965 schools · federal data
Welding schools compared
965 schools in our data award certificates or associate degrees in welding: 950 certificate programs and 440 associate programs. Graduates of the typical certificate program earned $42,730 a year after finishing and $47,694 four years after.
What counts: the Department of Education groups programs by field, and this field covers precision metal working: welding, machining, CNC and sheet metal.
Where welding graduates earn the most
Typical first-year earnings of certificate graduates, by state. Tap a state for its programs.
Certificate or associate degree?
| Certificate | Associate degree | |
|---|---|---|
| Programs | 950 | 440 |
| Graduates in 2023-24 | 61,530 | 5,098 |
| Typical earnings 1 year after | $42,730 | $49,355 |
| Typical earnings 4 years after | $47,694 | $58,100 |
| Typical median debt | $7,768 | $11,466 |
Associate graduates in welding started out earning $6,625 more a year than certificate graduates, but an associate degree usually takes longer.
Highest-earning welding certificate programs
Programs with at least 10 graduates in 2023-24, ranked by median earnings one year after graduation.
| School | Type | Credential | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids, MI | Public university | Certificate | 27 | $72,223 | $79,641 | $16,529 |
| Lee CollegeBaytown, TX | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 159 | $70,412 | $62,998 | n/a |
| Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical CollegeBowling Green, KY | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 527 | $69,657 | n/a | $6,000 |
| Jefferson Community and Technical CollegeLouisville, KY | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 357 | $65,286 | $59,962 | $6,500 |
| Hennepin Technical CollegeBrooklyn Park, MN | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 89 | $64,415 | $69,442 | n/a |
| Eastern Iowa Community College DistrictDavenport, IA | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 158 | $61,035 | n/a | n/a |
| Gateway Community and Technical CollegeFlorence, KY | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 257 | $60,680 | $60,507 | $4,813 |
| Bluegrass Community and Technical CollegeLexington, KY | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 531 | $60,604 | $60,198 | $9,045 |
| Idaho State UniversityPocatello, ID | Public university | Certificate | 52 | $59,367 | $82,683 | $6,500 |
| Elizabethtown Community and Technical CollegeElizabethtown, KY | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 331 | $59,272 | $50,712 | $7,103 |
| Saint Paul CollegeSaint Paul, MN | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 56 | $58,976 | $62,541 | $8,875 |
| Vincennes UniversityVincennes, IN | Public technical school | Certificate | 42 | $58,633 | $62,871 | $5,500 |
| School of Automotive Machinists & TechnologyHouston, TX | For-profit trade school | Certificate | 23 | $57,952 | $51,062 | $9,846 |
| Anoka Technical CollegeAnoka, MN | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 169 | $57,915 | $64,648 | $5,500 |
| Emily Griffith Technical CollegeDenver, CO | Public technical school | Certificate | 30 | $57,453 | $51,887 | n/a |
Highest-earning welding associate programs
| School | Type | Credential | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivy Tech Community CollegeIndianapolis, IN | Public community or technical college | Associate degree | 144 | $69,427 | $75,002 | $5,900 |
| Hennepin Technical CollegeBrooklyn Park, MN | Public community or technical college | Associate degree | 26 | $68,632 | $76,020 | $11,033 |
| Des Moines Area Community CollegeAnkeny, IA | Public community or technical college | Associate degree | 20 | $65,355 | $75,145 | n/a |
| Pennsylvania College of TechnologyWilliamsport, PA | Community college | Associate degree | 76 | $63,054 | $70,298 | $19,500 |
| Anoka Technical CollegeAnoka, MN | Public community or technical college | Associate degree | 11 | $62,495 | n/a | n/a |
| Dunwoody College of TechnologyMinneapolis, MN | Private 2-year college | Associate degree | 27 | $60,388 | $70,886 | $12,000 |
| Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and TechnologyWichita, KS | Public community or technical college | Associate degree | 46 | $57,475 | n/a | $7,625 |
| Green River CollegeAuburn, WA | Community college | Associate degree | 17 | $56,806 | n/a | n/a |
| Southeast Community College AreaLincoln, NE | Public community or technical college | Associate degree | 39 | $54,590 | $63,811 | $9,417 |
| Thaddeus Stevens College of TechnologyLancaster, PA | Community college | Associate degree | 58 | $54,231 | $68,071 | $12,000 |
| Metropolitan Community College AreaOmaha, NE | Community college | Associate degree | 36 | $53,959 | $54,754 | n/a |
| State Technical College of MissouriLinn, MO | Community college | Associate degree | 57 | $52,814 | $63,519 | $11,899 |
| Lake Area Technical CollegeWatertown, SD | Community college | Associate degree | 34 | $52,506 | $51,201 | $11,000 |
| Ranken Technical CollegeSaint Louis, MO | Nonprofit trade school | Associate degree | 14 | $52,485 | $68,297 | n/a |
| Tulsa Welding School-TulsaTulsa, OK | For-profit trade school | Associate degree | 49 | $52,182 | $55,612 | $16,000 |
Largest welding programs
By number of graduates in 2023-24.
| School | Type | Credential | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulsa Welding School-HoustonHouston, TX | For-profit trade school | Certificate | 1,170 | $40,148 | $47,367 | $9,500 |
| Ivy Tech Community CollegeIndianapolis, IN | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 1,027 | $45,087 | $53,579 | $5,500 |
| Tulsa Welding School-JacksonvilleJacksonville, FL | For-profit trade school | Certificate | 984 | $40,148 | $47,367 | $9,500 |
| ArclabsPiedmont, SC | For-profit trade school | Certificate | 599 | $43,267 | $48,541 | $9,500 |
| Bluegrass Community and Technical CollegeLexington, KY | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 531 | $60,604 | $60,198 | $9,045 |
| Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical CollegeBowling Green, KY | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 527 | $69,657 | n/a | $6,000 |
| Tulsa Welding School-TulsaTulsa, OK | For-profit trade school | Certificate | 516 | $40,148 | $47,367 | $9,500 |
| South Texas CollegeMcAllen, TX | Community college | Certificate | 492 | $39,309 | $45,926 | n/a |
| Maysville Community and Technical CollegeMaysville, KY | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 490 | $41,726 | n/a | $7,606 |
| Northwood Technical CollegeRice Lake, WI | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 471 | $50,067 | $54,941 | $5,500 |
| Texas State Technical CollegeWaco, TX | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 470 | $45,978 | $52,527 | $5,500 |
| Northshore Technical Community CollegeLacombe, LA | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 417 | $34,067 | $41,162 | $9,750 |
| Mesa Community CollegeMesa, AZ | Public technical school | Certificate | 388 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Owensboro Community and Technical CollegeOwensboro, KY | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 383 | $38,731 | $67,174 | $4,979 |
| Central Georgia Technical CollegeWarner Robins, GA | Public community or technical college | Certificate | 367 | $38,616 | $37,169 | n/a |
Welding schools by state
Fewer than 3 schools: Delaware (2), Hawaii (2), Rhode Island (1). See each state's trade school page.
Frequently asked questions
How many welding schools are there?
965 schools on the College Scorecard awarded at least one welding certificate or associate degree in the last two years we have data for: 950 certificate programs and 440 associate programs.
How much do welding program graduates earn?
Graduates of the typical welding certificate program earned a median of $42,730 one year after finishing and $47,694 four years after, in 2024 dollars. For associate degrees the one-year figure was $49,355. Pay varies a lot by school and state, so check the program tables.
Which welding program has the highest earnings?
Among certificate programs with at least 10 graduates, Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI had the highest median earnings one year after graduation: $72,223.
How much debt do welding students take on?
At the typical certificate program, graduates who borrowed federal loans left with a median of $7,768. Many trade students borrow nothing, so check each school's net price and aid first.
Other trades: HVAC · Electrician · Plumbing · Carpentry · Construction trades · Auto and diesel mechanic · Heavy equipment mechanic · Truck driving (CDL) · Cosmetology and barbering · Culinary arts · Medical assistant · LPN and CNA · Dental assisting and hygiene · Phlebotomy and medical lab · EMT, surgical tech and imaging · Medical billing and coding · Massage therapy · Paralegal
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (institution and field of study files), data release of October 15, 2026. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working, not enrolled. What each figure covers.