CNST · CA

Construction Trade Schools in California

33 schools in California reported construction trades graduates for 2023-24, 624 awards in all. Sorted by number of graduates.

Orange Coast College

2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 74
CNC 46
A&P 34
WELD 30
PLMB 6
ELEC 5

Grads 2023-24: 74 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,222
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $53,930

CET-San Diego

4153 Market Street, San Diego, CA · Private nonprofit, under 2-year

CNST 66
WELD 85
ELEC 14

Grads 2023-24: 66 construction trades
Program tuition 2023-24: $15,249 8 mo
Median pay 1 yr out: $35,524 undergraduate certificate

San Jose City College

2100 Moorpark Ave, San Jose, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 54
CNC 15
IMT 2

Grads 2023-24: 54 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,366
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $52,460

Fresno City College

1101 E. University Ave, Fresno, CA · Public, 4-year

CNST 47
WELD 69
IMT 26
BODY 13
AUTO 9
DSL 1

Grads 2023-24: 47 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,334
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $39,674

Imperial Valley College

380 E. Aten Road, Imperial, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 34
IMT 28
WELD 25
AUTO 23
ELEC 21
DSL 9

Grads 2023-24: 34 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,148
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $40,691

CET-Watsonville

10 Blanca Lane, Watsonville, CA · Private nonprofit, under 2-year

CNST 34
WELD 34

Grads 2023-24: 34 construction trades
Program tuition 2023-24: $15,249 8 mo
Median pay 1 yr out: $35,524 undergraduate certificate

CET-Soledad

930 Los Coches Drive, Suite 103, Soledad, CA · Private nonprofit, under 2-year

CNST 33
ELEC 98
CDL 61

Grads 2023-24: 33 construction trades
Program tuition 2023-24: $15,249 8 mo
Median pay 1 yr out: $35,524 undergraduate certificate

CET-El Centro

294 S 3rd St, El Centro, CA · Private nonprofit, under 2-year

CNST 27
CDL 52
WELD 45

Grads 2023-24: 27 construction trades
Program tuition 2023-24: $15,249 8 mo
Median pay 1 yr out: $35,524 undergraduate certificate

Los Angeles Trade Technical College

400 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 26
AUTO 197
ELEC 189
IMT 173
DSL 70
WELD 56
PLMB 40
CARP 37
BODY 23
CNC 14

Grads 2023-24: 26 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,238
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $42,277

CET-Oxnard

761 South C St, Oxnard, CA · Private nonprofit, under 2-year

CNST 25

Grads 2023-24: 25 construction trades
Program tuition 2023-24: $15,249 8 mo
Median pay 1 yr out: $35,524 undergraduate certificate

College of the Sequoias

915 S. Mooney Blvd, Visalia, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 25
AUTO 225
ELEC 137
IMT 76
WELD 34

Grads 2023-24: 25 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,394
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $43,147

Fullerton College

321 E Chapman Avenue, Fullerton, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 24
AUTO 21
WELD 4

Grads 2023-24: 24 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,150
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $49,216

CET-Santa Maria

509 W Morrison Ave, Santa Maria, CA · Private nonprofit, under 2-year

CNST 24

Grads 2023-24: 24 construction trades
Program tuition 2023-24: $15,249 8 mo
Median pay 1 yr out: $35,524 undergraduate certificate

Long Beach City College

4901 E. Carson St., Long Beach, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 21
AUTO 107
WELD 83

Grads 2023-24: 21 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,560
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $44,903

CET-Coachella

49-111 Highway 111, Ste. 5, Coachella, CA · Private nonprofit, under 2-year

CNST 20
HVAC 33

Grads 2023-24: 20 construction trades
Program tuition 2023-24: $15,249 8 mo
Median pay 1 yr out: $35,524 undergraduate certificate

City College of San Francisco

50 Frida Kahlo Drive, San Francisco, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 13
AUTO 65
BODY 4
PLMB 4
CNC 2

Grads 2023-24: 13 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,696
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $53,794

Cosumnes River College

8401 Center Parkway, Sacramento, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 10
AUTO 90
WELD 29

Grads 2023-24: 10 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,288
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $46,541

El Camino Community College District

16007 Crenshaw Blvd, Torrance, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 9
AUTO 57
CNC 34
WELD 14
BODY 7

Grads 2023-24: 9 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,156
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $47,561

Victor Valley College

18422 Bear Valley Rd, Victorville, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 9
A&P 160
WELD 57
AUTO 48

Grads 2023-24: 9 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,449
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $39,827

Butte College

3536 Butte Campus Drive, Oroville, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 8
WELD 177
HEO 53
AUTO 24
DSL 6

Grads 2023-24: 8 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,374
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $44,807

CET-Colton

1099 N. Pepper Ave, Colton, CA · Private nonprofit, under 2-year

CNST 7
ELEC 58
WELD 42
HVAC 20
AUTO 12

Grads 2023-24: 7 construction trades
Program tuition 2023-24: $15,249 8 mo
Median pay 1 yr out: $35,524 undergraduate certificate

Cuesta College

Highway 1, San Luis Obispo, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 7
WELD 79
A&P 24
ELEC 22
AUTO 8
BODY 6

Grads 2023-24: 7 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,350
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $53,127

San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia

8344 W Mineral King Ave, Visalia, CA · Private for-profit, 4-year

CNST 6
HVAC 85
IMT 49

Grads 2023-24: 6 construction trades
Largest program 2025-26: $22,404
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $43,313

Santa Barbara City College

721 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 5
AUTO 14

Grads 2023-24: 5 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,242
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $53,616

Baldwin Park Adult & Community Education

4640 N. Maine Ave, Baldwin Park, CA · Public, under 2-year

CNST 4
ELEC 108
HVAC 16
AUTO 10

Grads 2023-24: 4 construction trades
Largest program 2025-26: $1,365
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $40,990

Palo Verde College

One College Drive, Blythe, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 2
WELD 23
AUTO 22

Grads 2023-24: 2 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,288
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $42,518

Copper Mountain Community College

6162 Rotary Way, Joshua Tree, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 2
AUTO 10

Grads 2023-24: 2 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,390
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $40,986

Laney College

900 Fallon Sreet, Oakland, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 2
CARP 13
CNC 12
WELD 6
ELEC 5
IMT 1

Grads 2023-24: 2 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,258
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $42,812

College of the Canyons

26455 Rockwell Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 2
AUTO 17
WELD 8

Grads 2023-24: 2 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,170
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $52,411

Bakersfield College

1801 Panorama Dr, Bakersfield, CA · Public, 4-year

CNST 1
AUTO 52
WELD 12
IMT 6

Grads 2023-24: 1 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,450
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $41,011

Diablo Valley College

321 Golf Club Rd, Pleasant Hill, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 1
PLMB 2
IMT 1

Grads 2023-24: 1 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,128
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $56,684

Sierra College

5100 Sierra College Blvd, Rocklin, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 1
WELD 11
CNC 3
AUTO 2

Grads 2023-24: 1 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,448
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $48,499

American River College

4700 College Oak Dr, Sacramento, CA · Public, 2-year

CNST 1
CARP 491
PLMB 68
ELEC 36
WELD 29
AUTO 22
DSL 20
IMT 11
BODY 2

Grads 2023-24: 1 construction trades
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,288
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $44,544

Construction Trade Schools by city

Licensing in California

Requirements are set by California (and sometimes your city), not by the school. Look up the current rules for construction tradespersons on CareerOneStop's License Finder for California. General path: Construction Trade Schools overview.

BLS puts the median annual wage for construction laborers in California at $60,270 (middle 80% from $40,950 to $93,620), May 2025. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Questions, answered from the data

How many construction trade schools are there in California?

33 schools in California reported construction trades graduates to the Department of Education for 2023-24, 624 awards in all (521 undergraduate certificates, 103 associate degrees).

How long is construction trades school?

Among the 8 construction trades programs in California that reported a length to IPEDS for 2023-24, the median took 8 months to finish. Community college associate degrees usually take two years full time.

How much does construction trades school cost in California?

At schools that price by program, the median published tuition and fees for a whole construction trades program was $15,249 in 2023-24 (8 programs reporting, from $15,249 to $15,249); public two-year colleges teaching it charge a median $1,288 a year in-state (2025-26). Grants and aid lower what most students pay.

How much does a construction tradesperson make in California?

The BLS median annual wage for construction laborers in California was $60,270 in May 2025; the lowest-paid 10% earned under $40,950 and the top 10% over $93,620.

What do construction trades graduates earn right after school?

Across 8 schools in California with College Scorecard data, the median of their graduates' median earnings one year after a certificate was $35,524. Scorecard reports this for the broader program family and only for federally aided graduates.

All trade schools in California

Sources: IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024_A) and Directory (HD2024), NCES; College Scorecard institution data (2025-26 charges, released Nov 2, 2026) and field-of-study data (Oct 15, 2026); FMCSA Training Provider Registry (as of 2026-11-02); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked 2026-11-02. How we build this list.