Welcome to our selection of the best welding schools in Ohio and the programs they offer.
The institutions included in our list can prepare you for entry-level employment in this field through a combination of classroom education and hands-on training.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, Ohio welders reportedly earned $48,100 on average per year, as of May 2023.
Before being ready to start your welding career, the first step is to get your high school diploma or equivalent and then complete technical and on-the-job training that teaches you the skills needed for entry into this profession.
During your training, you will typically learn about:
- Materials used in welding and their application
- Welding symbols
- Types of welding joints performed in pipe welding
- Welding Processes
- Welding Safety
- And more
Most programs teach, hands-on, the following processes: SMAW, GTAW, GMAW, and FCAW, and prepare students for American Welding Society testing.
Program duration varies between a few months and a few years, depending on the school and the credential you want to obtain.
Costs also vary depending on the school and the type of diploma it leads to.
We invite you to read our list and choose the format that best fits your needs.
#1Cuyahoga Community College
About the School
Cuyahoga Community College offers a Welding program designed to get students certified and career-ready in this high-demand field.
Tri-C offers:
- The flexibility that allows students to take classes that fit their lives
- Hands-on training from experts
- Financial aid for job placement support
The certificates available at the college provide hands-on training in:
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding
- Gas Metal Arc Welding
- Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
- Flux-cored Arc Welding
- Robotic Welding
- Oxy-Fuel/Plasma Processes
The following credentials are available at Cuyahoga Community College for students interested in becoming welders:
- Short-Term Certificate
- One-Year Certificate of Proficiency
- Associate of Applied Science
Contact Information
- Address: 700 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
- Phone: 216-987-6000
- Website: https://www.tri-c.edu
#2Elite Welding Academy
About the School
Elite Welding Academy offers comprehensive welding training designed to help students build a strong foundation in welding and related trades.
The school has experienced instructors who provide hands-on welding training in:
- Welding safety
- Equipment setup
- Welding procedures
By attending classes at the academy, students prepare for welding careers in industries such as manufacturing, construction, and pipeline work.
Courses Offered
The following programs are available at the school:
- Structural & Pipe Welding Training Program
- Structural Welding Training Program
A Structural & Pipe Welding Training Program teaches students about all areas of welding safety, welding equipment set-up, welding equipment maintenance, and welding procedures in SMAW, GTAW, GMAW, and FCAW.
The program is divided into four sections, each consisting of 250 clock hours.
In total, the program includes 1000 hours of instruction.
Students have to provide proof of a high school diploma or GED to enroll in the program.
Contact Information
- Address: 1910 County Road 1, South Point, Ohio 45680
- Phone: (740) 523-0021
- Website: https://eliteweldingacademy.com
#3The Ohio State University
About the School
The Ohio State University offers a Welding Engineering program dedicated to educating welding engineers to meet the manufacturing challenges of the 21st century.
According to the university’s website, this is the only ABET-accredited undergraduate program in North America, and it also offers master’s and doctoral degrees.
The program offers students both a small, nurturing environment and all the benefits of a major research institution.
The following graduate specializations are available:
- Welding Processes
- Welding Metallurgy
- Welding Design
- Non-Destructive Evaluation
- Micro/Nano Material Processing, Characterization, and Joining
- Joining of Plastics and Composites
Contact Information
- Address: 122 Hitchcock Hall, 2070 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210
- Website: https://www.osu.edu
#4Portgage Lakes Career Center
About the School
Portgage Lakes Career Center offers students the opportunity to finish their welding classes in less than 10 months.
Students have access to convenient evening hours, all-inclusive tuition, and a modern learning environment.
The hands-on courses provide students with training in: MIG, TIG, Stick/Arc welding, how to read blueprints and specifications, carefully measure and inspect substances, use torches, and properly care for welding and other equipment.
The approximate tuition for this program is $9,495.
The program includes 600 hours of training.
Students learn how to weld, cut, or repair components of many different types of metal in a variety of configurations and positions.
They also learn how to use power tools of the trade and how to maintain their equipment and take all proper safety precautions.
PLCC welding trade school requires a high school diploma or its equivalent to enroll.
Contact Information
- Address: 4401 Shriver Rd, Uniontown, Ohio 44685
- Phone: 330.896.8200
- Website: https://plcc.edu
#5Stark State College
About the School
Stark State College offers a certificate in Welding Technology.
The certificate covers all mainstream types of welding and layout, from the basics to nuclear and pressure vessel welding.
Many students choose this program to prepare for various American Welding Society testing up through 3G and 6G certifications.
Courses Offered
The welding classes include hands-on instruction and core skills for:
- Steel and aluminum welding and fabricating
- Preparing/cutting/joining similar and dissimilar metals by welding using gas or electrical processes
- Oxygen/acetylene and AC/DC electric and other processes
- Safe working procedures/habits while using welding and sheet metal forming
- Arc, MIG, and TIG welding equipment in horizontal, vertical, and overhead positions
- Gas welding and cutting
Contact Information
- Address: 6200 Frank Ave. NW, North Canton, OH 44720
- Phone: 330-494-6170
- Website: https://www.starkstate.edu
#6Apollo Career Center
About the School
Apollo Career Center offers a wide range of long-term and short-term programs.
Available are adult education courses and apprenticeships in a variety of fields, including construction trades, cosmetology, early childhood education, manufacturing & welding, and more.
Courses Offered
The Manufacturing and Welding program includes Individual Welding classes, such as:
- Introduction to Welding
- GMAW
- GTAW
- SMAW
The classes teach specific skills in a short period of time at an affordable price.
They are designed to provide skills needed to earn more money, get a promotion, or give students a helpful edge in the job market.
Contact Information
- Address: 3325 Shawnee Rd. Lima, OH 45806-1454
- Phone: 866-998-2824
- Website: https://www.apollocareercenter.com
#7Ohio Technical College
About the School
Ohio Technical College offers a Welding & Fabrication Technology program that leads to an Associate of Applied Science Degree.
Students enter the industry with the confidence of obtaining a career degree after receiving instruction from college instructors who are all industry-experienced professionals.
The college’s training facilities are designed to provide a perfect blend of classroom space and workshop area.
The student-to-instructor ratio is 25 to 1.
The course enables students to develop the manipulative skills needed to become entry-level combination welders, fitters, general fabricators, job shop, and steel construction workers.
Students also receive training in the skills needed to achieve certifications through a number of recognized professional organizations.
The curriculum covers practical mathematics problems for welders, reading technical drawings, and more.
Contact Information
- Address: 1374 E 51st Street, Cleveland, OH 44103
- Phone: 216-284-5942
- Website:https://ohiotech.edu
#8EWI- Cooperative Research Program
About the School
EWI– Cooperative Research Program offers Advanced Welding & Joining Training that includes training in welding engineering and processes.
Students learn from fundamental principles to techniques for special materials and functions.
Courses Offered
The following courses are available:
- Welding Metallurgy
- Fundamentals of Welding Engineering
- Certified Welding Inspector
The Welding Metallurgy program provides students with an overview of physical metallurgy, an introduction to welding metallurgy of steel, and a special unit on the welding metallurgy of stainless steel.
The following course parts are included in the program:
- Physical Metallurgy: A Review
- Introduction to Welding Metallurgy of Steel
- Welding Metallurgy of Stainless Steel
Contact Information
- Address: 1250 Arthur E. Adams Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43221
- Phone: 614.484.7600
- Website: https://ewi.org
#9Sinclair College
About the School
Sinclair College offers Welding, Metal Joining, and Fabrication Programs.
Classes are held in a newly equipped welding and sheet metal lab located on Eaker Street in the spring term.
Courses Offered
Two certificates are offered at Sinclair College:
- Welding and Metal Joining
- Welding, Metal Joining, and Fabrication
The Welding and Metal Joining program includes courses such as:
- Welding & Metal Joining
- Introduction to Mechanical Drafting with CAD
- Fundamentals of Tooling & Machining
- Fundamentals of Dimensional Metrology
- Math for Technologists
Contact Information
- Address: 444 West Third Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402
- Phone: 800-315-3000
- Website: https://www.sinclair.edu
#10Hocking College
About the School
Hocking College offers an Advanced Welding Certificate program that provides a comprehensive, beginner-to-advanced training in welding program using a variety of courses and AWS certification models that allow trainees to personalize their training.
Courses Offered
The program includes the following courses:
- Introduction to Welding- a three-credit course that costs $555
- Intermediate Welding- a two-credit course that costs $555
- Advanced Welding- a two-credit course that costs $555
- Metals and Gases- a two-credit course that costs $455
- Pipe Welding- a six-credit course that costs $775
- Welding Practicum- a two-credit course costs $50.
In total, in-state students pay $5,655 for this program.
Contact Information
- Address: 3301 Hocking Pkwy. Nelsonville, Ohio 45764
- Phone: (740) 753-7050
- Website: https://www.hocking.edu
Schools Summary Table
Welding Average Salary in Ohio
Estimated Earnings Range:| Item | Percent |
|---|---|
|
$38K
|
|
|
$52K
|
|
|
$67K
|
Welding Salary by Metro Area in Ohio
| Metro Area | Employed | Avg. Annual | Avg. Hourly | Top 10% | Bottom 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron, OH | 1,140 | $51,480 | $24.75 | $62,650 | $40,040 |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | 960 | $50,550 | $24.30 | $59,150 | $40,520 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 3,320 | $54,660 | $26.28 | $73,410 | $38,370 |
| Cleveland, OH | 3,090 | $51,720 | $24.87 | $65,580 | $38,050 |
| Columbus, OH | 2,230 | $53,890 | $25.91 | $68,310 | $39,520 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | 910 | $53,390 | $25.67 | $71,710 | $38,960 |
| Lima, OH | 400 | $70,110 | $33.71 | $83,100 | $46,690 |
| Mansfield, OH | 280 | $47,340 | $22.76 | $62,080 | $34,020 |
| Sandusky, OH | 290 | $50,660 | $24.35 | $61,260 | $38,540 |
| Springfield, OH | 290 | $48,000 | $23.08 | $60,650 | $35,510 |
| Toledo, OH | 930 | $50,530 | $24.29 | $64,160 | $37,940 |
| Youngstown-Warren, OH | 660 | $48,580 | $23.36 | $61,650 | $37,070 |
* Employment opportunities may differ based on your location.
Final Thoughts
Skilled welders will continue to be needed in the future in manufacturing, construction, and other trade fields.
Now that you have read our selection of the best welding programs in Ohio, it’s time to continue the research and choose the one that best meets your learning style and career aspirations.
