Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Higher net financial position
Trade School Path
College path net position
$250,000
Trade school path net position
$417,000
Difference at comparison year
$167,000
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How to use this
- 1Enter total college tuition + fees ($).
- 2Enter years to complete college.
- 3Enter college grad starting salary ($).
- 4Enter total trade school cost ($).
- 5Enter years to complete trade program.
- 6Enter trade grad starting salary ($).
- 7Enter compare net position at year.
- 8Read your higher net financial position on the right — it updates as you type.
- 9Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
A four-year college degree typically costs more and takes longer to complete but can lead to higher-paying career paths in many fields, while trade school is faster and cheaper to complete and often leads to quicker entry into steady-paying skilled trades. This tool compares total cost (tuition plus lost income while studying) against projected early-career earnings for each path.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Total college tuition + fees: 80000 $
- Years to complete college: 4
- College grad starting salary: 55000 $
- Total trade school cost: 15000 $
- Years to complete trade program: 1
- Trade grad starting salary: 48000 $
- Compare net position at year: 10
Results
- Higher net financial position: Trade School Path
- College path net position: $250,000
- Trade school path net position: $417,000
- Difference at comparison year: $167,000
What each field means
Inputs
- Total college tuition + fees ($)
- The total college tuition + fees used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 80000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Years to complete college
- The years to complete college used in the calculation. Starts at 4 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–6.
- College grad starting salary ($)
- The college grad starting salary used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 55000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Total trade school cost ($)
- The total trade school cost used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 15000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Years to complete trade program
- The years to complete trade program used in the calculation. Starts at 1 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0.5–3.
- Trade grad starting salary ($)
- The trade grad starting salary used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 48000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Compare net position at year
- The compare net position at year used in the calculation. Starts at 10 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 2–20.
Results
- Higher net financial position
- Returned as a plain value and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- College path net position
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Trade school path net position
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Difference at comparison year
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Does this include student loan interest?
No — add estimated loan interest to the tuition figure if you're financing either path, since interest can add substantially to the true total cost over a standard repayment term.
Why does trade school often win in early years?
Trade school grads start earning years earlier and with far less debt, giving them a head start in savings and net worth that a college degree's typically higher salary takes years to overcome.
Does salary growth rate matter here?
Yes significantly — this simple model uses flat starting salaries; in reality, career salary trajectories differ by field and should be modeled with growth rates for a more precise long-term comparison.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). College vs Trade School Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/college-vs-trade-school-cost
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/college-vs-trade-school-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">College vs Trade School Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [College vs Trade School Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/college-vs-trade-school-cost) (2026).