Compare trade schools in Oregon offering hands-on career training in welding, HVAC, electrical trades, automotive repair, diesel technology, manufacturing, industrial automation, and other skilled fields.
Oregon’s training options include community college certificates, technical associate degrees, and registered apprenticeships. Programs range from focused credentials that can take less than a year to broader degree pathways and multi-year trade apprenticeships.
The best program for you depends on the work you want to do, where you live, your schedule, and the credential or license your career requires.
Explore career training options and compare programs based on location, hands-on instruction, tuition, and admission requirements.
Start with your intended occupation. A short certificate, technical degree, and apprenticeship can lead to different skills and qualifications, even within the same trade.
Compare welding processes, blueprint reading, fabrication projects, shop practice, and preparation for employer or industry welding tests.
Explore heating and cooling equipment, controls, troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, and building systems.
Compare registered apprenticeship pathways and related classroom instruction. Check which Oregon license category matches your career goal.
Review supervised training, piping systems, trade safety, and licensing requirements before choosing a pathway.
Look for practical instruction in vehicle diagnostics, electrical systems, brakes, engines, and repair procedures.
Explore truck and equipment training, engine service, diagnostic tools, and opportunities for practical work experience.
Compare machining, computer-aided manufacturing, precision measurement, and production-related technical programs.
Consider programs combining mechanical systems, electronics, controls, and industrial equipment troubleshooting.
Compare school-based construction training with apprenticeship options and confirm the skills taught in each program.
These public colleges offer established technical training options. This selection is a starting point for comparison rather than a numbered ranking. Verify the location and availability of your specific program.
Portland Area & Columbia County
PCC offers welding certificates and a Welding Technology associate degree, along with Facilities Maintenance–HVAC training. Its welding program lists modular scheduling at Rock Creek, Swan Island, and the OMIC Training Center.
Welding Facilities Maintenance–HVACSalem
Chemeketa offers an Arc Welding career pathway certificate, a Welding certificate, and a Welding Fabrication Associate of Applied Science. Its program page publishes separate cost estimates for these options.
Welding FabricationEugene Area
Lane offers diesel technology and fabrication/welding pathways. Its diesel program includes practical laboratory instruction and options involving welding classes or cooperative education experience.
Explore Lane Diesel Technology
Diesel Technology Fabrication & WeldingOregon City Area
Clackamas offers industrial technology and automotive programs. Its Welding Technology certificate is a one-year option, with additional welding credentials and degree pathways available.
Explore Clackamas Technical Programs
Welding Industrial TechnologyAlbany / Linn-Benton Area
LBCC offers Welding and Fabrication Technology and a Mechatronics/Industrial Automation Technology associate degree. Compare these options if you are interested in fabrication or industrial equipment careers.
Welding & Fabrication MechatronicsSouthern Oregon
Rogue offers Industrial Welding Technology credentials and automotive training. Welding instruction is available at its Redwood Campus in Grants Pass and Table Rock Campus in White City.
Industrial Welding Automotive TechnologyCompare the program, not just the college: Ask about shop access, faculty experience, required tools, class availability, and the credential awarded. A college’s general admission process may be separate from entry into a limited-enrollment technical program.
Oregon’s community colleges provide technical credentials alongside academic and workforce support services.
Choose between focused certificates and broader technical degrees based on your intended occupation.
Shop and laboratory coursework helps students practice technical tasks before entering the workforce.
Registered apprenticeships combine supervised employment with related classroom training.
Compare options in the Portland area, Willamette Valley, Southern Oregon, and other regions.
Eligible students may qualify for federal grants, state aid, or college scholarships.
Published program lengths generally assume full-time attendance and successful completion of required courses. Prerequisites, limited class availability, and part-time study can extend the timeline.
Less Than 1 Year
PCC lists several welding career pathway certificates with full-time completion lengths of less than one year.
1 Year
Clackamas describes its Welding Technology certificate as a one-year program.
2 Years
PCC lists two years for its Welding Technology associate degree. Rogue describes its Automotive Technology degree as a two-year pathway.
Ask for a term-by-term plan: Confirm your earliest realistic completion date, including prerequisite courses. Apprenticeship timelines are separate from college certificate timelines and depend on the registered trade program.
Costs depend on the credential, number of credits, residency category, and required equipment. Chemeketa’s published welding examples range from $4,035 in tuition and fees for its Arc Welding pathway to $16,574 for its Welding Fabrication associate degree.
| School / Program | Published Tuition or Tuition & Fees | Other Published Costs |
|---|---|---|
| PCC Credit Courses | $143 per credit at the resident rate; $298 per credit at the nonresident rate | Student activity and technology fees, term fees, and applicable course expenses are additional. |
| Chemeketa Arc Welding Career Pathway Certificate | Estimated tuition and fees: $4,035 | Books: $445; tools: $500; optional AWS certification test: $510. |
| Chemeketa Welding Certificate | Estimated tuition and fees: $9,483 | Books: $656; tools: $1,140; optional AWS certification tests: $1,020. |
| Chemeketa Welding Fabrication AAS | Estimated tuition and fees: $16,574 | Books: $860; tools: $1,900; optional AWS certification tests: $1,020. |
These are program examples, not a statewide price range: Published estimates can change and do not include every personal expense. Confirm the applicable academic year and request a written estimate for your exact program.
PCC’s resident rate also applies to qualifying residents of Washington, California, Idaho, and Nevada under its published policy. Ask the college to confirm your classification rather than assuming the same residency rules apply at every Oregon school.
Start with the financial aid office at your chosen college. Eligibility depends on your circumstances, the institution, and the specific credential.
Complete the FAFSA if eligible and ask whether your program qualifies for federal grants or other aid. Short courses are not automatically eligible.
This need-based state grant may help eligible students at participating institutions. Awarding considers financial need, application timing, and available funding.
Check college foundation awards, program scholarships, and other assistance for technical students.
FAFSA or ORSAA: Oregon Student Aid provides guidance on which application to use. The Oregon Student Aid Application can support access to state aid for eligible students who cannot use the FAFSA; it does not provide federal student aid.
Some students can reduce tuition through grants and scholarships, but Oregon does not guarantee free trade school for every adult or every program.
Oregon Promise helps eligible recent Oregon high school and GED graduates pay community college tuition after other applicable state and federal grants.
Students must meet application deadlines and eligibility requirements. Review the current rules for your graduation date.
Oregon Promise does not cover all college expenses, such as books, fees, and housing. Its coverage is limited to up to 12 credits per eligible term and does not pay for summer courses.
Ask financial aid how your technical program’s credit load affects your remaining bill.
Adult students should compare other aid: If you are outside Oregon Promise’s recent-graduate eligibility window, ask about the Oregon Opportunity Grant, federal aid, and college scholarships.
A certificate or technical degree provides organized classroom and laboratory instruction. Compare the curriculum, credential, equipment, cost, and career support.
Registered apprenticeship combines structured on-the-job learning with related classroom instruction. Oregon community colleges may provide the classroom component.
Check current openings: Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries lists apprenticeship opportunities by occupation, county, and opening. Ask the sponsor about selection criteria, wages, training costs, and completion requirements.
For an electrical career, compare registered apprenticeships and related college instruction. Oregon has different electrical license categories, so first identify the type of work you want to perform.
Verify your pathway with the Oregon Building Codes Division and the apprenticeship sponsor. Completing a college certificate does not automatically make you a licensed electrician.
PCC offers Facilities Maintenance–HVAC training. Compare programs based on equipment service, troubleshooting, controls, and the building systems covered.
Plumbing students should review registered apprenticeship options and Oregon’s individual licensing requirements. Ask which credentials or authorizations apply to the exact work you intend to do.
Lane’s diesel program and Rogue’s automotive degree are options to explore. Compare diagnostic equipment, lab instruction, cooperative education, and the vehicles or machinery used for training.
Ask whether personal tools are required, whether internships affect your schedule, and how the program supports the type of repair work you want to pursue.
PCC, Chemeketa, Clackamas, Lane, Linn-Benton, and Rogue offer welding-related pathways. Compare programs based on welding processes, fabrication instruction, shop access, and testing opportunities.
For automation and industrial equipment careers, explore options such as Linn-Benton’s Mechatronics/Industrial Automation Technology degree. Welding, machining, and mechatronics teach different skills, so match the curriculum to your intended job.
Compare PCC programs and confirm the instructional location, especially for training taught at specialized facilities.
Explore Clackamas Community College’s welding, industrial technology, and automotive options.
Review Chemeketa’s welding credentials, admission process, and published program expenses.
Consider Linn-Benton for welding, fabrication, mechatronics, and related technical training.
Explore Lane’s diesel and fabrication/welding pathways and ask about practical work experience.
Compare Rogue’s programs and verify whether instruction is in Grants Pass, White City, or another campus location.
Start with your preferred trade and location, then compare programs that fit your schedule and goals.
The best choice depends on your occupation, location, budget, and schedule. Compare the specific programs at PCC, Chemeketa, Lane, Clackamas, Linn-Benton, Rogue, and other providers near you.
Prices vary by program and institution. The published examples above include per-credit tuition and complete program estimates. Add tools, books, fees, and personal expenses when comparing your options.
Some focused certificates can take less than a year. Broader certificates and associate degrees generally require more coursework. Check prerequisites and the actual course schedule.
Eligible students may use Oregon Promise toward qualifying community college tuition. It is not a guarantee of free training at every school, and additional college expenses remain.
Some programs offer flexible schedules. Ask about evening classes, part-time sequencing, lab attendance requirements, and the effect on your completion date.
Registered apprenticeship combines supervised work with related instruction. A college can provide part of that instruction, but enrolling in a college course does not automatically enroll you in an apprenticeship.
No. Oregon licensing requirements depend on the license category and qualifying training or experience. Confirm your pathway with the Building Codes Division.
Use these official sources to verify current programs, costs, aid eligibility, and licensing requirements.
Information reviewed October 2026. Tuition, admission requirements, program availability, schedules, and funding rules may change. Confirm current details directly before enrolling.
Compare practical training options and find a program that fits your career interests, budget, and schedule.
Explore school listings and contact providers to confirm programs, tuition, admission requirements, and upcoming start dates.
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