How Much Does Welding School Cost in Texas?
At a Texas community college, a full-time year of welding school costs about $1,863 to $3,600 in tuition and fees for 2024–25 if you live in the college district. Tarrant County College in Fort Worth ($1,863) and Alvin Community College ($1,906) are the cheapest. Texas State Technical College charges $7,212 in-state, and Southwest University at El Paso charges $16,000. Budget another $500 to $2,550 a year for books and supplies.
If you live inside a Texas community college district, a full-time year of welding school costs roughly $1,863 to $3,600 in tuition and fees (2024–25). That is the range across more than 20 public colleges, from Tarrant County College in Fort Worth at the low end to North Central Texas College in Bowie at the top. Two schools sit well above it: Texas State Technical College at $7,212 in-state and Southwest University at El Paso at $16,000.
Where you live matters almost as much as which school you pick. Texas community colleges charge district residents far less than everyone else, and books and gear can add another year of tuition on their own. Here is how the numbers break down across the state’s big metros.
Texas Welding Tuition, School by School
Every figure below is tuition and fees for a full-time year, 2024–25, from NCES College Navigator. The first price column is the in-district rate unless marked otherwise. The second is what a student from out of state pays.
| School | City | Tuition and fees | Out-of-state | Books and supplies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant County College | Fort Worth | $1,863 | $8,370 | $1,350 |
| Alvin Community College | Alvin | $1,906 | $4,402 | $2,104 |
| Collin College | Allen | $2,014 | $6,064 | $2,220 |
| Houston Community College | Houston | $2,040 | $5,460 | $2,250 |
| College of the Mainland | Texas City | $2,310 | $4,140 | $2,000 |
| Panola College | Carthage | $2,352 | $5,232 | $1,500 |
| Tyler Junior College | Tyler | $2,400 | $4,512 | $1,000 |
| San Jacinto College | Pasadena | $2,490 | $6,690 | $1,470 |
| Lee College | Baytown | $2,520 | $5,190 | $1,502 |
| Dallas College | Mesquite | $2,730 | $6,900 | $550 |
| Lone Star College | Cypress | $3,330 | $9,390 | $2,550 |
| St Philip’s College | San Antonio | $3,412 | $9,952 | $500 |
| Hill College | Hillsboro | $3,570 (all students) | $2,000 | |
| El Paso Community College | El Paso | $4,080 (in-state) | $6,630 | $1,291 |
| South Texas College | McAllen | $4,920 | $7,620 | $1,600 |
| Texas State Technical College | Abilene | $7,212 (in-state) | $11,812 | $1,508 |
| Southwest University at El Paso | El Paso | $16,000 (all students) | $1,400 |
Blank cells mean the school charges one rate to everyone. For the full ranking by quality rather than price, see the best welding schools in Texas.
What Welding School Costs in Houston
Houston has the most welding schools in the state, and most of them are cheap for district residents. Houston Community College charges $2,040 a year in-district and conferred 239 welding awards in 2024–25. It suits you if you want a certificate in combination pipe, structural or automated welding without leaving the city.
San Jacinto College in Pasadena charges $2,490 and awarded 534 welding credentials, one of the biggest counts of any public college in Texas. Pick it if you want a large program with a TIG skills award and an Art-Welding certificate alongside the usual AAS.
South of the city, Alvin Community College ($1,906) and College of the Mainland in Texas City ($2,310) are the budget picks. College of the Mainland lists in-district tuition of $924 per semester for 12 credit hours on its certificates, which helps if you plan to go part time. Lee College in Baytown ($2,520) adds a welding inspection certificate if you already weld and want to move toward inspection work.
Lone Star College in Cypress is the priciest Houston-area community college on this list at $3,330, with the highest books-and-supplies estimate ($2,550). Browse every option on the Houston welding schools page.
Dallas-Fort Worth and North Texas Costs
North Texas has the single cheapest program in the state. Tarrant County College in Fort Worth charges $1,863 a year in-district. If you live near Fort Worth or North Richland Hills, start there.
Collin College in Allen ($2,014) is the pick if you work a day job. It runs full-time cohorts in the morning, afternoon or evening Monday through Thursday, plus a weekend cohort on Saturday and Sunday.
Dallas College costs a bit more at $2,730 but has the lowest books-and-supplies estimate in the region at $550. Its Rising Welder certificate takes about four months, and its single-process certificates take about eight. See the Dallas welding schools page for campuses near you.
Farther out, Navarro College in Corsicana ($3,008), Grayson College in Denison ($3,052), Hill College in Hillsboro ($3,570) and North Central Texas College in Bowie ($3,600) cost a little more but serve smaller towns. If you live east of Dallas, the Greenville page lists the closest programs, and the Paradise page covers the area northwest of Fort Worth.
East Texas: Low Tuition, Big Program Totals
Tyler Junior College ($2,400) and Panola College in Carthage ($2,352) keep yearly tuition low. Panola lists AWS D1.1 and ASME Section IX pipe certifications in its department, so it suits you if you want pipe work.
Trinity Valley Community College in Athens has a mid-range yearly rate of $2,640, but it is the one East Texas school that publishes a full-program total: $16,500 for four semesters, including tuition, fees and books. That is a useful reminder that a yearly tuition figure is only part of the bill. Near Palestine? The Palestine page shows what is within driving distance.
San Antonio, the Rio Grande Valley and El Paso
St Philip’s College in San Antonio charges $3,412 in-district, higher than most Houston and Dallas colleges. It makes up some of that with a books-and-supplies estimate of only $500, and the program is an AWS Accredited Testing Facility. The San Antonio page lists the city’s other options.
In the Valley, South Texas College in McAllen charges $4,920 in-district and conferred 521 welding awards in 2024–25. Its structural certificate runs two semesters and its combination certificate three. If you live near Donna, the Donna page lists nearby schools.
El Paso has two very different price points. El Paso Community College charges $4,080 in-state with day and evening schedules. Southwest University at El Paso charges $16,000 for its 14-month certificate. You would pay about four times as much at Southwest University for a year, so it only makes sense if its schedule or start dates fit you far better.
What a Full Program Costs, Not Just One Year
Yearly tuition is the easiest number to compare, but you pay for the whole program. A few Texas colleges publish full-program figures:
- Alvin Community College: about $4,975 in tuition and fees for the full A.A.S. in-district, or $8,035 out-of-district. The shorter CERT1 runs $1,986 and CERT2 $4,105 in-district. Add a tool kit of about $1,600.
- Tarrant County College: $4,440 in-county for the full AAS in 2026–27, with textbooks and materials extra. The Basic certificate runs $1,628 and the Advanced certificate $1,480.
- College of the Mainland: $1,155 per semester for 15 credit hours in the AAS.
- Trinity Valley Community College: $16,500 for four semesters, books included.
The pattern: a short certificate at a district college can cost $1,480 to $1,986 in total tuition. A two-year associate degree at Tarrant or Alvin lands at $4,440 or about $4,975 before books and tools. Trinity Valley’s figure is much higher, and it already counts books, so compare it with the others only after you add their book and tool costs.
Books, Tools and Living Outside the District
Books and supplies run from $500 at St Philip’s College to $2,550 at Lone Star College. For many programs, that line is as big as tuition itself, because welding students buy helmets, gloves, jackets and hand tools.
The bigger trap is residency. Lone Star College costs $3,330 in-district and $9,390 out-of-state. Tarrant County College jumps from $1,863 to $8,370. Before you pick a school across town, check which college district your home address falls in.
Is the Cost Worth It in Texas?
Texas welders earned a median of $53,340 in May 2025, according to BLS, and pay runs higher in Odessa, Midland and the Houston area. A district community college program costing a few thousand dollars can pay for itself quickly. For metro-by-metro pay, read the companion guide on welder salary in Texas, the national welder salary table, or the welder career page. For the full training path, see how to become a welder in Texas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Cheapest Welding School in Texas?
Tarrant County College in Fort Worth had the lowest in-district tuition and fees among Texas welding programs for 2024–25, at $1,863 for a full-time year. Alvin Community College was close behind at $1,906.
Does It Cost More to Attend a Texas Community College Outside Your District?
Yes. Texas community colleges charge more if you live outside their taxing district. At Houston Community College, 2024–25 tuition and fees were $2,040 in-district and $5,460 out-of-state. At St Philip's College in San Antonio the out-of-state figure was $9,952.
How Much Is the Whole Welding Associate Degree in Texas?
Alvin Community College lists about $4,975 in tuition and fees for its full A.A.S. in-district, and Tarrant County College lists $4,440 for its full AAS in 2026–27. Trinity Valley Community College lists $16,500 for four semesters including books.
Do Welding Students in Texas Have to Buy Their Own Tools?
Often, yes. Alvin Community College says its tool kit runs about $1,600 on top of tuition. Books and supplies across Texas programs ranged from $500 to $2,550 a year in 2024–25.
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