Looking for welding certification programs in Texas

With 5 years of MIG already, you’re in a good spot. The main thing is to pick a program that gives you enough hands-on TIG time (including fit-up, joint prep, and welding on the materials you actually want to work with) and that can point you toward a recognized performance test afterward if you need “paper” certification.

Two Houston-area options worth checking based on your budget:

Houston Community College continuing education has an “Introduction to Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (TIG/GTAW)” course that covers setup/safety and technique (including aluminum and stainless, per the course description).
They also offer an “Advanced Pipe Welding” course that includes TIG and lists a posted tuition figure, which can be a cost-effective way to move toward TIG pipe skills.

Hey Agu, welcome and good details here.

For Houston, I’d start with the community colleges first. They tend to be the best value, and a lot of them will prep you for an AWS test without blowing past your $2–3k budget. If you want something faster, there are private welding schools too, but the quality is all over the place so I’d vet them pretty hard.

A couple things to sanity-check before you pick a program:
• Do you want an actual AWS cert test (D17.1 structural, pipe, etc.), or do you just want solid TIG training and a school certificate?
• What kind of work are you aiming for in Houston: structural, pipe, refinery, shop/fab?

If you tell me what side of Houston you’ll be on (or a zip) and what type of welding you want to end up doing, I can point you to 2–3 programs that are actually worth calling first, plus what to ask them so you don’t get sold.

Have you looked into apprenticeship programs?

Have you checked local community colleges?

okay
Have you checked local community colleges?