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Is Tidewater Tech-Trades worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Tidewater Tech-Trades, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Heavy lift
Tidewater Tech-Trades lands in the heavy lift band for a typical family. The combination of $26,366 in yearly net price and $9,500 in median debt asks a lot relative to median earnings of $31,657. For context, Tidewater Tech-Trades's net price is about 3% above the typical Less than 2-year, private for-profit school. This does not make the school wrong for every student, but it does mean the price deserves a closer test.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 31 similar Less than 2-year, private for-profit schools
This school
$23,843
/yrAverage school like this
$23,242
/yrNet price is slightly above average
You'd pay about $601 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $2,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price is manageable, but it makes the aid offer matter a lot.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$26,366
Median earnings 10 years out
$31,657
Median debt at graduation
$9,500
Graduation rate
73%
At Tidewater Tech-Trades, a typical graduate carries about $9,500 in student debt and earns roughly $31,657 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $108 per month, or 4% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $10,143 less than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
52% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
Tidewater Tech-Trades is a two year school in Norfolk, VA. For many families, the real question is not just sticker price but what this path unlocks next, whether that is direct employment, transfer, or a lower cost route into a four year degree.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
2-year
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Manassas
Manassas, VA
Worth-It Score: 64/100
Median net price: $27,320
2-year
Chester Career
CHESTER, VA
Worth-It Score: 57/100
Median net price: $24,259
2-year
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Norfolk
Norfolk, VA
Worth-It Score: 63/100
Median net price: $23,046
2-year
ECPI
Virginia Beach, VA
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $22,965
2-year
Paul Mitchell the School-Roanoke
Roanoke, VA
Worth-It Score: 43/100
Median net price: $20,318
Common questions about Tidewater Tech-Trades
The median net price at Tidewater Tech-Trades is $26,366 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →