Data Methodology
Transparent information about our data sources, calculation methods, and limitations.
Primary Data Source
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
All school and program data on TradeSchool Directory comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the most comprehensive source of college and career school data in the United States.
Why College Scorecard?
- Official data from the U.S. Department of Education
- Verified through the Federal Student Aid program
- Updated annually with the most recent available data
- Includes outcome data (earnings, completion rates) from federal tax and employment records
- Covers all Title IV eligible postsecondary institutions
Data Coverage: 3,533 trade schools and vocational programs across all 50 U.S. states
Program Data: 73,555 individual career training programs
How We Calculate Each Metric
Tuition & Fees
What it measures:
The published in-state tuition and required fees for full-time students for one academic year (typically 9-12 months).
Data source:
Reported by schools to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), a component of College Scorecard.
Limitations:
- Not all schools report tuition data to the Department of Education
- Does not include books, supplies, or living expenses
- Does not reflect financial aid or scholarships
- Some programs within a school may have different costs
When data is unavailable: We display "Contact school for details" and encourage users to contact the institution directly for current tuition information.
Median Earnings
What it measures:
The median annual earnings of students who completed a program, measured 1, 4, or 5 years after graduation. Earnings are tracked through federal tax records.
Data source:
Federal tax records matched with student enrollment data. This represents actual reported earnings, not estimates.
Calculation:
- We prioritize 1-year post-graduation earnings (most recent)
- If unavailable, we use 4-year or 5-year earnings
- School-level earnings represent the median across all programs at that institution
Data quality filters:
To ensure data accuracy, we apply the following validation rules:
- Minimum threshold: $5,000/year (values below are considered data errors)
- Maximum threshold: $500,000/year (values above are outliers or errors)
- Earnings below minimum are displayed as "Data not available"
Limitations:
- Only includes graduates who have federal tax records (W-2 income)
- Does not include self-employed earnings or cash income
- Programs with fewer than 10 graduates may be suppressed for privacy
- New programs may not have earnings data yet
- Approximately 22% of program-level earnings data is suppressed or unreliable
When data is unavailable: We display "Data not available" and explain that earnings data may be suppressed due to insufficient sample size or privacy restrictions.
Completion Rate
What it measures:
The percentage of students who complete their program within 150% of the normal program length (e.g., within 3 years for a 2-year program).
Data source:
Calculated from IPEDS Graduation Rate data, tracking first-time, full-time degree/certificate-seeking students.
Data quality filters:
- Only completion rates between 0-100% are displayed
- Invalid rates (negative or >100%) are shown as "Data not available"
Limitations:
- Only tracks first-time, full-time students (excludes part-time and transfer students)
- Does not account for students who transfer to other institutions
- New schools may not have sufficient cohort data yet
- Completion rates vary widely by program type and length
Enrollment
What it measures:
The total number of students enrolled at the institution, including part-time and full-time students.
Note:
Many specialized trade schools intentionally maintain small enrollment (10-50 students) to provide personalized instruction. Low enrollment does not indicate school quality or closure.
Data Quality & Validation
How we ensure data accuracy:
- Validation filters: We apply plausibility checks to all data before display. Values that fall outside reasonable ranges are marked as "Data not available."
- Known issues: The College Scorecard dataset contains approximately 16,276 program records (22%) with implausibly low earnings (less than $1,000/year). These appear to be data collection artifacts or reporting errors. We filter these out and display "Data not available" instead.
- Negative values: A small number of schools (7 out of 3,533) have negative tuition values in the source data, likely due to reporting errors. We filter these out.
- Regular updates: We refresh our database annually in September when the Department of Education releases updated College Scorecard data.
Our data quality thresholds:
- Earnings: Must be between $5,000 - $500,000/year
- Tuition: Must be between $0 - $100,000/year
- Completion Rate: Must be between 0% - 100%
- Enrollment: Must be 0 or greater
Important Limitations
- •Data is historical: All metrics reflect past cohorts of students and may not reflect current program quality or outcomes.
- •Individual results vary: Earnings and completion rates are averages. Your individual experience will depend on many factors including program choice, effort, location, and job market conditions.
- •Not all schools are included: Only Title IV eligible institutions (those that participate in federal financial aid) are required to report to College Scorecard. Some private vocational schools may not be included.
- •Contact schools directly: We strongly encourage prospective students to contact schools directly to verify current tuition, program availability, and admission requirements.
Report Data Issues
If you notice incorrect or outdated information, we want to hear from you. While we cannot modify the underlying College Scorecard data, we can investigate display issues and filter out problematic values.
Contact us about data issues