Picking a dive school is never easy. Whether it be cost, reputation, the curriculum or the area of the school.

1. The first and foremost issue confronting aspiring divers is that of tuition costs and the ability to come up with cash. The government is quick to give you loans but that is money that has to be paid back over time and it usually takes a long time, contrary to what most people are told.
2. The second is; What is the reputation of the school? How long have they been around? What are other divers saying about who graduated from there? It is vital that you do your homework when researching to make sure you are getting what you want and not to mention what you pay for.
3. Thirdly, just like reputation, be sure to know what their specific core curriculum is and what that entails. If they say one of their main areas of expertise is welding or burning then be sure you are trained in that and everything else that they promise as part of that aforementioned curriculum.

Below is a list of schools and information for those wanting to better research commercial diving. (The below costs are taken directly from their websites and are subject to change) Also, many commercial dive schools bury their tuition costs on a disclosure page.

Dive School->	The Divers Academy International	The Ocean Corporation	The Divers Institute of Technology	CDA	Minnesota Commercial Diver Training Center
Tuition / Living Cost	≈$32k	≈$21k (tuition only)	≈$25k(tuition only)	≈$34k	≈$14k (tuition only)
Campus Type	Urban	Urban	Urban	Urban	Rural / Small Town
Location	Erial NJ	Houston TX	Seattle WA	Jacksonville FL	Brainerd MN
Website Link					mncdtc.com/home.html
Program Duration	6 Months	7 months	7 Months	20 Weeks	11 Weeks

  4.  The area of the school can also play a factor on how you decide on a commercial diving school. Do you like the convenience of a city which comes with a fast paced environment or do you prefer a slower laid back lifestyle with a price to match?

Dive School->	Commercial Divers International	National University  Polytechnic Institute	Commercial Diving  Technologies	The International Diving Institute
Tuition / Living Cost	≈24k (tuition only)	≈18k (tuition only)	≈15k (tuition only)	≈26k
Campus Type	Suburban	Urban	Suburban	Urban
Location	Goodyear AZ	San Diego CA	Hudson FL	Charleston SC
Website Link	divecdi.com	nupolytech.org	cdtdiving.com	idicharleston.edu
Program Duration	28 Weeks	8 months	5 months	16 Weeks

No matter what your decision of commercial dive school is always remember this. Every dive school will tell you how they are different and how they set themselves apart from the other schools. In other words, they will tell you why they are the right choice and the other programs are the wrong choice. It is important for you to do ALL the research you can so you get the education, cost, lifestyle and surroundings you want that will make your months of learning somewhat comfortable and conducive to learning.

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Questions? Comments? Email us at: comments@industrialdiver.com