Trade school statistics cover more than one type of program. Federal data on career and technical education (CTE) follows students from high school coursework into postsecondary occupational education, while Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data describes the jobs, wages, and openings associated with skilled work. Together, these figures show how trade-focused pathways are structured and where they lead.
Contents
- How trade-school education is counted
- High school CTE participation
- Who earns CTE credits
- Postsecondary enrollment and credentials
- Where occupational students study
- Programs and employer-connected learning
- Jobs, wages, and projected demand
How trade-school education is counted
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CTE Statistics program provides a three-stage view of career preparation: high school CTE, postsecondary occupational education, and adult work preparation. Its postsecondary and college tables include occupational education at public, nonprofit, and for-profit institutions that participate in Title IV federal student aid programs. NCES defines postsecondary CTE as education leading to a credential below the bachelor’s degree level.
That definition matters when reading trade school statistics. A student may take CTE courses in high school, enroll in a community or technical college, attend a for-profit occupational program, or earn a certificate or associate’s degree. The categories overlap in subject matter but are not interchangeable measures of enrollment or completion.
NCES Table H257 reported that 43.7% of public high school graduates concentrated in any CTE area, while 25.8% earned CTE credits. The table also used different concentration definitions: 51.0% of graduates with at least 2 CTE credits became 2-credit concentrators, and 30.1% of those with at least 3 CTE credits became 3-credit concentrators. Another reported H257 measure was 73.9% for graduates with at least 2 CTE credits and 60.2% for those with at least 3 credits under the table’s alternate concentration calculation. These percentages should be read as table-specific measures rather than combined totals. (NCES H257)
High school CTE participation
CTE participation spans many fields, including business, health care, engineering, computer science, agriculture, and mechanical repair. In NCES Table H257, 9.4% of graduates concentrated in business, finance, and marketing at the 2-credit level. The corresponding shares were 8.0% for engineering, design, and production, 5.7% for health care, and 3.9% for computer and information sciences.
Looking at course credits rather than concentration, NCES Table H258 found that 36.4% of graduates earned credits in business, finance, and marketing, averaging 1.38 credits in that area. Communication and communication technologies reached 26.8%, with an average of 1.34 credits. Engineering, design, and production reached 22.9%, averaging 1.77 credits, while computer and information sciences reached 19.8%, averaging 1.27 credits.
Other areas also show the breadth of trade-related preparation. Agriculture and natural resources accounted for 13.8% of graduates, with an average of 1.99 credits. Health care accounted for 13.6%, averaging 1.89 credits. Public services reached 11.5%, with an average of 1.53 credits, and mechanical repair and operation reached 6.3%, with the highest listed average at 2.02 credits. (NCES H258)
Public high school graduates averaged 2.83 CTE credits across all grades, according to NCES Table H260. Credits earned before grade 9 represented 1.4% of total CTE credits. The table’s grade-level categories accounted for 100.0% of the total CTE-credit distribution. These figures describe the timing and volume of high school coursework, not postsecondary trade-school completion. (NCES H260)
Who earns CTE credits
NCES Table H259 reported differences in CTE participation by race and sex. Some CTE credits were earned by 87.2% of White public high school graduates, 85.8% of Black graduates, 84.1% of Hispanic graduates, and 80.8% of Asian/Pacific Islander graduates. Male graduates were more likely than female graduates to earn some CTE credits in this table: 88.7% compared with 82.5%.
The difference was larger at the higher-credit threshold. A total of 48.7% of male graduates earned 3.00 or more CTE credits, compared with 36.8% of female graduates. For CTE-related credits, the reported shares were 54.7% for White graduates, 51.6% for Black graduates, 38.4% for Hispanic graduates, and 33.4% for Asian/Pacific Islander graduates.
At the 2-credit concentration level, 54.3% of White graduates were non-concentrators and 45.7% were concentrators. The table also reported that 61.0% of female graduates were non-concentrators and 39.0% were concentrators. These figures use different comparison groups within the same table, so they should not be interpreted as a single race-by-sex cross-tabulation. (NCES H259)
Postsecondary enrollment and credentials
NCES Table 326.60 followed 2013 public high school graduates. By June 2021, 80.2% had enrolled in postsecondary education, compared with 74.8% by June 2016. Under the table’s 2-credit definition, 38.7% were CTE concentrators and 61.3% were nonconcentrators. The table also reported 41.6% as 3-credit concentrators and 79.9% as 3-credit nonconcentrators under its alternate definition.
Postsecondary enrollment by June 2021 was 84.5% for 2-credit CTE concentrators, compared with 78.0% for 2-credit nonconcentrators and 84.0% for 3-credit concentrators. The average time from leaving high school to first postsecondary enrollment was 4 months for 2-credit concentrators and 3 months for 3-credit nonconcentrators.
Among 2-credit concentrators, 32.0% had no postsecondary degree or certificate by June 2021. The reported outcomes included a certificate for 6.8%, an associate’s degree for 13.6%, and a bachelor’s-or-higher degree for 47.7%. Of certificate holders, 96.0% earned the certificate in a CTE field. Among associate’s-degree holders, 58.3% earned the degree in a CTE field. (NCES Table 326.60)
| Outcome for 2-credit CTE concentrators | Share or average |
|---|---|
| Postsecondary enrollment by June 2021 | 84.5% |
| No postsecondary degree or certificate | 32.0% |
| Certificate earned | 6.8% |
| Associate’s degree earned | 13.6% |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher earned | 47.7% |
| Average months to certificate after first enrollment | 28 months |
| Average months to associate’s degree | 45 months |
| Average months to bachelor’s degree or higher | 57 months |
The same NCES table reported an average of 28 months from first postsecondary enrollment to a certificate, 45 months to an associate’s degree, and 57 months to a bachelor’s-or-higher degree for 2-credit concentrators. These are historical cohort measures for 2013 graduates, not forecasts for current students.
NCES’s 2024 CTE Statistics spotlight reported that, among 2013 public high school CTE concentrators who enrolled in postsecondary education by June 2021, 14% had an associate’s degree as their highest degree, compared with 9% of nonconcentrators. A bachelor’s-or-higher degree was the highest degree for 48% of concentrators and 54% of nonconcentrators. (NCES CTE Statistics spotlight)
Outcomes varied by high school concentration. NCES Table 326.65 reported that 68.0% of 2-credit CTE concentrators earned any postsecondary degree or certificate. The comparable shares were 69.9% for agriculture concentrators and 72.8% for computer and information sciences concentrators. The table also reported 52.1% for computer and information sciences and 46.4% for public-services concentrators under another outcome measure.
For credential level, 20.4% of 2-credit CTE concentrators earned a certificate or associate’s degree, compared with 29.9% of agriculture concentrators and 26.1% of mechanical repair and operation concentrators. A bachelor’s-or-higher degree was earned by 54.1% of 2-credit CTE concentrators, 39.9% of agriculture concentrators, and 20.3% of mechanical repair and operation concentrators.
Field continuity also varied. Among concentrators who earned a postsecondary degree or certificate, 27.3% of agriculture concentrators completed it in the same CTE field as high school, compared with 53.9% of public-services concentrators. Across 2-credit CTE concentrators, 64.3% earned a credential in a CTE field other than their high-school concentration and 35.7% earned a credential in a non-CTE field. (NCES Table 326.65)
Completion time differed by field. Certificates took an average of 28 months for 2-credit CTE concentrators, 40 months for business, finance, and marketing concentrators, and 22 months for health-care concentrators. Associate’s-degree completion took 45 months for 2-credit CTE concentrators, 48 months for business, finance, and marketing concentrators, and 50 months for construction concentrators. Bachelor’s-or-higher completion took 57 months for 2-credit CTE concentrators and 58 months for business, finance, and marketing concentrators. (NCES Table 326.65)
Where occupational students study
NCES Table P175 found that 63.3% of all subbaccalaureate occupational education students attended public 2-year institutions, 15.7% attended private for-profit institutions, and 21.0% attended other institution types. Prior educational experience varied: 69.6% had no prior credential, 23.8% already held some subbaccalaureate credential, and 6.6% already held a bachelor’s-or-higher degree.
Institution type also varied by field. Private for-profit institutions enrolled 35.8% of consumer-services students, compared with 22.3% of health-sciences students and 8.3% of engineering, architecture, and science-technology students. Health-sciences students were more likely to already have some subbaccalaureate credential, at 31.2%, compared with 16.7% of agriculture students and 20.2% of engineering, architecture, and science-technology students. (NCES P175)
Health sciences accounted for 35.0% of all subbaccalaureate occupational education students, while business and marketing accounted for 18.4%, according to NCES Table P176. Health sciences made up 49.5% of students at private for-profit institutions and 35.8% at other institutions. Consumer services represented 15.6% of private for-profit students. Manufacturing, construction, repair, and transportation represented 7.4% overall, and protective services represented 6.5% overall and 7.6% of public 2-year students. (NCES P176)
Programs and employer-connected learning
NCES Fast Facts reported that 98% of public school districts offered CTE programs at the high school level in 2016–17. Ten percent had a separate CTE-only district option. Districts delivered these programs in several ways: 77% provided CTE themselves, 54% used area or regional CTE centers or consortia, and 46% used 2-year community or technical colleges.
Credit-bearing and work-based options were common. Seventy-three percent of districts offered courses that let students earn both high school and postsecondary credit, while 61% offered CTE courses that counted toward core academic subjects. Seventy-seven percent included on-the-job training, internships, practicums, clinical experiences, or cooperative education in at least one CTE program.
Employer and entrepreneurship features were also reported. Employer mentoring appeared in 65% of districts, student-run enterprises or services in 55%, and apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship programs in 31%. Online CTE courses, including blended or hybrid courses, were offered by 30% of districts. These are district-level availability measures from 2016–17, not current participation rates. (NCES Fast Facts)
Jobs, wages, and projected demand
BLS reported 6.4 million jobs in construction and extraction occupations in May 2025, representing 4.1% of total national employment. Construction laborers were the largest occupation in the group, with 1.1 million jobs. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers accounted for 812,210 jobs. The annual mean wage across construction and extraction occupations was $65,360, compared with $69,770 across all occupations. (BLS OEWS Summary)
HVAC mechanics and installers had a May 2024 median annual wage of $59,810, above the $58,230 median for installation, maintenance, and repair occupations as a whole. The lowest-paid 10% of HVAC mechanics and installers earned less than $39,130, while the highest-paid 10% earned more than $91,020. In wholesale trade, the occupation’s median annual wage was $65,760. (BLS HVAC page)
Electrical and electronics installers and repairers held about 118,800 jobs in 2024. The detailed occupations included 61,100 commercial and industrial-equipment repairers and 23,400 powerhouse, substation, and relay repairers. Employment was concentrated in manufacturing at 17%, utilities at 14%, repair and maintenance at 10%, wholesale trade at 10%, and the federal government excluding the postal service at 8%. (BLS electrical/electronics page)
For the broader installation, maintenance, and repair occupational group, BLS projected 3,647.3 thousand jobs in 2034, up from 3,449.3 thousand in 2024. That is a projected gain of 198.1 thousand jobs, or 5.7%. The group had 337.4 thousand projected annual openings and a 2024 median annual wage of $54,790. These are BLS projections, not guaranteed openings for a particular trade school or local labor market. (BLS projections table)