Veteran Trade Schools

VA-approved plumbing and pipefitting programs in California

Quick answer

Most plumbing and pipefitting training in California approved for the GI Bill® is on the job: 32 of the 47 locations are employers or sponsors offering apprenticeship or OJT, so you can earn wages while you train.

VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool lists 47 plumbing and pipefitting training locations in California with 87 approved programs: 15 with school programs and 32 with apprenticeship or on-the-job training. 1 has a VA caution flag.

Before you enroll, open the VA profile to confirm the exact program, and ask the School Certifying Official to confirm your start date. [VA: Choosing a GI Bill approved school]

47 locations, by city

Show all 47 locations

American River College

Sacramento, CA
VA profile for American River College (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program Public
  • Plumbers-Pipefitter Apprentice Level III
  • Plumbers-Pipefitter Apprentice Lvl I
  • Plumbers-Pipefitter Apprentice Lvl II
  • Plumbers-Pipefitters Apprentice Level IV
  • Plumbers-Pipefitters Apprenticeship

GI Bill students (all programs): 562Accredited

Source: VA GI Bill Comparison Tool program data, retrieved October 24, 2026. School details come from VA's data file dated October 8, 2026. The list is sorted by city, then name. It isn't a ranking.

Common questions

How many GI Bill-approved plumbing and pipefitting programs are in California?

VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool lists 87 approved programs at 47 locations in California as of October 24, 2026. That's about 3% of the 1,592 plumbing and pipefitting locations in VA's data nationally. By type: 32 employers and apprenticeship sponsors, 11 public colleges and technical schools, 4 for-profit schools.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]

Which cities in California have plumbing and pipefitting programs?

By number of locations: Los Angeles (6), Sacramento (3), Orange (2), San Diego (2), Anaheim Hills (1), Antioch (1) and 32 more cities.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]

Are there paid plumbing and pipefitting apprenticeships in California that take the GI Bill?

Yes. 32 locations offer VA-approved on-the-job training in California (65 programs); 31 of them are registered apprenticeships. With the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you're paid wages plus a monthly housing payment that steps down every six months.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool] [VA: On-the-job training and apprenticeships]

Do any plumbing and pipefitting schools in California have VA caution flags?

Yes. 1 location has a VA caution flag. Each flag is shown on its listing in VA's wording. Read it before you enroll.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]

Other trades in California

← All Plumbing / Pipefitting programs · Does the GI Bill cover plumbing or pipefitting school?

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “GI Bill Comparison Tool”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
  2. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “GI Bill Comparison Tool data (ComparisonToolData.xlsx)”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
  3. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Choosing a GI Bill approved school”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.