States with the most retraining programs

Key facts
- #1 California: 28 programs
- #2 Massachusetts: 28 programs
- #3 Kentucky: 25 programs
- 51 states ranked across the United States
- Data as of November 2026
- 1California 28 programs
- 2Massachusetts 28 programs
- 3Kentucky 25 programs
- 4Texas 25 programs
- 5Vermont 21 programs
- 6Maine 17 programs
- 7Washington 16 programs
- 8South Carolina 15 programs
- 9Alabama 14 programs
- 10Arkansas 14 programs
What stands out
- The lead is wide: California (28 programs) is well clear of Arkansas at #10 (14 programs).
- Small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.
Why this ranking matters
What it shows
Retraining is one of the most useful kinds of help for someone changing fields. The number of open state retraining and tuition programs shows where more options exist.
How to use it
If you want to retrain, look at your state's programs and your local American Job Center, which can often connect you to funded training.
The top 25
- 1
California
28 programs
- All state programs
- 52
- Relocation incentives
- 0
- American Job Centers
- 183
- 2
Massachusetts
28 programs
- All state programs
- 44
- Relocation incentives
- 3
- American Job Centers
- 24
- 3
Kentucky
25 programs
- All state programs
- 37
- Relocation incentives
- 6
- American Job Centers
- 73
- 4
Texas
25 programs
- All state programs
- 36
- Relocation incentives
- 5
- American Job Centers
- 170
- 5
Vermont
21 programs
- All state programs
- 28
- Relocation incentives
- 0
- American Job Centers
- 12
- 6
Maine
17 programs
- All state programs
- 27
- Relocation incentives
- 1
- American Job Centers
- 11
- 7
Washington
16 programs
- All state programs
- 27
- Relocation incentives
- 0
- American Job Centers
- 39
- 8
South Carolina
15 programs
- All state programs
- 25
- Relocation incentives
- 3
- American Job Centers
- 39
- 9
Alabama
14 programs
- All state programs
- 21
- Relocation incentives
- 1
- American Job Centers
- 44
- 10
Arkansas
14 programs
- All state programs
- 22
- Relocation incentives
- 3
- American Job Centers
- 21
- 11
Georgia
14 programs
- All state programs
- 23
- Relocation incentives
- 0
- American Job Centers
- 38
- 12
Iowa
14 programs
- All state programs
- 22
- Relocation incentives
- 0
- American Job Centers
- 18
- 13
North Dakota
14 programs
- All state programs
- 21
- Relocation incentives
- 3
- American Job Centers
- 9
- 14
Kansas
13 programs
- All state programs
- 24
- Relocation incentives
- 5
- American Job Centers
- 23
- 15
New York
13 programs
- All state programs
- 47
- Relocation incentives
- 3
- American Job Centers
- 87
- 16
Utah
13 programs
- All state programs
- 18
- Relocation incentives
- 0
- American Job Centers
- 30
- 17
Oklahoma
12 programs
- All state programs
- 19
- Relocation incentives
- 1
- American Job Centers
- 32
- 18
Connecticut
11 programs
- All state programs
- 22
- Relocation incentives
- 0
- American Job Centers
- 16
- 19
Florida
11 programs
- All state programs
- 19
- Relocation incentives
- 3
- American Job Centers
- 97
- 20
Louisiana
11 programs
- All state programs
- 20
- Relocation incentives
- 3
- American Job Centers
- 56
- 21
Minnesota
11 programs
- All state programs
- 23
- Relocation incentives
- 1
- American Job Centers
- 54
- 22
Oregon
11 programs
- All state programs
- 23
- Relocation incentives
- 1
- American Job Centers
- 38
- 23
Arizona
10 programs
- All state programs
- 19
- Relocation incentives
- 4
- American Job Centers
- 48
- 24
Hawaii
10 programs
- All state programs
- 16
- Relocation incentives
- 0
- American Job Centers
- 5
- 25
Indiana
10 programs
- All state programs
- 30
- Relocation incentives
- 5
- American Job Centers
- 71
Full ranking
All 51 states that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | State | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 28 programs | – |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 28 programs | – |
| 3 | Kentucky | 25 programs | – |
| 4 | Texas | 25 programs | – |
| 5 | Vermont | 21 programs | – |
| 6 | Maine | 17 programs | – |
| 7 | Washington | 16 programs | – |
| 8 | South Carolina | 15 programs | – |
| 9 | Alabama | 14 programs | – |
| 10 | Arkansas | 14 programs | – |
| 11 | Georgia | 14 programs | – |
| 12 | Iowa | 14 programs | – |
| 13 | North Dakota | 14 programs | – |
| 14 | Kansas | 13 programs | – |
| 15 | New York | 13 programs | – |
| 16 | Utah | 13 programs | – |
| 17 | Oklahoma | 12 programs | – |
| 18 | Connecticut | 11 programs | – |
| 19 | Florida | 11 programs | – |
| 20 | Louisiana | 11 programs | – |
| 21 | Minnesota | 11 programs | – |
| 22 | Oregon | 11 programs | – |
| 23 | Arizona | 10 programs | – |
| 24 | Hawaii | 10 programs | – |
| 25 | Indiana | 10 programs | – |
| 26 | Alaska | 9 programs | – |
| 27 | Michigan | 9 programs | – |
| 28 | Montana | 9 programs | – |
| 29 | Nebraska | 9 programs | – |
| 30 | New Mexico | 9 programs | – |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | 9 programs | – |
| 32 | Wisconsin | 9 programs | – |
| 33 | Colorado | 8 programs | – |
| 34 | Maryland | 8 programs | – |
| 35 | Mississippi | 8 programs | – |
| 36 | Virginia | 8 programs | – |
| 37 | Wyoming | 8 programs | – |
| 38 | Idaho | 7 programs | – |
| 39 | Nevada | 7 programs | – |
| 40 | New Hampshire | 7 programs | – |
| 41 | Missouri | 6 programs | – |
| 42 | New Jersey | 6 programs | – |
| 43 | North Carolina | 6 programs | – |
| 44 | South Dakota | 6 programs | – |
| 45 | Delaware | 5 programs | – |
| 46 | Illinois | 5 programs | – |
| 47 | Rhode Island | 5 programs | – |
| 48 | District of Columbia | 4 programs | – |
| 49 | Ohio | 4 programs | – |
| 50 | West Virginia | 4 programs | – |
| 51 | Tennessee | 3 programs | – |
How this ranking works
A state's score is the number of open or rolling retraining and tuition programs the state itself offers in our benefits catalog.
Programs are from our benefits catalog and counted only when open or rolling. The catalog is built by research and is not a complete list of every program, so read the counts as a guide.
Sample bar: states with fewer than 0 jobs are not ranked.
Sources: NextChapter benefits catalog: open and rolling state retraining and tuition programs. Data as of November 2026.
Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.
Questions
- Which state ranks first: states with the most retraining programs?
- California has the most open retraining and tuition programs in our benefits catalog: 28 programs.
- How many states are ranked?
- 51 states have at least 0 states, so the list has 51 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- A state's score is the number of open or rolling retraining and tuition programs the state itself offers in our benefits catalog. Programs are from our benefits catalog and counted only when open or rolling. The catalog is built by research and is not a complete list of every program, so read the counts as a guide.
- How often is it updated?
- Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.
More rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “States with the most retraining programs,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/states-with-the-most-retraining-programs
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/states-with-the-most-retraining-programs">States with the most retraining programs (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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