Similar colleges

Colleges like Colorado School of Trades: 10 similar schools

The 10 colleges most similar to Colorado School of Trades, ranked by shared features and how close their published figures are.

Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

Compare with the top 2 matches View college Search another college

or ask about it inChatGPTClaude

Popular colleges

Bars show each admit rate on a 0–100% scale.

The colleges most similar to Colorado School of Trades are Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology-Colorado (same Carnegie classification); Intellitec College-Grand Junction (average net price $22,687, close to $25,187); and Lincoln College of Technology-Denver (same control type (private for profit)). Colorado School of Trades admits 91% of applicants and has an average net price of $25,187 a year; 3 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 0 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.

The score is profile closeness out of 100; the order also counts shared features and location. How matches are scored

Colorado School of Trades vs. its top 10 alternatives

Acceptance rate, average net price per year after grants, six-year graduation rate, median earnings ten years after entry and profile match score for Colorado School of Trades and its closest alternatives.
College	State	Acceptance rate	Net price	Graduation rate	Median earnings	Match score
Colorado School of Trades	CO	90.9%	$25,187	76.1%	$50,801	This college
Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology-Colorado	CO	Not reported	$29,404	66.7%	$64,753	59/100
Intellitec College-Grand Junction	CO	Not reported	$22,687	52.6%	$35,896	44/100
Lincoln College of Technology-Denver	CO	Not reported	$36,296	63%	$56,095	44/100
Intellitec College-Colorado Springs	CO	Not reported	$28,631	51.9%	$41,868	43/100
Universal Technical Institute of Arizona Inc	AZ	Not reported	$31,382	74.6%	$62,466	57/100
Refrigeration School Inc	AZ	Not reported	$17,509	72.3%	$56,657	54/100
WyoTech	WY	Not reported	$36,315	86%	$55,042	46/100
Wichita Technical Institute	KS	Not reported	$28,642	53.4%	$37,622	45/100
Sonoran Desert Institute	AZ	Not reported	$21,738	44.8%	Not reported	38/100
School of Automotive Machinists & Technology	TX	68.6%	$31,827	82.9%	$62,379	81/100

Net price is the average yearly cost after grants; graduation rate is within six years; earnings are ten years after entry. Match score is profile closeness out of 100. “Not reported” means the college sent no figure to the U.S. Department of Education.

Top 10 alternatives to Colorado School of Trades

Ranked by similarity. Each card lists what the college shares with Colorado School of Trades and where it differs.

Match #1

Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology-Colorado

Broomfield, CO

Profile closeness59/100

Admit rate—

397 students
Private for-profit
City: Small

Same Carnegie classification
Same control type (private for profit)
Differs: Enrollment 397 students, much larger than 85

Tell me about

See cost for your income Compare with Colorado School of Trades

Match #2

Intellitec College-Grand Junction

Grand Junction, CO

Profile closeness44/100

Admit rate—

1,077 students
Private for-profit
City: Small

Average net price $22,687, close to $25,187
Same Carnegie classification
Differs: Enrollment 1,077 students, much larger than 85

Tell me about

See cost for your income Compare with Colorado School of Trades

Match #3

Lincoln College of Technology-Denver

Denver, CO

Profile closeness44/100

Admit rate—

1,212 students
Private for-profit
City: Large

Same Carnegie classification
Same control type (private for profit)
Differs: Enrollment 1,212 students, much larger than 85

Tell me about

See cost for your income Compare with Colorado School of Trades

Match #4

Intellitec College-Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs, CO

Profile closeness43/100

Admit rate—

679 students
Private for-profit
City: Large

Same Carnegie classification
Same control type (private for profit)
Differs: Enrollment 679 students, much larger than 85

Tell me about

See cost for your income Compare with Colorado School of Trades

Match #5

Universal Technical Institute of Arizona Inc

Avondale, AZ

Profile closeness57/100

Admit rate—

1,957 students
Private for-profit
Suburb: Large

Graduation rate 75%, close to 76%
Same Carnegie classification
Differs: Enrollment 1,957 students, much larger than 85

Tell me about

See cost for your income Compare with Colorado School of Trades

Match #6

Refrigeration School Inc

Phoenix, AZ

Profile closeness54/100

Admit rate—

1,346 students
Private for-profit
City: Large

Graduation rate 72%, close to 76%
Same Carnegie classification
Differs: Enrollment 1,346 students, much larger than 85

Tell me about

See cost for your income Compare with Colorado School of Trades

Match #7

WyoTech

Laramie, WY

Profile closeness46/100

Admit rate—

1,334 students
Private for-profit
Town: Remote

Same Carnegie classification
Same control type (private for profit)
Differs: Enrollment 1,334 students, much larger than 85

Tell me about

See cost for your income Compare with Colorado School of Trades

Match #8

Wichita Technical Institute

Wichita, KS

Profile closeness45/100

Admit rate—

778 students
Private for-profit
City: Large

Same Carnegie classification
Same control type (private for profit)
Differs: Enrollment 778 students, much larger than 85

Tell me about

See cost for your income Compare with Colorado School of Trades

Match #9

Sonoran Desert Institute

Tempe, AZ

Profile closeness38/100

Admit rate—

5,435 students
Private for-profit
City: Midsize

Same Carnegie classification
Same control type (private for profit)
Differs: Enrollment 5,435 students, much larger than 85

Tell me about

See cost for your income Compare with Colorado School of Trades

Match #10

School of Automotive Machinists & Technology

Houston, TX

Profile closeness81/100

Admit rate69%

88 students
Private for-profit
City: Large

Graduation rate 83%, close to 76%
Enrollment 88 students, close to 85

Tell me about

See cost for your income Compare with Colorado School of Trades

How the matches differ from Colorado School of Trades

Graduation rates across the matches run from 45% (Sonoran Desert Institute) to 86% (WyoTech), against 76% at Colorado School of Trades; 2 of 10 graduate a larger share of students.
Median earnings ten years after entry across the matches run from $35,896 (Intellitec College-Grand Junction) to $64,753 (Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology-Colorado), against $50,801 at Colorado School of Trades; 6 of 9 report higher earnings.
Enrollment sizes across the matches run from 88 students (School of Automotive Machinists & Technology) to 5,435 students (Sonoran Desert Institute), against 85 students at Colorado School of Trades; 10 of 10 are larger.
4 of 10 matches are in Colorado; the others are in AZ, KS, TX, WY.

Questions about Colorado School of Trades alternatives

What colleges are similar to Colorado School of Trades?

The closest matches to Colorado School of Trades are Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology-Colorado, Intellitec College-Grand Junction, Lincoln College of Technology-Denver, Intellitec College-Colorado Springs, and Universal Technical Institute of Arizona Inc. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.

Is Colorado School of Trades hard to get into?

Colorado School of Trades admitted 91% of applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is not very selective: it admits most applicants. 0 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.

Which Colorado School of Trades alternatives cost less?

3 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than Colorado School of Trades ($25,187 a year), including Refrigeration School Inc ($17,509), Sonoran Desert Institute ($21,738), and Intellitec College-Grand Junction ($22,687). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.