Located in Troy, Ohio, the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology identifies itself as the largest welding school in the country. The school was founded in 1930, and has trained more that 85,000 people. Prospective students are required to have a high school diploma or a GED and submit a $100 application fee as of 2011. Tuition, books, room, and board cost $23,000 to $27,000 for the first program, Combination Structural and Pipe Welding, and $13,000 to $16,000 dollars for the second program, Structural Welding. Students are available to receive financial aid and/or grants. Program 1 takes 36 weeks to complete; Program 2 takes 21 weeks.
The Welder Training and Testing Institute was originally founded in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1968. At that time it was called the Breeden School of Welding. Today the institute offers two different types of programs: a program intended for beginning welders, and an advanced program for experienced welders. The cost of each program depends on the number of credit hours in the curriculum. In order to pursue enrollment with the Welder Training and Testing Institute, students need to fill out an application and pay a $75 application fee.
The Welding Program of the Lincoln Technical Institute has campuses located in East Windsor, Connecticut and Grand Prairie, Texas. The Lincoln Technical Institute begins welding instruction with a 10-hour course in welding safety, which will earn them a OSHA certification card. Students then learn a variety of welding techniques, including gas metal arc welding, stick welding, plasma arc cutting, and the interpretation of welding symbols on construction plans. School cost will depend upon the specific program; the Lincoln Technical Institute encourages potential students to contact them with financial queries.
The Tulsa Welding School has campuses in both Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Jacksonville, Florida. The Master Welder program takes seven months to complete, or the Structural Welder Program can be completed in three and a half months. In addition to their standard curriculum, the Tulsa Welding School offers summer workshops and welding competitions. All courses in the Tulsa Welding School have an emphasis on hands-on training. Students can expect to spend four days a week welding and one day a week in the classroom.