Compare Oklahoma trade schools, technology centers, and technical degree programs for careers in welding, HVAC, automotive repair, manufacturing, healthcare, and more.
Oklahoma’s CareerTech system includes 29 technology centers across 62 campuses. Alongside these centers, technical colleges and apprenticeship programs offer additional routes into skilled careers. The best choice depends on your trade, location, budget, and the credential you want to earn.
Start with your career interests, then compare program schedules, hands-on training, tuition, and admission requirements.
Choose a career field before comparing schools. Programs with similar names may teach different skills or prepare students for different certifications.
Explore wiring, electrical safety, code instruction, and apprenticeship pathways. Ask how school training applies toward Oklahoma licensing requirements.
Learn heating and cooling systems, electrical troubleshooting, refrigerant handling, installation, and preventive maintenance.
Compare plumbing instruction and supervised apprenticeship opportunities, including piping, fixtures, installation, and trade safety.
Look for extensive shop practice, blueprint reading, metal preparation, and training in the welding processes your target employers use.
Compare programs covering diagnostics, brakes, electrical systems, engines, and manufacturer-specific service training.
Explore training for commercial trucks and heavy equipment, with attention to diagnostic tools, engine systems, and employer partnerships.
Consider machining, industrial maintenance, mechatronics, electronics, and automated equipment training.
Explore healthcare career programs and confirm clinical requirements, program approval, and eligibility for any required licensing examination.
Compare computer support, networking, and cybersecurity programs based on lab access, certification preparation, and practical projects.
These institutions provide useful starting points for your search. This selection is a comparison guide, not a numbered ranking. Confirm that your chosen program is available at the campus you plan to attend.
Oklahoma City Area
Consider Francis Tuttle for career training and advanced manufacturing options. Its manufacturing instruction includes areas such as machining, welding, automation, electrical systems, and programmable logic controllers.
Career Training Advanced ManufacturingOklahoma City
Metro Tech offers career programs across four campuses. Its HVAC/R Technician program at the South Bryant Campus includes 1,000 hours of training and preparation for EPA refrigerant certification.
HVAC/R WeldingTulsa Area
Tulsa Tech offers technical training across multiple campuses. Its Welding Combination program lists an 18-month adult schedule for the 2026–2027 school year.
Welding ManufacturingNorman & South Oklahoma City Area
Moore Norman offers career training in fields including construction trades, transportation, manufacturing, healthcare, and IT. Its adult HVAC cost sheet separates in-district and out-of-district pricing.
HVAC Career ProgramsEl Reno & Chickasha Welding Locations
CV Tech’s welding program includes 960 clock hours. The school lists approximately one year for full-time completion or two years part time, with adult evening welding available at El Reno.
Welding Adult Evening OptionOkmulgee
OSUIT offers technical degree pathways. Its Okmulgee programs include Ford ASSET automotive training and a Truck Technician Associate in Applied Science for students interested in vehicle service careers.
Technical Degrees Automotive & TrucksLook beyond these six schools: Oklahoma’s statewide technology center directory can help you find additional training near home. Campus offerings, admission requirements, and class availability vary.
Oklahoma’s technology center system gives students options beyond the state’s largest cities.
Shop and laboratory training can help you practice the tasks used in your chosen occupation.
Several public centers publish tuition and equipment estimates, making it easier to build a realistic budget.
Some programs offer part-time or evening schedules. Check the specific program rather than assuming every campus does.
Compare career training certificates, technical degrees, industry credentials, and apprenticeship pathways.
School scholarships and tuition waivers may reduce costs for eligible students.
Completion time depends on the program and weekly attendance schedule. Clock hours describe training volume; they do not automatically translate into a fixed number of months.
1,000 Hours
The HVAC/R Technician program lists 1,000 hours. Ask admissions for the completion timeline for your selected daytime or evening schedule.
18 Months
The 2026–2027 Welding Combination page lists 18-month adult morning and afternoon options.
About 1–2 Years
CV Tech lists approximately one year full time or two years part time for its 960-hour welding pathway.
Training and licensing timelines differ: Finishing school may prepare you for entry-level work, while a journeyman or contractor license can require additional supervised experience and examinations.
There is no single statewide tuition price. Costs vary by school, program length, residency, and required equipment. The examples below show published prices before financial aid.
| School / Program | Published Tuition | Additional Cost Details |
|---|---|---|
| Francis Tuttle Career Training | $3 per clock hour; $6 per clock hour for out-of-state students | A 1,000-hour program would have $3,000 in tuition at the standard rate. Books and supplies depend on the program. |
| Metro Tech HVAC/R Technician | $3,250 in-state; $6,500 out-of-state | The page also lists $504 for books and $25 for exams and fees. |
| Tulsa Tech Welding Combination, 2026–2027 | $3,840 for adult students | $240 technology fee and an estimated $361 for tools, supplies, and certifications. |
| Moore Norman Adult HVAC, 2026–2027 | $2,500 in-district; $3,000 out-of-district | The adult program cost table estimates $3,852 in-district or $4,352 out-of-district including the resource fee, tools, and required exam. |
Confirm your enrollment quote: Published prices can change. Moore Norman’s HVAC page contains different hour and expense figures in its adult program estimate and financial-aid cost-of-attendance section. Ask the bursar to confirm the current program hours and charges before enrolling.
Contact the financial aid office for your exact school and program. Aid eligibility can depend on the program, enrollment status, financial circumstances, and application deadlines.
Ask whether your program qualifies for federal aid and whether you should complete the FAFSA. Do not assume every short course is eligible.
Check the technology center’s scholarship and foundation opportunities, including awards for adult students.
Some centers offer waivers based on factors such as income, residency, or recent high school graduation.
Ask about loans separately: Participation in grant programs does not mean a school offers federal student loans. Moore Norman states that it does not participate in any student loan program.
Oklahoma CareerTech states that high school students living within a technology center district can attend tuition-free. Adult students generally pay tuition, although scholarships and school-specific waivers may help.
Aspire provides tuition assistance for eligible Oklahoma residents in career training. Qualifications include specified public-benefit participation, income criteria, or qualifying FAFSA information.
Francis Tuttle states that Aspire cannot be received simultaneously with a Pell Grant. An application and eligibility documentation are required.
Next-Step has partner-school or district-at-graduation eligibility requirements. Applicants must begin their first career training program before turning 21.
The waiver does not cover books, clothing, other materials, or required program fees. Students must apply and meet continuing requirements.
Tuition-free does not mean expense-free: Tools, supplies, exams, and transportation may still cost money. Local waivers are not a statewide guarantee of free adult training.
School-based training provides structured classroom and laboratory instruction. Compare the credential awarded, equipment used, total cost, and how training relates to certification or licensing.
Apprenticeship combines supervised work with related training. Ask the sponsor about wages, selection requirements, classroom costs, registration, and the credential earned upon completion.
Oklahoma registration matters: The Construction Industries Board regulates apprentice registration for electrical, mechanical, and plumbing work. Ask how to register and document qualifying experience before starting work in a regulated trade.
Compare electrical programs based on wiring practice, code instruction, safety training, and employer connections. Ask whether the specific program is recognized for educational credit toward your intended Oklahoma licensing pathway.
The Oklahoma Construction Industries Board provides electrical licensing and apprentice registration information. A school certificate does not automatically grant permission to work independently as a licensed electrician.
HVAC students should compare refrigerant handling, electrical troubleshooting, equipment installation, and certification preparation. Metro Tech’s HVAC/R program includes 1,000 hours and states that CIB educational hours are awarded only after completion of the full program.
For plumbing and mechanical work, verify the apprentice registration, supervised experience, education credit, and examination requirements that apply to your goal directly with the CIB.
Compare technology center programs with technical degree options such as OSUIT’s Ford ASSET and Truck Technician pathways. Look at vehicle access, diagnostic equipment, internship arrangements, and manufacturer-specific instruction.
Ask whether tools are provided during training and which tools you will need to purchase for school or employment.
Tulsa Tech and Canadian Valley offer welding programs, while Francis Tuttle provides advanced manufacturing training. Compare welding processes, shop time, fabrication projects, blueprint instruction, and available credentials.
For manufacturing careers, consider whether your interests fit machining, automation, industrial maintenance, or welding. Each pathway uses different equipment and develops different skills.
Start with Metro Tech and Francis Tuttle. Confirm the campus where your program is taught before planning your commute.
Compare Tulsa Tech’s campus options and check which locations offer your chosen training program.
Review Moore Norman Technology Center and confirm district residency, program location, and admission requirements.
Canadian Valley’s welding options include both communities, with adult evening welding listed at El Reno.
OSUIT provides technical degree options, including automotive and truck technician programs.
Use the official CareerTech directory to identify nearby technology centers and compare their current programs.
Use your preferred trade, location, and schedule to narrow your search and identify programs worth contacting.
The best school depends on your chosen occupation and circumstances. Compare Francis Tuttle, Metro Tech, Tulsa Tech, Moore Norman, Canadian Valley, OSUIT, and other nearby providers based on the specific program you need.
No. Oklahoma technology centers also provide adult training. Eligibility, schedules, tuition, and admission procedures differ by school and program.
Some adults may qualify for scholarships or local tuition waivers. Eligibility is school-specific, and waived tuition may not cover tools, books, fees, or living expenses.
Schedules vary. Tulsa Tech lists 18 months for adult Welding Combination, while Canadian Valley lists approximately one year full time or two years part time for its welding program.
Some programs offer evening or part-time schedules. Canadian Valley lists adult evening welding at El Reno, and Metro Tech’s HVAC/R page lists evening schedules. Confirm current availability with admissions.
School completion alone does not automatically provide a trade license. Oklahoma’s regulated trades can require apprentice registration, qualifying experience, approved education, and examinations.
In-state status concerns Oklahoma residency. In-district status concerns the boundaries of a particular technology center district. Ask the school to verify your category using your address.
Use these official sources to verify current programs, tuition, funding, and licensing requirements.
Information reviewed October 2026. Program availability, tuition, schedules, and funding requirements may change. Confirm details directly with the institution before applying.
Compare practical training options and choose a program that fits your career interests, budget, and schedule.
Explore school listings and contact providers to confirm current programs, admission requirements, tuition, and upcoming start dates.
Tell us which trade interests you and where you want to study to begin exploring training options.
