Job training programs in Santa Cruz, California
49 programs in 23 fields, with costs, results and funding that can make them free
4 schools offer these programs with classes in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville area, and every one is approved for workforce funding. Compare the fields below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.
All job training programs in California, including online programs
Compare job training in Santa Cruz: cost, pay and results
A field with too few programs here for a page of its own opens the California list, filtered to the Santa Cruz-Watsonville area.
| Training | Programs | Most cost | Earned a year, estimated | Working 6 months later | Finished |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Culinary school | 10 | $100 to $3,092 | Not reported | Not reported | 97% |
| Medical assistant training | 4 | Too few figures to show | |||
| Business administration programs | 4 | Too few figures to show | |||
| Dental assistant programs | 3 | Too few figures to show | |||
| IT training | 3 | Too few figures to show | |||
| Accounting and bookkeeping classes | 3 | Too few figures to show | |||
| Early childhood education programs | 2 | Too few figures to show | |||
| Administrative assistant training | 2 | Too few figures to show | |||
| Construction training programs | 2 | Too few figures to show | |||
| Web and graphic design courses | 2 | Too few figures to show | |||
| Human services programs | 2 | Too few figures to show | |||
| CNA classes | 1 | Too few figures to show | |||
| CDL training | 1 | Too few figures to show | |||
| Phlebotomy training | 1 | Too few figures to show | |||
| Pharmacy technician training | 1 | Too few figures to show | |||
| RN programs | 1 | Too few figures to show | |||
| EKG technician programs | 1 | Too few figures to show | |||
| Fire academy | 1 | Too few figures to show | |||
| Radiology tech programs | 1 | Too few figures to show | |||
| Dental hygiene programs | 1 | Too few figures to show | |||
| Addiction counselor training | 1 | Too few figures to show | |||
| Digital marketing courses | 1 | Too few figures to show | |||
| Personal trainer certification | 1 | Too few figures to show | |||
Each figure is the middle program of that field in this area. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate.Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools in Santa Cruz may offer more. How these figures are made
Where the Santa Cruz job training numbers come from
Which Santa Cruz programs are counted?
Programs with classes in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville area that the state they're in approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act). Online programs are on the state pages. Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).5 They come from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Santa Cruz offers.
What the figures for each field mean
Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where a figure is missing, the table says why: "Not reported", "Left out" or "Not enough data" (what each means).
Sources for the funding facts about job training in Santa Cruz
Show the 5 sourcesHide the sources
- US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
- US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
- Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
- US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
- US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List