If you want to become successful in a lucrative profession that offers you stability, learning how to weld sounds like a good option.
Dallas offers plenty of job opportunities and is home to many trade schools ready to prepare you for a future career in welding.
With so many options out there, it is wise to gain as much information as possible before submitting your application.
To help you choose the school that best meets your educational needs, we have compiled a list of good welding programs located in Dallas and the nearby region.
We invite you to use our list as a starting point in your research.
Dallas College Bill J. Priest Center
With several campuses located in different parts of the city, Dallas College provides a variety of training programs that are designed to prepare students for a career immediately after graduation.
Their welding program is offered at the Eastville and Mountain View campuses and can lead to either a Degree or a Certificate.
The Associate of Applied Science program is 4-semester-long but the college also offers 2-semester long programs that can lead to one of the following certificates:
- Machinist Certificate
- Gas Metal Arc Welding Certificate (GMAW)
- Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Certificate (GTAW)
- Shield Metal Arc Welding Certificate (SMAW)
Tuition for certificate programs is in the $1,200-$1,400 range, depending on the program you choose, while the AAS program costs approximately $4,700 for Dallas County residents.
Address: 801 Main St. Dallas, TX 75202
Universal Technical Institute
If you’re looking for a program that prepares you for a career in welding in less than one year, the Universal Technical Institute offers good training options for you.
Offered at its Dallas/Fort Worth campus, the Institute’s welding programs can be completed in less than nine months and trains students in four different welding processes: GMAW, GTAW, FCAW, and SMAW.
Students enrolled in this program also learn about the general principles of welding, pipe welding, safety, engineering, and fabrication.
Address: 5151 Regent Blvd, Irving, TX 75063
Lincoln College of Technology
Another good training option is the welding program offered by Lincoln Tech at its Grand Prairie campus.
This program covers SMAW, GMAW/MIG, FCAW, and GTAW/TIG welding techniques and a variety of other classes, including pipefitting, metal fabrication techniques, welding plate metal, carbon steel plates, aluminum, and stainless steel.
Students enrolled in this program also learn how to weld in horizontal, vertical, and overhead settings.
Graduates are ready to sit for certification tests and entry-level employment.
Address: 2915 Alouette Drive Grand Prairie, TX 75052
MT Training Center
MT Training Center offers a variety of welding classes as part of their 31-week Combination Welding program.
The program includes 1070 clock hours, consisting of 500 hours of classroom lectures and 570 lab hours.
Students learn shield metal arc welding, flux-core welding, gas tungsten arc welding, and introduction to pipe welding.
The program also includes other classes, such as blueprint reading, welding pre-employment skills, and technical mathematics.
According to the school’s website, tuition is $16,345 and students also have to pay a $100 registration fee.
To be eligible for admission you need a high school diploma, GED, or a passing score at the Wonderlic Basic Skills Test.
Address: 1801 S. Great Southwest Pkwy Grand Prairie, TX 75051
Texas State Technical College
Texas State Technical College offers plenty of educational options at its 100,000-foot North Texas campus.
The Welding Technology program can lead to either a degree in Associate of Applied Science or a Certificate.
The AAS program can be completed in 16 months.
If you want to enroll in a certificate program then you can graduate in 4 to 16 months, depending on the program.
Students can choose between different areas of certification:
- Structural Welding -12-months
- Structural and Pipe Welding-16 months
- Basic Welding-Multiple Processes- 4 months.
Tuition varies between $3,500 and more than $16,000.
Address: 119 North Lowrance Red Oak, TX 75154
UA Local 100
UA Local is a charter school of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters and provides five-year apprenticeships and continuing education classes for pipefitters, welders, plumbers, and HVACR service technicians.
Apprenticeships start at $16 per hour while journeyman programs start at $32.38.
The compensation package also includes a plus health insurance and pension.
If you want to learn hands-on the ins and outs of the welding profession and be remunerated for the work done, it’s worth looking at the programs offered by UA Local.
Address: 3010 Interstate 30 Mesquite, TX 75150
Collin College
Located in McKinney, Colling College offers a variety of educational programs, including an Associate of Applied Science in Welding Technology and several other certification programs in welding.
The school’s catalog includes a 15-credit-hours Occupational Certificate-Entry Welding Certification, a 29-credit-hours Level 1 Certificate-Gas Shielded Welding, and a Level 2 Certificate in Welding Technology.
The programs are designed to provide students with the skills needed for entry-level employment.
Address: 3452 Spur 399 - McKinney, Texas 75069
Community Learning Center
Community Learning Center offers an 8-week welding training program that covers manual and semi-automated welding processes.
Students can choose between day shift hours and evening shift hours.
During the first week of training, students learn in a classroom setting about safety, blueprints, measuring tools, hand tools, and shop math.
After the first week, they start the hands-on portion of the training.
Classes consist of 16 students maximum and the program also offers job assistance
Tuition is $3,500.
Address: 6220 Anglin Dr, Forest Hill, TX 76119, United States
Tarrant County College
Tarrant County College offers a variety of training programs at its five campuses.
The Basic Welding Technician program offered by the college can be completed in 1 year and includes five main courses.
Students enrolled in this program learn about:
- Flux Cored Arc Welding
- Layout and Fabrication
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding
- Gas Metal Arc Welding
- Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
After graduation students are ready for entry-level employment.
Address: 5301 Campus Drive Fort Worth, TX 76119