Veteran Trade Schools

VA-approved welding programs in Texas

Quick answer

Welding training in Texas is spread across 66 cities, with Houston the largest at 13 locations.

VA's GI Bill® Comparison Tool lists 99 welding training locations in Texas with 228 approved programs: 91 with school programs and 8 with apprenticeship or on-the-job training. 3 have a VA caution flag.

Before you enroll, open the VA profile to confirm the exact program, and ask the School Certifying Official to confirm your start date. [VA: Choosing a GI Bill approved school]

99 locations, by city

Alvin College

Alvin, TX
VA profile for Alvin College (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program Public
  • Cert Welding Technology CERT2 Tdcj
  • Cert Welding Technology Cert 1 Tdcj
  • Certificate: Welding Technology 2
  • Certificate: Welding Technology Cert 1

Accredited (regional)

Coastal Bend College

Beeville, TX
VA profile for Coastal Bend College (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program Public VA caution flag
  • Certificate: Fundamentals of Welding-GMAW Opt
  • Certificate: Welding Level II

VA caution flag: Heightened Cash Monitoring

VA caution flag: School placed on Heightened Cash Monitoring. The Department of Education has placed this school on Heightened Cash Monitoring because of financial or federal compliance issues. Learn more about Heightened Cash Monitoring

GI Bill students (all programs): 67Accredited (regional)

Show all 99 locations

Cisco College

Cisco, TX
VA profile for Cisco College (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program Public
  • Certificate: Advanced Welding Tech Level II
  • Certificate: Pipe Welder Apprentice Level I
  • Certificate: Structural Welder Tech Level I

GI Bill students (all programs): 154Accredited (regional)

Navarro College

Corsicana, TX
VA profile for Navarro College (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program Public
  • Cert Welding Technology Level II
  • Certificate: Entry Level Welding Ewc
  • Certificate: Gas Tungsten and Metal Arc Welding
  • Certificate: Production Welder
  • Certificate: Sheilded Metal Arc Welding SMAW

GI Bill students (all programs): 256Accredited (regional)

Dallas College

Dallas, TX
VA profile for Dallas College (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program Public
  • Gas Metal Arc Welding GMAW Occp Skills A
  • Gas Metal Arc Welding- GMAW
  • Gas Tungsten Arc Welding- GTAW
  • Gas Tungsten Arc Welding- GTAW Occp Ski
  • Multiple Processes Welding Occ Skls Awd
  • Rising Welder Osa
  • +5 more

GI Bill students (all programs): 1,547AccreditedStudent complaints in VA data: 1

South Texas Welding School LLC

Edinburg, TX
VA profile for South Texas Welding School LLC (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program For-profit
  • Cert 101 Stick Welding - Structural
  • Cert 102 Stick Welding Pipe
  • Cert 104 Heli Arc Welding Pipe
  • Cert 105 Heliarc Welding Plate
  • Cert 106 Cooper Nickle Welding
  • Cert 107 Fluxcore Welding Pipe
  • +4 more

GI Bill students (all programs): 3Not accredited (accreditation is not required for VA approval of many trade programs)

Clc INC

Forest Hill, TX
VA profile for Clc INC (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program Private
  • Welding Training Program

GI Bill students (all programs): 3Not accredited (accreditation is not required for VA approval of many trade programs)

Houston City College

Houston, TX
VA profile for Houston City College (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program Public
  • Cert Advanced Pipe Welding
  • Cert Combination Pipe Welding Lvl 1
  • Cert Introduction to Pipe Welding
  • Cert Structural Welding Level 1
  • Cert Welding Technician
  • Welding Automation

GI Bill students (all programs): 1,834Accredited (regional)Student complaints in VA data: 2

Industrial Welding Academy

Houston, TX
VA profile for Industrial Welding Academy (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program For-profit
  • Certificate: Flux Core Arc Welding
  • Certificate: Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
  • Certificate: Pipe Welding
  • Certificate: Shielded Metal Arc Welding

GI Bill students (all programs): 2Not accredited (accreditation is not required for VA approval of many trade programs)

Griffins Industrial Welding School LLC

Katy, TX
VA profile for Griffins Industrial Welding School LLC (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program For-profit
  • Advanced Stick TIG Welding - Cert
  • Aluminum Welding - Cert
  • Intermediate to Shield Metal Arc Weld
  • Intro to Shield Metal Arc Weld Gas Metal

GI Bill students (all programs): 7Not accredited (accreditation is not required for VA approval of many trade programs)

Central Texas College Main Campus

Killeen, TX
VA profile for Central Texas College Main Campus (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program Public
  • Cert Industrial Welding Transition Clk
  • Cert Industrial Welding Transition Sem
  • Cert Pipe Welding Level 1 Clk Hrs
  • Cert Pipe Welding Level I Sem Hrs
  • Cert Pipe Welding Level II Sem Hrs
  • Cert Structural Welding -Clock Hrs
  • +3 more

GI Bill students (all programs): 3,215Accredited (regional)Student complaints in VA data: 1

Laredo College

Laredo, TX
VA profile for Laredo College (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program Public
  • Cert Welding Assistant Certification I
  • Cert Welding Tech W Concentration Struct
  • Cert Welding Tech with A Concentr Pipe W

GI Bill students (all programs): 128Accredited (regional)

Angelina College

Lufkin, TX
VA profile for Angelina College (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program Public
  • Certificate: Advanced Welding Technology
  • Certificate: Welding Technology- Basic
  • Certificate: Welding Technology- Intermediate

GI Bill students (all programs): 143Accredited (regional)Student complaints in VA data: 1

Palo Alto College

San Antonio, TX
VA profile for Palo Alto College (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program Public VA caution flag
  • Gas Metal Arc Welding Occupational Skill
  • Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Occupational Sk
  • Inert Gas GTAW GMAW Welder Msgw LVL1
  • Shielded Metal Arc Welding Occupational
  • Welding Entry Level Level 1
  • Welding Technology Level 1
  • +1 more

VA caution flag: Flight Program - Suspended for 85/15 violation

GI Bill students (all programs): 943Accredited (regional)

Texas State Technical College-Waco

Waco, TX
VA profile for Texas State Technical College-Waco (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program Public
  • Structural and Pipe Welding C2
  • Welding Technology - Advanced Pipe CER2
  • Welding Technology - Advanced Processes
  • Welding Technology - Structural CER1

GI Bill students (all programs): 837Accredited (regional)Student complaints in VA data: 1

Source: VA GI Bill Comparison Tool program data, retrieved October 23, 2026. School details come from VA's data file dated October 8, 2026. The list is sorted by city, then name. It isn't a ranking.

Common questions

How many GI Bill-approved welding programs are in Texas?

VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool lists 228 approved programs at 99 locations in Texas as of October 23, 2026. That's about 7% of the 1,352 welding locations in VA's data nationally. By type: 57 public colleges and technical schools, 30 for-profit schools, 8 employers and apprenticeship sponsors, 4 private nonprofit schools.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]

Which cities in Texas have welding programs?

By number of locations: Houston (13), San Antonio (6), El Paso (5), Austin (4), Corpus Christi (3), Fort Worth (3) and 60 more cities.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]

Are there paid welding apprenticeships in Texas that take the GI Bill?

Yes. 8 locations offer VA-approved on-the-job training in Texas (8 programs); 5 of them are registered apprenticeships. With the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you're paid wages plus a monthly housing payment that steps down every six months.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool] [VA: On-the-job training and apprenticeships]

Do any welding schools in Texas have VA caution flags?

Yes. 3 locations have a VA caution flag. Each flag is shown on its listing in VA's wording. Read it before you enroll.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]

Other trades in Texas

← All Welding programs · Does the GI Bill cover welding school?

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “GI Bill Comparison Tool”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
  2. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “GI Bill Comparison Tool data (ComparisonToolData.xlsx)”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
  3. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Choosing a GI Bill approved school”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.