So, you’re interested in becoming an electrician? In 2025, that’s a pretty smart choice. In a country where so many people are being punished by dysfunctional job markets, electricians are experiencing the opposite. Electrician job prospects are currently twice the national average, so picking the best schools to get the best jobs is crucial.
There are generally two common paths laid out for electricians: college and apprenticeship. Both will essentially get you to the same place, so picking which route you want to take is more about personal preference than anything else. Apprenticeships are more rigorous and longer, but they tend to produce the best specialty electricians. Going to a trade school allows you to branch out more in the type of electrician work you want to do before settling on one field.
Picking a college for a trade is often more difficult than it would be if you were studying something more abstract. Most top schools for other fields likely won’t have an electrician’s training program. If you want to be at the top of a trade, there’s a lot of research you need to do to have a complete overview of each school’s program.
Richard J. Daly College
Chicago, Illinois
Not far from the heart of one of America’s most influential cities sits City Colleges of Chicago’s public two-year trade school. They pride themselves on their athletic facilities and several sports teams made up from their student body.
The school’s primary focus is advanced manufacturing, but they also have a world-class electrical construction technology program, offering three levels of study:
- Basic Certificate
- Advanced Certificate
- Associate’s Degree in Applied Science
Each program has a different level of study required, but they’ll all get you into the business. You may want to specifically look at the associate’s degree, as that’s going to get you the furthest in the field the quickest.
Daley College also has a local apprenticeship program, so you can get both hands-off and hands-on experience. This school is considered by some to be the best college in the country for electricians.
Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana is by far the most versatile school on this list. Of the 56 programs Ivy Tech offers, four of them are directly related to electrics. For example, they have a construction program that offers electrical wiring, carpentry, and management. They offer this for anyone who wants to work on any kind of job site.
Ivy Tech is also one of few schools on this list to offer an electrical engineering program for those who want to be on the more theoretical or developmental ends of the field. In addition, they have a computer electrics program, which is a department not many other schools boast.
Ivy Tech has been particularly interested in giving education to low-income students from local high schools, allowing them to build a trade and enter the workforce at a higher, more specialized level. If you live in the area, you may especially want to take a look.
Community College of Allegheny County
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Just across the bridge, one of hundreds in the city of 3 rivers and across from Downtown Pittsburgh, sits the main campus of the Community College of Allegheny County. CCAC is just down the road from Pittsburgh’s main football field, baseball field, and several museums. It’s also 2 blocks away from the country’s only independent indoor non-profit aviary, which may not teach you about wiring, but it will certainly enrich your educational experience. Pittsburgh, as a city, has had a kind of rocky history with public works and environmentalism that has, in the last half-century, been gradually rectified. This city is a hidden gem of inland America, and CCAC sits a short hop away from its heart.
CCAC has a top of the line apprenticeship program that functions as an associate’s degree, in addition to your classes. If you have another job or a family, though, and still want a CCAC level of education, they offer a shorter online associate’s degree program that will easily allow you to take care of your own and other people’s lives while you study to be an electrician. What more could you want?
Dallas College
Dallas, Texas
The beautiful North Lake campus, where an electrician student would likely go, is situated towards the outskirts of the City of Dallas. This doesn’t mean, however, that the area isn’t lively. The wider Dallas area is made up of several cities. This means you’re also pretty close to central Fort Worth and Arlington, but you still get a lot of green space on campus.
Dallas College’s Electrical Technology program has produced a number of talented electricians, and is one of the top 10 schools of the highest electrician’s salary post-grad, after obtaining an Associate’s in Applied Science. Additionally, if you get to this school and realize the engineering path is more your style, Texas has tons of amazing engineering programs you could transfer into.
Those Are Some of the Best Colleges for Electricians
Whether you want an apprenticeship, schooling, or a combined experience, one of these top trade schools, community colleges, or universities is right for you. These are the schools that can best set you up for a successful future career in electrical construction, no matter what field you look at.
