Did you know according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that there are over 428,000 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers in the United States? And, it’s projected to have a 2% growth from 2021 to 2031. Though slow, it’s still a considerable growth.
And the best part is that Texas houses lots of welders, in fact, there is a claim that the state of Texas houses more welders than anywhere else, and that could also be true for welding schools Texas.
Not only do they have some of the best welding schools, but they also have some of the top massage schools and some very affordable community colleges
How Long Does It Take To Become a Welder in Texas
It depends on the program you are offering. An Associate of Applied Science in welding will take two (2) years or approximately 16 months to complete, whereas some certificate courses can take between 22 hours to 1 year or 8 months depending on the level.
Welding Schools Texas
1. Texarkana College
- Duration:
- 2 years Associate Degree
- 1-year certificate program
- 1-semester award
- Tuition: $7,185
Texarkana College provides its welding classes in two welding training site locations for your convenience. You can see from the duration that they provide three kinds of welding classes, an associate degree, a certificate program and a semester class, it all depends on which is best for you.
Also, they operate a hybrid class, where there is a blend of face-to-face and online classes.
Texarkana College prepares its students for a reputable career by covering some topics like Welding Safety, Tools, and Equipment; Advanced Shielded Metal Arc Welding; Advanced Gas Metal Arc Welding, etc.
2. Universal Technical Institute – Welding Technology Training Program (Dallas)
- Duration: 36 weeks
One of the interesting things about this welding school in Texas is that they provide over $15 million in grants and scholarships each year. Also, the program was created in alliance with industrial leader Lincoln Electric.
The University Technical Institute provides important welding courses that will enable you to sit for a national Certification exam.
Some of their courses include;
- Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
- Engineering and Fabrication
- Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)
Etc.
3. Texas State Technical College – Welding School Brownsville TX
- Duration:
- 16 months of Associate Degree
- 12 months of a certification program
- Cost: $11,666 – $18,420
This is one of the best welding schools in Texas that gives your money back if you didn’t get what was promised, how many schools have you seen provide such an offer? Well, I don’t think there will be any reason to request your money back because they live up to your expectation with their top-of-the-line technology and small class sizes.
To add to that, their training is one-on-one which gives you the chance to properly learn what you need. To spice it up, they also provide scholarships and grants to those that have financial constraints.
4. Lincoln Tech – Welding Technology Training
- Tuition: $20,562 – $34,270
This is among the welding colleges in Texas that have been providing exceptional welding education since 1960. Moreover, their welding program is recommended and supported by the student chapter of the American Welding Society, which means they live up to their claim.
Also, the school provides more than $20 million in Grants and Scholarships for their students to help reduce the financial burden.
5. Northeast Texas Community College
- Cost: $3329 annually, for Associate Degree in Welding
NTCC easily fits into our top welding schools Texas due to their provision of different welding programs which including
- An Associate Degree in Welding
- Basic Structure Welding Certificate
- Basic Welding Certificate
- Fab-Auto Body/ Auto Tech Welding Certificate
- Pipe Welding Fabrication Certificate
6. South Texas Vocational Technical Institute – Combination Welding Training Program
- Duration: 10 Months
- Tuition: $14,500
One of the reasons I love STVT welding school Brownsville TX is the program it provides, instead of the regular welding program, they provide a Combination Welding Program. Unlike a regular welder, a combination welder understands two or more different welding processes and can apply them to various projects.
Their combination Welding program emphasizes hands-on learning and workplace safety.
Within the 10 months, you’ll be learning some courses like Open V grooves; Flat and horizontal welds; Stainless steel grooves; CNC cutting; Plasma arc cutting, etc.
7. Southern Careers Institute
- Duration: 7 months
This is among the welding schools Texas that provide top industry-experienced instructors to provide the best hands-on education to their students. They will offer you the skills and knowledge needed to perform modern welding tasks in a variety of industries through theoretical knowledge and practical lab-based work.
8. North Central Texas College
- Duration
- One Semester for Basic Welding Level Certificate
- One Year for Level 1 Welding Certificate
- Two years for AAS Degree in Welding
Just like most top welding schools in Texas, NCTC provides hands-on training in multiple welding processes including Oxy-Fuel and Cutting, Shielded Metal Arc, Gas Metal Arc, Gas Tungsten Arc, and Flux Cored Arc. Also, to ensure each student faces the in-demand of professional welders, each student is required to pass two welding tests for each process. Successful students can then receive a qualification for that process.
9. Central Texas College – Welding Technology
- Tuition per semester
- Residents in-district: $1,500
- Out-of-district: $1,860
- International: $3,750
CTC on the other hand provides three level certificates;
- Farm and Ranch (Lv1): simple welding you can do in your house
- Structural (Lv1): has to do with building and structural welding
- Welding Technology (Lv2): more advanced and you can even go and own your business at this level.
They also provide an associate degree in Welding Technology.
10. Arclabs Welding School
With Arclabs Welding School’s 56,000 square feet, 3 classrooms, 100 welding booths, Outdoor simulator, and Resource lab, you’re guaranteed to enjoy every step of learning to become a professional welder in this school.
11. Western Texas College
- Duration:
- two-year Associate in Applied Science Degree curriculum
- One-year certificate.
WTC is among the welding schools Texas that focus on practical experience and applications from business and industry. Their classes are taught with a hands-on approach, which gives students the opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the program and prepares students to successfully enter welding careers.
12. Kilgore College – Welding Technology
- Duration:
- 2 years Associate in Applied Science
- 1-year advanced welding certificate
- 22 hours basic welding certificate
Kilgore College also provides both AAS and certificate programs I’m welding technology.
13. Lamar Institute of Technology – Welding Degree Program
- Duration: 2 years
- Tuition: $80 per semester credit hour for Texas residents and $488 per semester credit hour for non-Texas residents.
Through Lamar Institute of Technology, you’ll learn fillet welds and v-groove welds as well as pipe using SMAW, GMAW, FCAW and GTAW welding processes. Also, you’ll learn the safe and efficient techniques used in modern welding applications.
14. Hill College
Hill College offers both a Certificate in Basic Arc Welding and an Associate of Applied Science Degree. The school is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to help students get a jump start on their careers.
15. Blinn College District
The Blinn College District is one of the welding schools Texas that provides entry-level to advanced levels in a variety of welding processes such as Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), etc. They provide 4 different types of welding programs which are;
- AAS in Welding Technology
- Certificate Level-1 in Welding Technology
- Certificate Level-2 in Welding Technology
- Occupational Skills Award in Welding Technology
16. South Plains College
South Plains College will be focusing on some areas like welding processes, welding procedures, blueprint reading, welding metallurgy, plate welding, pipe welding, pipe fitting, etc.
17. Texas Southmost College
This is among the welding colleges in Texas that provides 3 programs in welding;
- Welding Fundamentals: $2,500
- Fitter Welder $2,000
- Advanced Welding TIG $875
Conclusion
You have seen that Texas houses several prestigious welding schools, and you can either decide to do a short certificate course or an associate degree.
