Willowbrook and South Los Angeles

Welding Schools Near Willowbrook

Willowbrook sits between two public welding programs: Compton College to the south and Los Angeles Trade-Technical College near downtown.

A welder in yellow gloves stick-welding a joint on a large steel pipe as sparks fall
Photo: Sergei Starostin / Pexels

What Are the Closest Welding Schools Near Willowbrook?

Compton College and Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATTC) are the closest welding schools near Willowbrook. Compton offers a welding Associate of Science and a certificate, with practice in SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW, cutting, layout, and pipe welding, at $1,142 a year for California residents. LATTC offers a full-time Welding Gas and Electric program plus GTAW and SMAW certificates.

South Los Angeles Welding Programs Compared

Both are low-cost community colleges; they differ in size and schedule.

Compton College

The closest option, with an AS and a certificate and pipe welding in the curriculum.

LATTC

A larger program near downtown: 51 welding certificates and 5 associate degrees conferred in 2024–25.

Schedule

LATTC's Welding Gas and Electric path is full time; its single-process GTAW and SMAW certificates are narrower.

Completion

College-wide completion was 27% at Compton and 35% at LATTC (fall 2021 cohort).

Welding Schools Near Willowbrook by the Numbers

CollegeTuitionCertificatesAssociateCompletion
Compton College$1,142in-state5127%
Los Angeles Trade-Technical College$1,238in-state51535%

Tuition and fees for a full-time year and welding credentials conferred, both 2024–25; completion is the college-wide federal graduation rate. Source: NCES College Navigator, retrieved September 24, 2026. Blank cells mean the college reports no figure for that field.

Welding Programs Near Willowbrook

Tuition on each card is the lowest 2024–25 full-time resident rate at these welding schools near Willowbrook.

Compton

Compton College, Compton, California

Offers an associate degree and a certificate in welding

  • Associate Degree
  • Pipe Welding
Tuition / year
$1,142
in-state, 2024–25
Welding awards
6
conferred 2024–25

Teaches Stick · MIG · TIG · Flux-cored · Pipe · Cutting

Los AngelesPublic, 2-year

Los Angeles Trade Technical College, Los Angeles, California

Offers an associate degree and 3 certificates in welding

  • Associate Degree
Tuition / year
$1,238
in-state, 2024–25
Welding awards
56
conferred 2024–25

Teaches Stick · TIG · Cutting · Fabrication

Welding Classes Near Willowbrook: How to Choose

Start at Compton College if you want the shortest commute and a degree path. Choose LATTC if you can commit to a full-time schedule or want a single-process certificate. South Los Angeles welding schools both prepare students for the structural, pipe, and AWS tests local employers use.

Welder Salary in California

Annual wages for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers across California (26,060 jobs; U.S. median $53,750). Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

Willowbrook Welding FAQ

How Much Does Welding School Cost Near Willowbrook?

2024–25 in-state tuition and fees were $1,142 at Compton College and $1,238 at LATTC.

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California · Salary

How Much Do Welders Make in California?

California welders earned a median $58,060 in May 2025. See pay in all 25 metro areas, from $64,320 in San Francisco to $46,850 in Visalia.

Guides, Careers and Pay

Sources

Reviewed September 24, 2026.

  1. compton.edu: Welding
  2. lattc.edu: Welding
  3. Federal IPEDS record 112686, U.S. Department of Education
  4. Federal IPEDS record 117724, U.S. Department of Education
  5. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025