Advertising & independence disclosure
- Page last updated October 25, 2026
Registered Trade Schools does not sell ratings or placement. Schools and sponsors can’t pay for a better rating or placement, or to change directory data or listing order. We do not rank schools or sponsors.
How listings are chosen and ordered
Apprenticeship sponsors come from the public DOL OA Partner Sponsors file. Trade school rows come from College Scorecard / IPEDS Field of Study data filtered to trade-related CIP codes. Lists sort by name and place — never by payment. Methodology.
What no one can pay for
- Changing DOL or Scorecard data, or inventing school/sponsor rows.
- Changing the order of listings, or getting a better position in them.
- Being listed when the public source does not include them.
- Editorial content: guides, figures, and citations.
Ways we may earn money, and how each is labeled
| Type | Status | Where it can appear | How it's labeled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Featured program (paid listing) | Not active | Directory and trade pages, in a box set apart from the data list | "Featured program (paid listing)". Flat fee only — never per enrollment, lead, or click. |
| Partner / affiliate links | Not active | Guides and trade hubs | Marked as partner/affiliate with rel="sponsored" when applicable. |
| Display advertising | Not active | Guides and some directory chrome | "Advertisement". Never on methodology, link-to-us, or printable counselor handouts. |
We will update this page before any of these goes live. Questions: Contact.
Independence
Registered Trade Schools is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Labor, the Department of Education, VA, DoD, or any school or union. Confirm programs on official sources before you enroll.