Veteran Trade Schools

VA-approved welding programs in Pennsylvania

Quick answer

Welding training in Pennsylvania is spread across 41 cities, with Erie the largest at 3 locations.

VA's GI Bill® Comparison Tool lists 47 welding training locations in Pennsylvania with 61 approved programs: 42 with school programs and 5 with apprenticeship or on-the-job training. 5 have 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

All-State Career School-Essington

Essington, PA
VA profile for All-State Career School-Essington (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program For-profit VA caution flag
  • Certificate: Diploma-Welding Technician

VA caution flag: School placed on Heightened Cash Monitoring. The Department of Education has placed this school on Heightened Cash Monitoring because of financial or federal compliance issues. Learn more about Heightened Cash Monitoring

GI Bill students (all programs): 22Accredited

Show all 47 locations

Lancaster County Career and Technology Center

Mount Joy, PA
VA profile for Lancaster County Career and Technology Center (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program Public VA caution flag
  • Certificate: Welding Technology Advanced
  • Welding Technology-Diploma

VA caution flag: School has an accreditation issue. This school's accreditation has been taken away and is under appeal, or the school has been placed on probation, because it didn't meet acceptable levels of quality. Learn more about this school's accreditation

GI Bill students (all programs): 12Accredited (national)

Lehigh Career and Technical Institute

Schnecksville, PA
VA profile for Lehigh Career and Technical Institute (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program Public VA caution flag
  • Gas Metal-Flux Cored Arc Welding
  • Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
  • Shielded Metal Arc Welding

VA caution flag: Heightened Cash Monitoring

VA caution flag: School placed on Heightened Cash Monitoring. The Department of Education has placed this school on Heightened Cash Monitoring because of financial or federal compliance issues. Learn more about Heightened Cash Monitoring

GI Bill students (all programs): 17Accredited

Johnson College

Scranton, PA
VA profile for Johnson College (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program Private
  • Certificate: Fundamentals of Welding
  • Certificate: Intermediate MIG Welding
  • Certificate: Welding Technology

GI Bill students (all programs): 55Accredited (regional)Student complaints in VA data: 1

Source: VA GI Bill Comparison Tool program data, retrieved October 23, 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 welding programs are in Pennsylvania?

VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool lists 61 approved programs at 47 locations in Pennsylvania as of October 23, 2026. That's about 3% of the 1,352 welding locations in VA's data nationally. By type: 26 public colleges and technical schools, 12 for-profit schools, 5 employers and apprenticeship sponsors, 4 private nonprofit schools.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]

Which cities in Pennsylvania have welding programs?

By number of locations: Erie (3), Johnstown (2), Philadelphia (2), Pittsburgh (2), York (2), Allentown (1) and 35 more cities.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]

Are there paid welding apprenticeships in Pennsylvania that take the GI Bill?

Yes. 5 locations offer VA-approved on-the-job training in Pennsylvania (5 programs); 3 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 welding schools in Pennsylvania have VA caution flags?

Yes. 5 locations have 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 Pennsylvania

← All Welding programs · Does the GI Bill cover welding 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.