Welding at San Jacinto College: Credentials, Campuses, and Careers

Texas employs more welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers than any other state, and the Houston metro sits at the center of that demand for welding jobs through ship channel, petrochemical, and pipeline work. San Jacinto College runs credit welding programs at two Houston-area locations, spanning short certificates and a 60-credit associate degree.

In-district tuition starts at $83 per credit hour, with AWS-aligned instruction and extensive booth time. The real constraint is schedule: program length follows lab availability more than catalog credits. Gulf Coast employers still hire on demonstrated weld tests, so the credential matters less than the position you can qualify and pass.

San Jacinto College Welding Credential Options

Which San Jacinto College welding credential fits your goal: a short occupational certificate, a focused process certificate, or the 60-credit AAS? The 2026-2027 catalog lists five credit-bearing welding options, plus noncredit courses through Continuing and Professional Development.

Credit-bearing credentials

• Welding Technology, Associate of Applied Science: 60 credits, designed as a two-year path. Capstone choices are WLDG 2413, WLDG 1408, or the work-based WLDG 2488.
• Welding Technology, Art-Welding, Occupational Certificate: 6 months and 17 credits.
• Welding, Combination Welder, Certificate of Technology: 6 months and 24 credits.
• Welding, Gas Shielded Welding, Certificate of Technology: 6 months and 24 credits.
• Welding, Industrial Welder, Level 2 Certificate: 18 months. Total credit hours are not published.

For three of the four certificate options, the published program listings expose a full credit count: 17 for art-welding and 24 each for combination and gas shielded welding. Students should confirm exact required courses and total semester hours with the welding department or an advisor, because credit totals can vary with catalog year and electives.

Stackable pathway details

The college presents certificates and the AAS as related options, but the catalog pages do not give a credit-by-credit map showing how many certificate credits apply toward the associate degree. Treat stackability as something to verify with an advisor rather than assume. The credential names suggest two broad skill areas: combination welding and gas shielded welding. The available listings do not itemize separate SMAW, GTAW, GMAW, or FCAW track names.

Continuing education and noncredit options

Noncredit welding courses are offered through Continuing and Professional Development. These use contact hours and CEUs instead of academic credit. Examples from the 2025-2026 publication include a 120-hour option earning 12 CEUs and a 128-hour option earning 12.8 CEUs with a listed cost of $332. As students compare Welding School Cost, note that these noncredit courses do not automatically apply to the certificate or AAS programs.

Accreditation and approvals

San Jacinto College holds institutional accreditation through SACSCOC. The 2026-2027 catalog pages for these welding credentials do not list separate SACSCOC accreditation per program, and they do not state AWS SENSE or NCCER approval for the AAS or certificates. If an employer or apprenticeship requires a specific approval, request current documentation from the welding department.

How Long Is the San Jacinto College Welding Program?

San Jacinto College publishes standard completion times for five for-credit welding credentials, ranging from roughly six months to two years. The figures below come from the college's program pages. Live class schedules, start dates, and part-time sequences are not consolidated in the current materials, so treat the published lengths as planning benchmarks rather than fixed schedules. The available pages do not list the current term's class meeting days or times for each campus.

Published Completion Times by Credential

• Art-Welding Occupational Certificate: 6 months, 17 credits, offered at Central and North campuses.
• Combination Welder Certificate of Technology: 6 months, 24 credits, Central and North.
• Gas Shielded Welding Certificate of Technology: 6 months, 24 credits, Central and North.
• Industrial Welder Level 2 Certificate: 1.5 years, Central and North.
• Welding Technology Associate of Applied Science: 2 years, 60 credits, Central and North.

Credit totals give a rough sense of workload. The art-welding certificate requires 17 credits, the combination and gas shielded certificates require 24 credits each, and the associate degree requires 60 credits. The six-month certificates and the longer credentials are listed without a separate part-time track in the available pages, so confirm with the department whether an extended sequence is possible if you are balancing work with school.

Campus Availability and Start Dates

For-credit welding programs appear at the Central and North campuses. Pasadena is not listed as a separate campus for credit welding in the retrieved pages; it shows up as Central Campus's location in a continuing education contact block. Because the for-credit pages name only Central and North, students specifically looking for a Pasadena location may need to verify whether that campus offers the credit sequence or only continuing education sections. Continuing education welding runs in fall, spring, and summer sessions, with registration directed to Central, North, South, or online. Specific 2026 class start dates and meeting times are not published in the materials reviewed, and no rolling enrollment period is described for for-credit programs.

Enrollment Capacity and Working-Student Schedules

Enrollment capacity and typical cohort size are not stated by campus in the available program pages and PDFs. Evening and weekend options for working students are also not listed as a standard offering. Although the college operates multiple campuses in the Houston area, the retrieved materials do not break out seat limits for welding at Central, North, or Pasadena. Because seat availability at welding schools in Texas can change term by term, contact the welding program directly for current schedules, part-time pacing, waitlist policies, and open sections before you apply.

If you need a fast path into entry-level welding work, the six-month certificates may be the most direct option. If you want broader training or an associate degree, plan for 1.5 to 2 years, and build in extra time if you intend to attend part-time or wait for a specific campus section. The best source for the next available section is the program contact or the college's current continuing education schedule.

What San Jacinto College Welding Costs: Tuition, Fees, Tools, and Consumables

$83 per semester credit hour is the in-district Texas rate for San Jacinto College in 2025-2026. Out-of-district Texas students pay $144, and out-of-state or international students pay $223. San Jacinto uses a simplified tuition structure with $0 in mandatory fees, so each semester's tuition is calculated by multiplying credit hours by the residency rate.

Tuition-Only Total for the Welding AAS

The Welding Technology Associate of Applied Science requires 60 credits and follows a standard welding school duration of about 24 months. Using the simplified rate, tuition-only totals are $4,980 for in-district students, $8,640 for out-of-district Texas students, and $13,380 for out-of-state or international students. These totals do not include tools, consumables, transportation, optional supplies, or any program-specific charges outside the simplified rate.

Important: the 60-credit total applies to the AAS. San Jacinto also lists four certificate credentials: Art-Welding Occupational Certificate (6 months, 17 credits), Combination Welder Certificate of Technology (6 months, 24 credits), Gas Shielded Welding Certificate of Technology (6 months, 24 credits), and Industrial Welder Level 2 Certificate (18 months). The credit-hour totals for three of those certificates are published, 17 for art-welding and 24 each for combination and gas shielded, so their tuition totals can be calculated from the per-credit rate; the industrial welder certificate's total is not published. For those programs, request a program plan from the welding department or an advisor.

Lab Hours and Materials

Welding courses can carry substantial lab time. For example, WLDG 1204 Fundamentals of Oxy-Fuel Welding and Cutting is 2 credits with 1 lecture hour and 3 lab hours per week, while WLDG 2480 Cooperative Education Welding is 4 credits with 1 lecture hour and 27 lab hours. The college does not publish a separate per-lab-hour fee in the simplified tuition figures, so the published per-credit rates should be read as tuition only, not a full cost of attendance. Students should budget separately for welding hoods, gloves, safety glasses, leathers, and consumable practice materials because those costs are not included in the published totals.

Continuing Education and Repeat Courses

Advanced continuing education welding courses are priced per course. For 2025-2026, Advanced Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (WLDG 55002, 120 hours) and Advanced Shielded Metal Arc Welding (WLDG 55008, 128 hours) each list at $332. That is a course price, not a per-credit-hour rate, and the listing does not state whether tools or consumables are included. Repeat courses add $75 per credit hour when a course has been attempted twice before and remains on the transcript.

Payment Deadlines and Other Costs

Payment deadlines are set by academic term and can change; check the current registration or tuition and costs page for exact dates. The published welding school cost figures do not include books, parking, transportation, or certification exam fees if those are charged separately.

Financial Aid and Scholarships for Welding Students

Financial aid makes San Jacinto College welding training more attainable than many applicants expect, but the strongest packages go to students who file early and pursue both federal and institution-specific funds.

Start With the FAFSA and Federal Aid

Use San Jacinto College's FAFSA school code 003609 to be considered for the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Direct Loans, PLUS loans, FSEOG, and Federal Work-Study. Pell eligibility depends on your financial need and enrollment intensity, so part-time welders may receive a reduced award. File the FAFSA early to meet state and institutional deadlines.

San Jacinto College Scholarships and Promise Funding

The college maintains more than 200 institutional scholarships through one general application that auto-matches students to eligible awards. The fall application cycle runs February 15 through July 30, and the spring deadline is October 30. Welding students interested in oil and gas careers should also check the Enbridge Industry Awareness Scholarship, which awards up to $500 to certificate or associate degree students in welding or engineering-related fields with at least a 2.50 GPA; its deadline is October 30, 2026.

The Promise @ San Jac program can cover in-district tuition, books, and required supplies for eligible full-time students who live in the San Jacinto College taxing district when they graduate from high school. It lasts up to three years, 72 credit hours, or the first associate degree, whichever comes first, and includes continuing education industrial trades credentials, with a maximum award of $4,680.

State Grants and Workforce Funds

Texas students who do not qualify for federal aid can complete the TPEG application for state-level assistance. San Jacinto College listings include the Texas Educational Opportunity Grant (TEOG), Texas Public Educational Grant (TPEG), and Texas College Work-Study Program (TCWSP).³ Workforce training may also be supported through continuing education funding tied to industrial trades credentials.

Veteran and Other Aid

Veteran benefits such as the GI Bill and the Hazelwood Act may be available, but San Jacinto College's published welding materials reviewed here do not detail a separate veteran-specific path for this program. Contact the Financial Aid Office at 281-998-6150 or [email protected] to verify current eligibility and required documentation.

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Admissions and Enrollment Steps for Welding Applicants

San Jacinto College uses open admission for welding, but onboarding steps must be completed before you can register and pay.

• Apply through ApplyTexas

  Start on San Jacinto College’s How to Apply webpage and submit your application through ApplyTexas. Welding applicants follow general college admission; there is no separate program admission requirement.
• Submit official transcripts

  Send official high school and college transcripts, plus high school equivalency verification if applicable.
• Complete placement testing

  Meet with an admissions or outreach advisor to determine required testing and document TSI exemption or compliance before registering.
• Complete New Student Orientation

  Required for first-time-in-college students, transfer students with fewer than 12 college hours, and prior dual credit students.
• Provide meningitis vaccination documentation

  Submit bacterial meningitis vaccination or booster proof before registration if it applies to your student category or age.
• Meet with a welding advisor

  Review WLDG course prerequisites, including reading level 2 and writing level 2 for some courses, and plan your credential path with the Central or North welding contact.
• Register and pay through SOS

  Use the SOS registration system to enroll and pay tuition. After payment, a free student ID is available from an admissions office at least 24 hours later.

San Jacinto College Welding Campuses: Central, North, and Pasadena

Welding training in the Houston region has shifted toward consolidated, technology-backed lab spaces, and San Jacinto College's campus footprint reflects that change.

Central Campus: The Welding Hub

At Central Campus at 8060 Spencer Hwy. in Pasadena, the LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy, and Technology anchors the welding program. The complex opened in fall 2019 and measures 151,000 square feet. Inside, students train in a main welding suite with 120 stations and 28 grinding booths, and an outdoor welding cage provides additional room for larger work. The equipment mix is built mainly around Lincoln Electric machines, with Lincoln RealWeld diagnostics, a virtual welder, and Miller CST-280 units also in use. - Processes taught: SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW, and oxy-fuel - Materials and positions: Carbon and stainless steel plate and pipe, all positions

North Campus: Active but Less Detailed

North Campus at 5800 Uvalde Road in Houston is an active San Jacinto welding location. Central and North both fielded teams in the 2026 Battle of the Campuses Welding Competition, which points to a functioning welding technology department on each campus. San Jacinto does not publish the same station-by-station facility inventory for North as it does for Central, so a campus visit is the best way to compare lab size and equipment. Registration contacts: North is at the Welcome Center, Room N-6.108a; Central is at the Interactive Learning Center, Room C-1.128. No separate scheduling differences for Central and North are currently published, so ask the welding department about day, evening, and fast-track options at each location.

Pasadena Means Central Campus

Students often ask about the Pasadena campus. The welding address 8060 Spencer Hwy., Pasadena, TX 77505 is actually Central Campus, not a separate Pasadena Campus welding facility. That is a useful distinction: the Pasadena location is Central's home. It also places welding students near the Houston Ship Channel industrial corridor. San Jacinto has partnered with employers in that corridor, including through the Turner Industries mentorship program, to help students move from training into industrial work. If you hear "San Jac Pasadena welding," this is the Central Campus welding program.

Booth Time and Ratios

San Jacinto does not currently publish a welding student-to-instructor ratio or a formal per-student booth-time policy. The clearest published capacity information is Central's 120 welding stations and 28 grinding booths, along with the outdoor cage, which suggests meaningful hands-on time when enrolled in a scheduled lab section. Actual booth access depends on enrollment, class section, and enrollment type: credit certificate, degree, or continuing education.