2023 Best Construction Trades Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region
19
Ranked Colleges
3,248
Degrees Awarded
$31,100
Avg Cost*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 35,794 people earned their degree in construction trades, making the major the 34th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, construction trades graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $38,184 and had an average of $11,556 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Plains States region, there were 3,248 construction trades graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,909 and $14,872 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in construction trades. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent construction trades programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the construction trades program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Construction Trades Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region vets studying construction trades.
Top 19 Best Construction Trades Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Mitchell Technical College. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades. Mitchell, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s construction trades degrees to 152 students in 2020-2021.
Mitchell Tech also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 1,162 students enrolled at Mitchell Technical College, 67 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 24 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,895. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Mitchell Technical College offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Mitchell Technical College Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades that were part of this year’s ranking, Metropolitan Community College landed the #2 spot on the list. MCC is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 93 ’s construction trades degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying construction trades list, MCC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Metropolitan Community College supports 13,244 students, and 653 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 283 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $835. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Minnesota West Community and Technical College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades list. Minnesota West Community and Technical College is a small school located in Granite Falls, Minnesota that handed out 83 ’s construction trades degrees in 2020-2021.
Minnesota West also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Minnesota West Community and Technical College supports 3,253 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 2 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $560. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Minnesota West Community and Technical College]](/colleges/minnesota-west-community-and-technical-college/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades that were part of this year’s ranking, Dunwoody College of Technology landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 53 degrees to qualified ’s construction trades students in 2020-2021.
Dunwoody College of Technology also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 1,281 students enrolled at Dunwoody College of Technology, 176 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 109 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,410. To help with additional expenses, 27 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Dunwoody College of Technology]](/colleges/dunwoody-college-of-technology/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwest Iowa Community College. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades. Northwest Iowa Community College is a public institution located in Sheldon, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwest Iowa Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 1,666 students enrolled at Northwest Iowa Community College, 36 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,961. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Northwest Iowa Community College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Northwest Iowa Community College]](/colleges/northwest-iowa-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
Dakota County Technical College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades ranking, coming in at #6. Dakota County Technical College is located in Rosemount, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 88 ’s construction trades degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying construction trades list, DCTC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 95 of the 2,319 students enrolled at DCTC were GI Bill® students, of which 63 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,429. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at DCTC]](/colleges/dakota-county-technical-college/student-life/veterans/)
Lake Area Technical Institute came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades ranking. Located in Watertown, South Dakota, this small public school handed out 16 degrees to qualified ’s construction trades students in 2020-2021.
LATI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 136 of the 2,217 students enrolled at Lake Area Technical Institute were GI Bill® students, of which 40 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,486. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
Southeast Community College Area landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades ranking. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, this medium-sized public school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified ’s construction trades students in 2020-2021.
Southeast Community College also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 17 of the 9,328 students enrolled at Southeast Community College Area were GI Bill® students, of which 7 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,488. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
Rochester Community and Technical College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades ranking. This small school is located in Rochester, Minnesota, and it awarded 42 ’s construction trades degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rochester Community and Technical College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 163 of the 5,115 students enrolled at Rochester Community and Technical College were GI Bill® students, of which 67 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,891. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Rochester Community and Technical College Veteran Student Life Report
Northeast Community College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades ranking. Northeast Community College is a public institution located in Norfolk, Nebraska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 71 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Northeast did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 5,105 students enrolled at Northeast, 62 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,545. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Northeast offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Northeast Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #11, Ridgewater College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades list. Ridgewater College is located in Willmar, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 ’s construction trades degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying construction trades list, Ridgewater College has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Ridgewater College supports 3,176 students, and 38 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 25 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,506. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Bismarck State College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Bismarck, North Dakota, and it awarded 70 ’s construction trades degrees in 2020-2021.
BSC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 3,716 students enrolled at BSC, 194 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 116 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,217. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. BSC offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Bismarck State College Veteran Student Life Report
Southeast Technical College ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades list. Southeast Technical College is a public institution located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Southeast Tech, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 2,330 students enrolled at Southeast Technical College, 193 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 86 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,618. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Southeast Technical College offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Southeast Tech]](/colleges/southeast-technical-institute/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #14, Lake Superior College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades list. LSC is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 ’s construction trades degrees to qualified students.
LSC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Lake Superior College supports 4,762 students, and 173 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 97 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,648. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at LSC]](/colleges/lake-superior-college/student-life/veterans/)
St Cloud Technical and Community College ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades list. Saint Cloud, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s construction trades degrees to 66 students in 2020-2021.
St Cloud Technical and Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 126 of the 3,931 students enrolled at St Cloud Technical and Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 71 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,012. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
With a ranking of #16, State Technical College of Missouri did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades list. State Technical College of Missouri is a small school located in Linn, Missouri that handed out 118 ’s construction trades degrees in 2020-2021.
STC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 1,756 students enrolled at State Technical College of Missouri, 83 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 44 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,461. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full State Technical College of Missouri Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #17, Manhattan Area Technical College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades list. This small school is located in Manhattan, Kansas, and it awarded 54 ’s construction trades degrees in 2020-2021.
MATC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 842 students enrolled at MATC, 89 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 79 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,070. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. MATC does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
With a ranking of #18, Northeast Iowa Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades list. This small school is located in Calmar, Iowa, and it awarded 24 ’s construction trades degrees in 2020-2021.
NICC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 19 of the 4,162 students enrolled at NICC were GI Bill® students, of which 7 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,586. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at NICC]](/colleges/northeast-iowa-community-college-calmar/student-life/veterans/)
Western Dakota Technical Institute ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Construction Trades list. Western Dakota Technical Institute is located in Rapid City, South Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 ’s construction trades degrees to qualified students.
Western Dakota Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 1,324 students enrolled at Western Dakota Tech, 125 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 61 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,360. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Western Dakota Tech does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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