10 Best Trade Schools inTexas

Page Navigation

Trade schools are a viable option for students who want to build a successful and rewarding career but can’t afford 4 years of college.

There are many professions you can choose from and many schools that promise to help you get the skills you need to excel at your dream job.

Texas schools offer a variety of vocational programs and choosing the right one can be a difficult task.

In order to help you, on this page we have selected 10 of the best vocational programs in the region.

If you decided that a trade school may be the path you want to pursue, then read our list and start searching for the right school.


Search Programs

Get information on programs by entering your zip code and request enrollment information.

Sponsored Search


State FlagTrade Schools by City


1The College of Health Care Professions

The College of Health Care Professions offers many training programs at its 8 campuses in Texas for students who want to start a new career in health care.

CHCP is accredited by The Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).

The school also offers online programs.

Enrollment. Applicants must hold a high school diploma or GED.

Prospective students must also pass CHCP’s entrance evaluation prior to enrollment.

Fees. Tuition varies between $11,300 and $42,500, depending on the program.

Financial aid is available to students who qualify.

Courses offered:

The following programs are offered on-campus:

  • Cardiac Sonography – Associates
  • Cardiovascular Sonography – Associates
  • Dental Assistant – Certificate
  • Diagnostic Medical Sonography – Associates
  • Health & Medical Administrative Services Completion Program – Associates
  • Limited Medical Radiologic Technologist with MA Skills – Certificate
  • Medical Assistant – Certificate
  • Medical Office Specialist – Certificate
  • Vocational Nurse – Certificate
  • Nursing (LVN to RN Completion) – Associates
  • Pharmacy Technician – Certificate
  • Physical Therapy Technician – Certificate
  • Surgical Technologist – Associates
  • Medical Coding & Billing – Certificate
  • Rehab Technician – Certificate

Contact information:


2SCI Harlingen Trade & Vocational School

With campuses in Austin, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Harlingen, Pharr, San Antonio, Waco, and Online, Southern Careers Institute offers programs in the medical, skilled trades, beauty and business career fields.

Program duration varies, but most courses can be completed in less than 12 months.

Southern Careers Institute is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education.

Enrollment. Applicants must hold proof of high school graduation or GED equivalent.

Prospective students are invited to an interview with an Admissions Representative and a tour of the campus.

Fees. Tuition varies between $11,900-$18,450, depending on the program.

As an accredited school, the school participates in many financial aid programs.

Courses offered:

The Institute offers the following programs on-campus:

  • Administrative Assistant
  • Business Accounting Specialist
  • Cosmetology
  • Medical Assistant
  • Medical Billing and Coding
  • Medical Office Specialist Training Program
  • Nurse Aide
  • Pharmacy Technician
  • Computer Support Specialist
  • Automotive Service Technician
  • Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator
  • Electrical Technician
  • HVAC Technician
  • Welding

Program available online:

  • Business Accounting Specialist
  • Computer Support Specialist
  • Medical Billing and Coding
  • Management (Associate Degree)

Contact information:

  • Austin Main Campus is located at 1701 W Ben White Blvd., Suite 100, Austin, TX 78704
  • Phone: 1.833.SCI.TEXAS
  • Website: https://scitexas.edu

3South Texas Vocational Technical Institute

With more than 40 years of experience as a trade school, South Texas Vocational Technical Institute provides students with career training education that’s designed to help them prepare for the job market.

South Texas Vo-Tech campuses in Weslaco and Brownsville are accredited by The Council on Occupational Education (COE).

South Texas Vo-Tech campuses in Corpus Christi, McAllen, and San Antonio are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC).

Enrollment. Applicants need a high school diploma, GED or equivalent.

Fees. Total costs vary between $10,915 and $24,708, depending on the program.

Courses offered:

  • Dental Assisting
  • Medical Administrative Assisting Technology
  • Medical Assisting
  • Professional Massage Therapy
  • Air Conditioning Heating and Refrigeration
  • Automotive Service Technician
  • Combination Welding
  • Diesel Heavy Truck
  • Computer Accounting Specialist

Contact information:

  • Brownsville Campus is located at 2144 Central Blvd., Brownsville, TX 78520
  • Corpus Cristi Campus is located at 2000 S Padre Island Dr., Corpus Christi, TX 78416
  • McAllen Campus is located at 2400 W Daffodil Ave., McAllen, TX 78501
  • San Antonio Campus is located at 734 SE Military Dr., San Antonio, TX 78214, USA
  • Weslaco Campus is located at 2419 E Haggar Ave., Weslaco, TX 78599, USA
  • Phone: 888-822-4046
  • Website: https://www.stvt.edu

4Arclabs Welding School

Founded in 2006, Arclabs offers comprehensive welding programs that focus on training, qualification, and job placement.

The school offers a variety of courses designed to meet individual student needs: from programs for students with no previous experience to advanced welding training.

Arclabs is nationally accredited by ACCET and the training facilities are NCCER accredited.

Enrollment. Applicants must be at least 18 years old or 17 years with parental consent and hold a high school diploma or GED.

Prospective students must meet the visual and physical requirements that a welding career demands.

Fees. The 900-hour Advanced Welding Program costs $15,850 if completed within normal time.

Financial aid programs are also available to students who qualify.

Courses offered:

  • 400-Hour Welding Program
  • 280-Hour Specific Process Program
  • 120-Hour Pipe Welding Program
  • 900-Hour Advanced Welding Program

Training seminars:

  • 80-Hour Welder Improvement Course
  • 64-Hour Specific Process Course
  • OSHA 30-Hour, Construction or General Industry
  • OSHA 10 Hour, Construction or General Industry

Contact information:

  • The school is located at 2615 Highway 153, Piedmont, SC 29673
  • Phone: 864.236.9995 / 877.647.4111
  • Website: https://www.arclabs.edu

5Universal Technical Institute

The Universal Technical Institute offers automotive specialized training at its two Texas campuses.

Students train on current models using state-of-the-industry technology to diagnose, repair and maintain.

UTI Dallas-Ft. Worth awards Associate of Occupational Studies degrees to Automotive Technology II and Automotive/Diesel Technology II graduates. All other graduates receive diplomas.

A graduate of UTI’s automotive, diesel or collision programs can substitute training for one year of work experience toward ASE’s two-year work requirement.

The Houston Campus is one of only three campuses to offer the collision repair training program.

Graduates can earn up to nine I-CAR recognitions and certificates.

Each UTI school is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC).

Fees. Tuition for the Diploma Programs is between $30,095 and $53,765, depending on the program.

Courses offered:

  • Automotive Technology Program
  • Diesel Technology Program
  • Welding Technology Training Program – at Dallas-Ft. Worth Campus
  • Collision Repair & Refinish Technology – at Houston Campus

Contact information:

  • Dallas/Forth Worth Campus is located at  5151 Regent Boulevard, Irving, TX 75063
  • The Houston Campus is located at 721 Lockhaven Drive, Houston, TX 77073
  • Phone: 800-834-7308
  • Website: https://www.uti.edu

6Houston Trade Training

The Houston Trade Training is offering career-training for HVAC technicians and electricians.

Students can graduate in two months or less.

The Houston Trade Training programs have over 2000 graduates to date.

The HVAC program prepares students for a career in the world of residential or commercial climate control.

Through hands-on training, students learn how to perform service and repair procedures, and gain an understanding of electricity, electronic control mechanisms, air conditioning and refrigeration, and heating system fundamentals.

The HVAC program also offers EPA Certification training.

The Electrician program is designed to prepare students for careers as residential or commercial electricians.

Hands-on training teaches students how to perform service and repair procedures and gain an understanding of electricity, electronic control mechanisms, and other electric system fundamentals.

Enrollment. Potential students can enroll by filling out a form that can be found on the school’s website.

Fees. Training fees vary between $999-$3,499, depending on the program.

Courses offered:

  • HVAC Training Program
  • Electrician Training Program

Contact information:


7Texas School of Continuing Education and Recruitment

The Texas School of Continuing Education and Recruitment is a certified career and trade school with 4 campuses in Texas.

TSCER offers trainers, mentorship after course, recruitment, and job readiness assistance.

The school also provides financial assistance for need-based, unemployed, disabled residents and eligible veterans.

TSCER has branches in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin.

Convenient training schedules for morning, evening and weekends are designed to accommodate student schedules.

Fees vary by program and full or partial scholarships are available for qualifying students.

Courses offered:

  • Cell Phone Repair Training
  • Book Keeping & Quickbooks Accounting
  • Business Analyst for IT Professionals
  • Big Data & Hadoop
  • Medical Record & Health Information Technician
  • Network & System Admin Training
  • Digital Marketing & SEO
  • SAP FICO
  • SAP HANA
  • Cloud Security Professional

Contact information:

  • The Sugar Land campus is located at 12808 W Airport Blvd Suite 300 Sugar Land, TX 77478
  • Phone: 832-2401-786
  • The San Antonio campus is located at 4203 Woodcock Drive Suite 209 San Antonio TX, 78228
  • Phone: 210-871-0678
  • The Dallas campus is located at 13140 Coit Road, Suite 370, Dallas,
    TX 75240
  • Phone: 972-687-7746
  • The Austin campus is located at 4203 Woodcock Drive Suite 209 San Antonio, TX 78228
  • Phone: 512-598-1898
  • Website: https://tscer.org

8Fortis College

Fortis College in Houston South provides career education and training in the healthcare and medical fields.

The College offers a variety of diploma programs designed to assist adult students in enhancing their career opportunities.

Students can be ready to begin a career in the healthcare field upon graduation.

Fortis Institute is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.

Courses length varies between 600-1550 hours.

Enrollment. Prospective students must be high school graduates or possess a recognized equivalent of a high school diploma.

Applicants must be at least 17 years old at the time they start the program.

All Medical Technology programs require that the student be at least 18 years of age at the time he or she starts the clinical/externship part of the program.

Fees. The total cost varies between $15,889 and $31,510, depending on the program.

Financial aid is also available to qualifying students.

Courses offered:

  • Surgical Technology
  • Medical Assisting
  • Sterile Processing Technician
  • Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration
  • Medical Billing and Coding
  • Healthcare Management

Contact information:


9Central Texas Beauty College

Central Texas Beauty College has been offering cosmetology and manicuring courses at its two campuses for over 60 years.

The College’s Round Rock and Temple cosmetology school campuses offer cosmetology, manicuring and instructor courses.

The school has a 100% State Board Pass Rate.

The Institute tests students internally to make sure they know the state requirements before taking the state board tests.

The courses at both campuses have been approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

Central Texas Beauty College is accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts & Sciences (NACCAS) and approved by the U.S. Department of Education.

Enrollment. Applicants need personal identification and proof of education (high school diploma or equivalent).

Students who want to apply for financial aid also need to provide financial information.

Fees. Tuition is $10,000 for the 1500-hour Cosmetology class, $4,900 for the 600-hour Manicuring Course and $5,000 for the 750-hour Instructor Course.

Financial aid is also available to qualifying students.

Courses offered:

  • Manicuring
  • Cosmetology
  • Instructor Training

Contact information:

  • The Round Rock Campus is located at 1400 North Mays, Round Rock, TX 78664
  • Phone: (512) 244-2235
  • The Temple Campus is located at 2010 South 57th Street, Temple, TX 76504
  • Phone: (254) 773-9911
  • Website: https://centraltexasbeautycollege.com

10Texas School of Bartending

The Texas School of Bartending is a Texas-owned bartender training school founded in 1987.

The school’s bartending training labs feature dozens of individual stations with the latest in industry equipment, so students learn to make all the drinks the right way.

Students also learn bar set up, break down and check-out, free pour/shake and strain method.

Trainers will teach you how to mix over 150 drinks and how to make 30 of the most popular Shooters.

The bartending course can be completed in 2 weeks.

After graduation students earn the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Code Certification (TABC CERT), Texas School of Bartenders – Certification and gain access to Texas School of Bartenders Job Placement Assistance Program, local and nationwide.

You need to be at least 18 years old to bartend in Texas.

The Texas School of Bartending has 4 campuses: in Dallas, Austin Houston, and North Houston.

Fees. Students can get started with only $100 down payment.

Contact information:

  • The Dallas school is located at 2639 Walnut Hill Lane #152
    Dallas, Texas 75229
  • Phone: 832.465.6328
  • The Austin school is located at 5555 N. Lamar Blvd. Ste L-129
    Austin, Texas 78751
  • Phone: 832.465.6328
  • The Houston school is located at 3300 Chimney Rock Rd. Ste. 303
    Houston, Texas 77056
  • Phone: 512.497.3745
  • The North Houston school is located at 3845 Cypress Creek Parkway; Suite 194, Houston, Texas 77068
  • Phone: 512.497.3745
  • Website: https://texasschoolofbartenders.com

Salary Information for Popular Trade Careers

CareerEmployedAvg. Annual SalaryAvg. Hourly PayTop 10% Annual SalaryBottom 10% Annual Salary
Paralegals and Legal Assistants24,600$59,970$28.83$94,540$36,300
Medical Records Specialists19,750$44,680$21.48$64,270$29,710
Nursing Assistants81,170$32,150$15.46$39,500$26,500
Dental Assistants32,360$39,170$18.83$50,420$28,270
Medical Assistants66,550$36,910$17.75$45,880$28,320
Phlebotomists13,150$37,040$17.81$45,050$28,520
Electricians64,360$54,980$26.43$74,420$36,080
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters37,980$55,280$26.58$76,200$35,680
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics61,200$48,280$23.21$75,950$27,480
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers30,670$51,790$24.90$74,980$34,940
* Salary information based on the May 2022 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey for Texas, BLS.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.

Final Thoughts

There are many alternatives open to students who want to learn a new trade in Texas.

Whether you want to become a professional welder, a medical assistant or to repair cellphones, there are many programs for you to choose from.

You should start your decision-making process by compiling a list of all the schools that offer programs in your chosen domain and compare them based on some relevant factors, such as tuition, programs, educators, job placement rate, graduation rate, and accreditation.

Take your time and choose wisely!