How CollegeLens builds the Trade Worth-It Score

Trade Worth-It Score is a directional decision aid for apprenticeship, community college, employer-sponsored, and private trade-school paths. It compares training cost with time to journeyman and the wage range available in the state where you plan to train and work.

The earnings denominator comes from the BLS OEWS state wage release when a publishable state row exists. If a state row is suppressed, CollegeLens falls back to the national median so the path still has a consistent baseline.

The score rewards low-cost paths that move you into paid work quickly and penalizes high-cost paths where the training bill takes too large a share of early career earnings. Paid apprenticeship and employer-sponsored programs often score well because the upfront borrowing need is close to zero.

For the apprenticeship path, CollegeLens also draws on the U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Database System (RAPIDS) and Apprenticeship.gov performance data to show real completion rates, typical program length, wage progression, and program counts where they are available. This information is informational context and does not change the score. It is based on DOL Registered Apprenticeships; Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs) and private, non-registered programs are not included. When this data is not yet available for a trade, the dashboard uses standard published apprenticeship timelines instead.

Trade Worth-It Score is not a guarantee of admission, completion, or wages. It is a structured way to compare common training routes before you commit your time or sign for debt.