Length
- About 36 to 51 weeks (UTI core programs); part-time courses at Hudson Training Center
Schools on this page: Automotive and diesel at UTI (Bloomfield); automotive at Lincoln Tech (Union) and Hudson Training Center. Aircraft maintenance is taught at AIM in Hasbrouck Heights, on our Paterson page.
UTI publishes no Bloomfield price; ask for the campus total. Sources: our school profiles.
Nursing and healthcare
Nurses are licensed by the New Jersey Board of Nursing after the NCLEX, and New Jersey expects nursing programs to keep first-time pass rates of at least 75%. Check each program’s approval and recent results before you apply. Medical and dental assistants usually earn national certification; dental assistants who take X-rays need a state dental radiologic technologist license.
- Length
- About 9 months (medical assisting) to 24 months (AAS in Nursing) or a bachelor’s
Schools on this page: Registered nursing at Eastern International College and Eastwick’s bridges; practical nursing at Lincoln Tech (Iselin) and Eastwick; medical assisting, patient care and sterile processing at Berkeley; dental assisting at Lincoln (Iselin).
Ask each nursing program for its latest first-time NCLEX pass rate and Board of Nursing status. Sources: our school profiles.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best trade schools in Jersey City and Newark?
It depends on the trade. For the lowest cost, Hudson County Community College and Essex County College charge about $200 to $290 a credit with fees, and the state grant can cover tuition for lower-income residents. For automotive, diesel, HVAC and welding, UTI in Bloomfield and Lincoln Tech in Union teach full-time programs; Hudson Training Center sells part-time evening and weekend courses. We list schools by type, not by rank.
Is community college free in New Jersey?
For many students, yes. The Community College Opportunity Grant covers remaining tuition and approved fees at in-county rates for New Jersey residents with an adjusted gross income up to $65,000 who file the FAFSA or the NJ Alternative Financial Aid Application, take at least 6 credits and do not already have a degree.
How much does trade school cost in Jersey City?
Hudson County Community College charges Hudson County residents $197 a credit in 2026-27 plus fees, or $4,343.35 for a 15-credit term. Private programs run from $2,600 for a part-time course at Hudson Training Center to about $33,000 to $42,000 for Lincoln Tech trade programs.
Do you need a license to be an electrician in New Jersey?
New Jersey licenses electrical contractors rather than individual electricians. Most electricians train as registered apprentices for four years and then work as journeymen for a licensed contractor. The contractor license requires five years in the trade, including the apprenticeship and a year as a journeyman, and a state exam.
Where can I learn HVAC near Newark?
UTI in Bloomfield, Lincoln Tech in Union and Eastwick College in Nutley teach full-time HVAC programs that prepare for EPA 608 certification, and Hudson Training Center in North Bergen and Linden sells part-time HVAC/R courses. A master HVACR license needs a four-year apprenticeship and a year as a journeyperson.
Are there nursing schools in Jersey City?
Eastern International College in Jersey City teaches an AAS in Nursing and a BSN; its AAS graduates passed the NCLEX-RN at 88.89% in January to September 2025. Practical nursing is taught nearby at Lincoln Tech in Iselin and Eastwick College in Nutley.
Facts checked October 2026. School facts come from each school’s profile on this site, where the original sources are linked; community college prices are from the colleges’ tuition pages and the grant rules from HESA (read October 2026). Licensing rules are from the New Jersey Administrative Code. Pay figures are New York-Newark-Jersey City median annual wages from BLS 2025 data, via O*NET OnLine.