2024 Best Construction Trades Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region

When it comes to popularity, an associate degree in construction trades sits in the middle of the road, ranking #22 out of 38 majors in the country. As such, the degree program isn't offered at every college in the United States, but there are schools that do have a program in the field that are top-notch when it comes to quality.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 3 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Construction Trades Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 445 associate degrees in construction trades to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

• Best Associate Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great Construction Trades School for Your Associate Degree

Your choice of construction trades for getting your associate degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of associate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their associate degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

• Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to construction trades students as compared to other majors.
• Major Demand - The number of construction trades students who choose to seek a associate degree at the school.
• Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
• Student Debt - How easy is it for construction trades to pay back their student loans after receiving their associate degree.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized construction trades related body.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for construction trades students working on their associate degree.

More Ways to Rank Construction Trades Schools

The construction trades school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Construction Trades Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region.

 

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Construction Trades in the Southwest Region

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in construction trades.

Top Southwest Region Schools for an Associate in Construction Trades

1

Texas State Technical College
Waco, TX

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

146 Annual Graduates

Texas State Technical College is a great decision for students pursuing an associate degree in construction trades. Located in the medium-sized city of Waco, TSTC is a public college with a large student population.More information about a associate in construction trades from Texas State Technical College

2

El Centro College
Dallas, TX

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

2 Annual Graduates

El Centro College is one of the finest schools in the country for getting an associate degree in construction trades. El Centro College is a fairly large public college located in the large city of Dallas.More information about a associate in construction trades from El Centro College

2

Pima Community College
Tucson, AZ

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

24 Annual Graduates

Every student who is interested in an associate degree in construction trades has to take a look at Pima Community College. Located in the large city of Tucson, Pima County Community College District is a public college with a large student population.More information about a associate in construction trades from Pima Community College

3

Central New Mexico Community College
Albuquerque, NM

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

23 Annual Graduates

Central New Mexico Community College is a good choice for individuals pursuing an associate degree in construction trades. Located in the large city of Albuquerque, CNM is a public college with a large student population.More information about a associate in construction trades from Central New Mexico Community College

Best Construction Trades Colleges by State

Explore the best construction trades schools for a specific state in the Southwest Region .

State	Colleges	Degrees Awarded
Texas	38	249
Oklahoma	37	101
Arizona	36	51
New Mexico	35	40

View All Rankings >

Construction Trades Majors to Study

Major	Annual Graduates
Electrical & Power Transmission Installers	316
Building Management & Inspection	83
Construction	37
Carpentry	5
Plumbing & Water Supply	4

Most Popular Related Majors

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Mechanic & Repair Technologies	3,908
Personal & Culinary Services	1,353
Precision Production	754
Transportation & Materials Moving	184

Notes and References

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• 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 the rest 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). More about our data sources and methodologies.