Oregon Trade Schools

Oregon offers diverse vocational training opportunities across healthcare, skilled trades, technology, and business sectors. From quick-entry certificate programs to comprehensive apprenticeships, students can find affordable pathways to high-demand careers throughout the state.

100% Acceptance Rates: Multiple institutions maintain open-door admissions policies, including Lane Community College, Portland Community College, Blue Mountain Community College, Clackamas Community College, Rogue Community College, and Paul Mitchell Schools. This accessibility ensures education opportunities for all qualified applicants.

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List of Top Trade Schools in Oregon

160 Driving Academy

In Oregon, 160 Driving Academy trains at a yard in Clackamas, for the Portland area, and one in Albany. Besides the 160-hour Class A CDL program, both list a hazmat endorsement course, a permit-only option and a yard-only option for students who have finished the theory. The school is on Oregon's private career school list. We found no published Oregon price, so ask for the enrollment agreement.

  • 13605 SE Hwy 212 Clackamas, OR 97015
  • 112 41st Ave SE Albany, OR 97321
  • Trucking and Transportation

Area I Plumbers

Area I Plumbers JATC is a non-union plumbing apprenticeship committee registered with Oregon's apprenticeship council, not a college. Apprentices are hired by its approved contractors and work full time for four years and 7,700 paid hours while taking evening classes at Clackamas Community College. The program leads to referral for the Journeyman Plumber licence exam and an Oregon Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship. Pay from 1 February 2026 is $22.95 to $40.80 an hour.

  • 15800 Boones Ferry Rd, Suite B-3 Lake Oswego, OR 97035
  • Skilled Trades

Aveda Institutes

Oregon's only Aveda Institute is Aveda Institute Portland, on NW 13th Avenue. Its 1,835-hour cosmetology program is the longest in the network; it also teaches 1,150-hour hair design, 600-hour esthiology and a combined esthiology and nails program. NACCAS placed the school and its Vancouver, WA campus on financial monitoring on 12 December 2024; we could not confirm the current status.

  • 325 NW 13th Ave Portland, OR 97209
  • Cosmetology and Barbering, Massage Therapy

Blue Mountain Community College

Blue Mountain Community College is a public two-year college in northeast Oregon that runs on quarters. Its career programs include an Oregon-approved RN nursing degree, diesel technology, agriculture, fire science, a welding certificate and registered-apprenticeship training for electricians and construction trades. 2026-27 tuition is $127 per credit for residents of Oregon and five other Western states, plus per-credit fees.

  • 2411 NW Carden Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801
  • 975 SE Columbia Drive Hermiston, OR 97838
  • 251 Olson Rd Boardman, OR 97818
  • Healthcare and Nursing, Medical Assisting, Public Safety, Skilled Trades, Automotive, Construction, Electrical, Welding, Veterinary Services

Carrington College

Carrington's Oregon campus in Portland teaches dental and medical assisting and an RN associate degree, and the catalog also lists a Health Studies associate degree. The RN program does not yet appear in the Oregon nursing board's 2021–25 pass-rate list. Veterinary assisting is on the campus page but not on Carrington's April 2026 campus list for that program, so ask before applying. ACCJC accredited; federal aid accepted.

  • 1052 96th Ave. SE Portland, OR 97216
  • Dental, Healthcare Administration, Healthcare and Nursing, Massage Therapy, Medical Assisting, Medical Billing and Coding, Pharmacy Tech, Phlebotomy Technician, Radiology, Veterinary Services

Clackamas Community College

Clackamas Community College is a public two-year college serving most of Clackamas County in the Portland area, teaching career certificates, associate degrees and apprenticeship classes on quarter terms. Its RN degree is ACEN-accredited, with a 93% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate in 2025, and its Landscape Management degree is NALP-accredited. Resident tuition for 2026-27 is $136 per credit, a rate also open to Washington, Idaho, California and Nevada residents.

  • 19600 Molalla Avenue Oregon City, OR 97045
  • 7738 SE Harmony Road Milwaukie, OR 97222
  • 29353 SW Town Center Loop East Wilsonville, OR 97070
  • Healthcare and Nursing, Medical Assisting, Dental, Medical Billing and Coding, Phlebotomy Technician, Public Safety, Automotive, Skilled Trades, Welding, Machine Operation, Electrical, Computer and Information Technology, Graphics, Design, and Arts, Business, Education

Concorde Career College

Concorde's Oregon campus in Portland teaches practical nursing, dental hygiene with a public clinic, dental and medical assisting, sonography, sleep technology, respiratory therapy, surgical technology, sterile processing and phlebotomy. Oregon's nursing board reports NCLEX-PN pass rates of 85% for 2024 (84 testers) and 81% for 2025 (74 testers). COE accredited; federal aid accepted.

  • 1425 NE Irving St Portland, OR 97232
  • Dental, Healthcare Administration, Healthcare and Nursing, Massage Therapy, Medical Assisting, Medical Billing and Coding, Pharmacy Tech, Phlebotomy Technician, Radiology, Sterile Processing Technician

Institute of Technology

IOT's only Oregon campus, in Salem, began in 1995 as Valley Medical College and moved to Fairview Industrial Drive SE in January 2025. It is accredited by ACCET rather than ACCSC and teaches three hybrid programs: a 50-week Practical Nursing diploma ($34,683 in 2026), an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing for future RNs ($52,878) and Professional Medical Assistant. In 2025, 87% of its 150 first-time NCLEX-PN testers passed.

  • 3993 Fairview Industrial Dr. SE Salem, OR 97302
  • Healthcare and Nursing, HVAC and Building Services, Welding, Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management, Cosmetology and Barbering, Criminal Justice and Law

Lane Community College

Lane Community College is a public community college in Eugene, Oregon, teaching career certificates and associate degrees on quarter terms, plus an RN-to-BSN and an applied business bachelor's degree. It runs its own flight school and FAA Part 147 aircraft-mechanic program at the Eugene Airport. Resident tuition is $151 per credit for 2026-27. On 12 Aug 2026 Lane announced that its accreditor, NWCCU, had placed it under a public Warning over governance; it remains accredited.

  • 4000 E. 30th Ave. Eugene, OR 97405
  • 101 W. 10th Ave. Eugene, OR 97401
  • 28715 Airport Road Eugene, OR 97402
  • 1275 S. River Road Cottage Grove, OR 97424
  • 3149 Oak Street Florence, OR 97439
  • Healthcare and Nursing, Medical Assisting, Phlebotomy Technician, Dental, Public Safety, Aviation, Automotive, Skilled Trades, Welding, Machine Operation, HVAC and Building Services, Electrical, Construction, Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management, Computer and Information Technology, Graphics, Design, and Arts, Business

Northwest College of Construction

Northwest College of Construction is an Oregon nonprofit training center, not a degree-granting college. It runs the classes, applications and orientation for about ten state-registered, non-union construction apprenticeships, including carpenter, laborer, mason, roofer and heavy equipment operator. Apprentices are hired and paid by contractors while they train, the training is advertised as free, and completers earn an Oregon journey certificate after 2,000 to 8,000 work hours.

  • 8111 NE Holman Street Portland, OR 97218
  • Construction

Oquirrh Mountain Phlebotomy School

The school's one Oregon campus is in Beaverton, serving the Portland area, and teaches the three-day phlebotomy class and the one-day EKG course. In October 2026 phlebotomy cost $670 all-in with the $45 NPCT exam fee, more than in Utah or Texas, and EKG cost $443. There is no externship, no job placement, no accreditation and no federal aid.

  • 12725 SW Millikan Way, Suite 300 Beaverton, OR 97005
  • Phlebotomy Technician

Portland Community College

Portland Community College is a public two-year college serving five counties around Portland, with career certificates and associate degrees taught on quarter terms at four campuses and several trade and health centers. Its programs include an FAA-approved aviation maintenance school, CODA-accredited dental programs and an RN degree with a 91% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate in 2025. Resident tuition for 2026-27 is $143 per quarter credit, also open to Washington, California, Idaho and Nevada residents.

  • 12000 SW 49th Ave Portland, OR 97219
  • 17705 NW Springville Rd Portland, OR 97229
  • 705 N Killingsworth St Portland, OR 97217
  • 2305 SE 82nd and Division Portland, OR 97216
  • 6400 N Cutter Circle Portland, OR 97217
  • 5555 N Channel Ave Portland, OR 97217
  • 1810 SW 5th Ave, Floor 3 Portland, OR 97201
  • 1626 SE Water Ave Portland, OR 97214
  • 34001 NE Wagner Ct Scappoose, OR 97056
  • 241 SW Edgeway Drive Hillsboro, OR 97006
  • Healthcare and Nursing, Medical Assisting, Phlebotomy Technician, Sterile Processing Technician, Dental, Radiology, Healthcare Administration, Veterinary Services, Wellness, Public Safety, Criminal Justice and Law, Aviation, Automotive, Skilled Trades, Welding, Machine Operation, HVAC and Building Services, Electrical, Construction, Computer and Information Technology, Graphics, Design, and Arts, Business, Education

Rogue Community College (RCC)

Rogue Community College (RCC) is a public two-year college in southern Oregon with three campuses and online classes, offering more than 100 degrees and certificates, from practical nursing, paramedicine and CODA-accredited dental programs to diesel, welding and registered electrician apprenticeships. For 2026-27, tuition is $128 a credit for Oregon residents and for Washington, Idaho, California and Nevada residents who file a form, plus a $24-a-credit fee.

  • 3345 Redwood Highway Grants Pass, OR 97527
  • 114 S. Bartlett St. Medford, OR 97501
  • 7800 Pacific Avenue White City, OR 97503
  • Skilled Trades, Computer and Information Technology, Healthcare and Nursing, Automotive, Welding, Machine Operation, Electrical, Construction, Public Safety, Medical Assisting, Dental, Business, Education, Graphics, Design, and Arts

Sheet Metal Institute

The Sheet Metal Institute is the training center of the Portland Sheet Metal Workers JATC, run with the union SMART Local 16. It offers two five-year, Oregon state-registered paid apprenticeships, Sheet Metal Worker and Service Systems Technician (heating, cooling and refrigeration), each pairing 8,000 work hours with about 1,000 classroom hours. Tuition is $0, apprentices are hired by union contractors, and graduates also earn a Mt. Hood Community College associate degree.

  • 2379 NE 178th Ave Portland, OR 97230
  • 1887 Laura Street Springfield, OR 97477
  • HVAC and Building Services, Skilled Trades

Silverhawk Aviation Academy

In Oregon, Silverhawk teaches airplane (fixed-wing) flight training at Ontario Municipal Airport; its helicopter training is in Caldwell, Idaho. Its degree partner, Treasure Valley Community College, is based in Ontario and charges Oregon residents $123 a credit in 2026-27, plus fees, for the helicopter AAS that Silverhawk helps teach. TVCC's own fixed-wing aviation degree is a separate program taught in-house by the college.

  • 581 SW 33rd St Ontario, OR 97914
  • Aviation

Sumner College

Sumner College is a private, for-profit nursing college in Oregon. It offers a 13-month Practical Nursing diploma, a hybrid Bachelor of Science in Nursing (its associate RN degree is no longer offered), and an online RN to BSN for licensed nurses. ABHES accredits the college, and CCNE accredits its bachelor's programs through 31 December 2026, with a renewal decision still pending. Federal student aid is available.

  • 8338 NE Alderwood Road, Suite 100 Portland, OR 97220
  • 960 SW Disk Drive Bend, OR 97702
  • Healthcare and Nursing

Treasure Valley Community College

Treasure Valley Community College's main campus is in Ontario, Oregon: 90 acres, 14 major buildings and a residence hall. The career programs that name a site are taught here, including the nursing degree, EMT, medical assistant labs, welding and electrical apprenticeship classes. A trades center opened in 2026; a nursing building was due by fall. In 2026-27 Oregon residents pay $147 per quarter credit with mandatory fees. TVCC also runs an outreach center in Burns.

  • 650 College Blvd Ontario, OR 97914
  • Business, Criminal Justice and Law, Education, Electrical, Healthcare and Nursing, Medical Assisting, Medical Billing and Coding, Public Safety, Skilled Trades, Welding

Best Oregon Trade Schools by Specialty

Healthcare Programs

Top Healthcare Training:

Lane Community College leads with comprehensive programs including nursing (RN, LPN, RN to BSN), dental assisting, dental hygiene, physical therapist assistant, and allied health specialties

Portland Community College offers dental assisting, dental hygiene, medical assisting, radiography, medical laboratory technology, nursing, and veterinary technology

Clackamas Community College provides CNA, dental assistant, emergency medical technician, medical assistant, medical billing and coding, and RN programs

Concorde Career College specializes in accelerated healthcare training with programs in dental assisting, medical assisting, medical laboratory technician, nursing, pharmacy technician, radiology, sonography, and surgical technology

Massage Therapy & Wellness:

Skilled Trades

Construction & Manufacturing:

Northwest College of Construction offers free apprenticeships in multiple construction trades with tuition and books covered by industry training trusts

Blue Mountain Community College provides diesel tech, industrial systems, precision agriculture, professional truck driver, and welding programs

Portland Community College features construction trades, electrician apprenticeship, auto collision repair, automotive service, aviation maintenance, diesel service, HVAC/R installation, CNC milling, machine manufacturing, mechatronics, and welding

Specialized Trades:

Sheet Metal Institute delivers free five-year apprenticeships in sheet metal work and service systems technology with 1,000 classroom hours plus 8,000 on-the-job training hours

Rogue Community College offers automotive specialist, CNC operator, construction trades apprenticeship, diesel, electrical apprenticeship, manual machinist, and welding programs

Technology Programs

Computer Science & IT:

Clackamas Community College leads with computer & network administration, computer science, full-stack web development, geographic information systems, and microelectronics systems

Portland Community College provides computer information systems, advanced Windows network security, cybersecurity, database design and SQL, web development and design, and computer science

Lane Community College offers computer network operations, cybersecurity, and software development

Blue Mountain Community College includes computer science and software development

Business Programs

Business Administration & Management:

Portland Community College provides accounting, business administration, management, and marketing

Clackamas Community College offers accounting, administrative assistant, business management, digital media, human resources, project management, and marketing

Rogue Community College features accounting, business administration, and management programs

Lane Community College includes accounting, business management, and project management

Cosmetology & Beauty

Beauty Industry Training:

Paul Mitchell Schools offers cosmetology, barbering, esthetics, nails, makeup, and instructor programs with average yearly costs of $14,200 plus $3,165 for supplies

Aveda Institutes provides cosmetology ($16,716) and esthetics programs ($9,966) with 80% of externships leading to job offers

Institute of Technology includes barbering and cosmetology in its program offerings

Culinary Arts

Lane Community College stands out with both baking & pastry and culinary arts programs, while Institute of Technology offers baking and pastry arts alongside culinary arts training.

Cost Comparison for Oregon Trade Schools

Cheapest Programs:

  • Northwest College of Construction: FREE apprenticeship tuition (industry-funded)
  • Sheet Metal Institute: FREE five-year apprenticeship program
  • Blue Mountain Community College: $119 per credit for in-state students
  • Rogue Community College: $120 per credit for in-state students

Mid-Range Options:

  • Portland Community College: $138 per credit (Oregon residents)
  • Lane Community College: $149 per credit (residents)
  • Clackamas Community College: $126 per credit (Oregon residents)

Private Institution Costs:

  • Aveda Institutes: $9,966-$16,716 depending on program
  • Paul Mitchell Schools: ~$14,200 base tuition plus $3,165 for supplies
  • Concorde Career College: $17,500-$67,000 full program ($550-$750 per credit)
  • Institute of Technology: $16,000-$36,000 depending on program

Average Program Cost: Community college programs typically range from $2,000-$8,000 for certificate programs, while associate degrees cost $5,000-$15,000 for in-state students. Private institutions average $15,000-$25,000 for vocational certificates.

Program Duration

Shortest Programs (Under 1 Year):

  • Concorde Career College: Programs complete in as little as 8 months
  • Most certificate programs at community colleges: 6-12 months
  • CNA programs: Typically 4-6 weeks
  • Phlebotomy: Usually 8-16 weeks

Average Duration:

  • Certificate programs: 6 months to 1 year
  • Diploma programs: 1 year
  • Associate degrees: 2 years full-time
  • Apprenticeships: 1-6 years depending on trade

Longest Programs:

  • Sheet Metal Institute apprenticeship: 5 years
  • Northwest College of Construction apprenticeships: 1-6 years depending on trade

Quick-Entry Programs for Immediate Career Launch

Several Oregon schools offer accelerated pathways to employment:

8-12 Month Healthcare Careers:

  • Concorde Career College completes programs in 8 months with blended online/in-person format
  • Medical assisting programs across multiple institutions finish in under 1 year
  • Pharmacy technician training typically requires 6-9 months
  • Phlebotomy certifications complete in weeks, not months

Fast-Track Beauty Careers:

  • Aveda Institutes reports 80% of externship participants receive job offers
  • Paul Mitchell Schools connect graduates to 100,000+ salons worldwide
  • Esthetics programs at Aveda finish faster than full cosmetology training

Immediate Earning Through Apprenticeships:

  • Northwest College of Construction places students in paid positions while training
  • Sheet Metal Institute apprentices earn wages during their entire five-year program
  • Construction apprenticeships provide income from day one with no tuition costs

Best Flexible Learning Options in Oregon

Oregon trade schools recognize that many students balance education with employment and family responsibilities:

Hybrid and Online Options:

  • Lane Community College offers over 250 online courses with fully online, hybrid, hyflex, and live streaming formats
  • Portland Community College provides online, in-person, and hybrid courses across hundreds of programs
  • Concorde Career College’s blended model combines online coursework with in-person labs and clinical experience
  • Blue Mountain Community College offers online and hybrid course options with morning, afternoon, and evening classes

Evening and Weekend Classes:

  • Lane Community College schedules evening classes typically lasting 2.5 hours on Mondays and Wednesdays
  • Portland Community College offers morning, afternoon, and evening options
  • Northwest College of Construction conducts classes once weekly in the evening or once monthly for full days
  • Most community colleges provide multiple start times throughout the day

Part-Time Study While Working:

  • Sheet Metal Institute apprentices work full-time jobs while attending 40 hours of classes for five weeks annually
  • Northwest College of Construction apprentices maintain paid employment during training
  • Paul Mitchell Schools offer morning, afternoon, and select evening sessions
  • Community colleges allow students to take fewer credits per term to accommodate work schedules