Best Trade Schools in Arlington, Texas (2025 Guide)

Updated September 14, 2025 | Brad Fishbein

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Here are the best schools in Arlington. Use this guide to compare accredited programs, training length, and licensing steps in Texas. The Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metro needs skilled electricians, HVAC techs, welders, and plumbers, and offers steady employment across construction and maintenance¹².

Top Trade Schools in Arlington

The schools below serve Arlington and nearby campuses in Grand Prairie, Irving, Fort Worth, and Red Oak. All are accredited or state-recognized. Program lengths are typical ranges. Always confirm current offerings with the school.

School	Program Length	Highlights
Tarrant County College (Southeast Campus, Arlington)	4–24 months certificates; 2 years AAS	Public college accredited by SACSCOC. Workforce programs across the district in HVAC, welding, automotive, machining, and health. Modern labs and strong employer ties. Financial aid and veteran support³.
Universal Technical Institute – Dallas/Fort Worth (Irving)	10–18 months	ACCSC accredited. Automotive, Diesel, and Welding programs. Hands-on training, industry partners, and ASE Education Foundation aligned curricula for auto⁴.
Lincoln Tech – Grand Prairie	10–15 months	ACCSC accredited. Automotive Service, Collision Repair and Refinishing, and Diesel Technology. Strong shop time and employer network in the Dallas–Fort Worth area⁴.
Texas State Technical College – North Texas (Red Oak)	12–24 months	Public technical college accredited by SACSCOC. HVAC Technology, Welding Technology, Diesel Equipment Tech, Electrical Lineworker, Industrial Systems. Skills-first labs and career placement support³.
CCI Training Center – Arlington	6–12 months	COE accredited. IT Support and Networking, Cloud/Desktop Support, Medical Billing and Coding. Day, evening, and hybrid options for working adults.
Arlington Career Institute – Grand Prairie	8–12 months	ACCSC accredited. Medical Assistant, Medical Office, Paralegal, and Court Reporting. Flexible schedules and career services⁴.
UEI College – Arlington	10–12 months	ACCET accredited. HVAC, Medical Assistant, and Dental Assistant. Hands-on labs, externships, and job placement support.
IEC Texas Fort Worth Chapter (Electrical Apprenticeship)	4 years	USDOL-registered apprenticeship. Earn while you learn with paid on-the-job training plus evening classes. Preps for Texas journeyman electrician exam.

Tip: Check each program’s accreditation and outcomes. ACCSC, SACSCOC, COE, and ACCET are recognized accreditors. You can verify program accreditation in the ACCSC directory, College Navigator, or the school’s site³⁴.

Skilled Trades in Demand

Electrician

New construction, data centers, logistics hubs, and retrofits drive steady demand in the DFW-Arlington area. Employers value apprentices who are reliable with solid math and code knowledge. Electricians need licensing through TDLR and often progress from apprentice to journeyman to master¹.
Work is a mix of indoor and outdoor environments. Overtime is common on fast-track projects. O*NET shows strong long-term prospects for electricians nationally².

HVAC/R Technician

Population growth and hot summers keep HVAC contractors busy with installs and service calls. Employers prefer graduates with EPA 608 certification and solid troubleshooting skills. Texas requires an ACR Contractor license to run jobs independently¹⁵⁶.
Many Arlington programs offer evening schedules to help students work while training. O*NET lists HVAC as a Bright Outlook field².

Welder

Fabrication, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects in the metro create steady opportunities. Structural and pipe welders with multiple processes (SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, GTAW) are most competitive. Employers often require AWS D1.1 or similar certs¹.
Consider cross-training in fitting or inspection to expand options.

Plumber

Residential and commercial buildouts, plus ongoing service work, support demand. Texas licensing runs through TSBPE with clear steps from apprentice to journeyman to master. Safety, code reading, and customer service skills matter as much as torch skills⁷.

Licensing Requirements in Texas

Electricians (Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation – TDLR)⁸

Register as Apprentice Electrician with TDLR before working.
Residential Wireman: 4,000 hours under a master electrician. Pass exam.
Journeyman Electrician: 8,000 hours under a master electrician. Pass exam.
Master Electrician: 12,000 hours plus at least 2 years as a journeyman. Pass exam.
Electrical Contractor: business license to offer services to the public. Requires a master electrician of record and insurance.

HVAC/R (TDLR Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Program)⁵

EPA Section 608 certification required to handle refrigerants⁶.
To work for a contractor, register as an ACR Technician with TDLR.
To contract with the public, obtain an ACR Contractor License. Requirements include 48 months of practical experience under a licensed contractor or a mix of education and experience, passing the exam, and meeting insurance rules. Class A has no size limit. Class B is limited to systems up to 25 tons cooling and up to 1.5 million BTU per hour heating. Endorsements include Environmental Air and Commercial Refrigeration.

Plumbers (Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners – TSBPE)⁷

Register as a Plumber’s Apprentice to begin accumulating hours.
Tradesman Limited Plumber: 4,000 hours and exam.
Journeyman Plumber: 8,000 hours and exam.
Master Plumber: meet experience requirements, hold journeyman status for at least 1 year, and pass exam.
Responsible Master Plumber status and insurance are required to operate a plumbing business.

Welders

No state license. Many jobs require employer or project credentials such as AWS D1.1, D1.3, D1.5, or ASME Section IX. NCCER credentials can also help. Some municipalities may require performance qualification tests for structural work.

Online & Flexible Options

Hybrid learning: Many Arlington-area schools deliver theory online with hands-on labs on campus. This is common in HVAC, welding safety, IT, and allied health.
Evening and weekend schedules: IEC’s apprenticeship classes run at night so you can work during the day. Several career colleges and TCC also offer evening sections.
Short skills modules: Look for bootcamps and stackable certificates that build toward an associate degree or higher credential.
Veteran and workforce benefits: Public colleges and many private schools accept GI Bill and WIOA. Always ask the financial aid office about eligibility and required steps³.

Next Steps

Compare programs and accreditation at the Texas hub: Trade Schools in Texas.
Explore trades and choose your path: Skilled Trades Hub.
Learn licenses and career steps:
Get general planning tips and checklists: Guides.
See more states or cities: Trade School Directory.

If you are unsure which trade fits you, visit a campus, tour the labs, and ask about placement rates, instructor experience, and the exact tools you will learn on. A short campus visit often makes the decision clear.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metro. https://www.bls.gov/oes/ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩
O*NET OnLine, occupation outlooks. https://www.onetonline.org/ ↩ ↩ ↩
U.S. Department of Education, College Navigator. https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩
Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), School Directory. https://www.accsc.org/ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation – Air Conditioning and Refrigeration. https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/acr/acr.htm ↩ ↩
U.S. EPA, Section 608 Technician Certification. https://www.epa.gov/section608/section-608-technician-certification-fact-sheet ↩ ↩
Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. https://tsbpe.texas.gov/ ↩ ↩
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation – Electricians. https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/elec.htm ↩

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Meet the author: Brad Fishbein is a Florida Licensed Mold Assessor and council-certified Microbial Investigator. He’s the founder of TradeCareerPath.com and has completed over 5,000 mold inspections since 2009. Brad now helps homeowners and tradespeople make smart decisions about mold, licensing, and skilled career paths.