El Paso’s public two-year college is El Paso Community College. Around it are small, mostly private schools that teach welding, heavy equipment, CDL and short health programs, many of them unaccredited and without federal aid, plus Pima Medical Institute, Southwest University and Milan Institute. This page compares the 9 El Paso schools we have profiled.
El Paso at a glance
- Schools listed
- 9 profiled: 4 trade, CDL and heavy equipment schools, 2 career colleges and 3 health schools, plus El Paso Community College
- Public college
- El Paso Community College
- Short programs
- Welding from 80 hours (Sun City Welding Academy, $2,500); heavy equipment in under 4 weeks (ASC Technical Institute); CDL in about 5 weeks (Mountain View Vocational Institute)
- Federal aid
- Accepted at Center for Employment Training, Pima Medical Institute, Southwest University and Milan Institute; not at the welding, heavy equipment, CDL and short health schools
- Licensed trades
- Electricians (TDLR), plumbers (state plumbing board), HVAC technicians (TDLR registration), cosmetologists and barbers (1,000 hours), LVNs and RNs
- Local median pay
- Welders $45,000; truck drivers $49,270; electricians $48,140; medical assistants $35,790; LVNs $58,770; registered nurses $86,100 (El Paso area, BLS 2025)
- More in Texas
- All Texas trade schools
Facts checked October 2026. Sources are linked in each section and in each school’s profile.
El Paso Trade Schools and Vocational Schools
Grouped by type, not ranked. Each school links to a full profile with programs, outcomes and sources. Use the trade buttons to narrow the list; each trade’s pay, length and license are in Trades and licensing.
Trade, technical and CDL schools (4)
ASC Technical Institute
ASC Technical Institute is a for-profit career school that trains heavy equipment operators and Class A truck drivers in person, on one campus at El Paso International Airport near Fort Bliss. Heavy equipment levels run 150 or 200 clock hours and include an OSHA 10-Hour certificate; truck driving is 200 hours. It traces its roots to 1986, takes GI Bill benefits and is not accredited.
- Length
- Heavy equipment under 4 weeks; truck driving 5 or 8 weeks
- Accredited
- None
- Federal aid
- No; GI Bill approved
Cost: Heavy equipment Level One $9,200 tuition, Level Two $12,025; truck driving $7,200 with books and supplies
View school profile →Center for Employment Training
CET’s only Texas center is in El Paso, approved by the Texas Workforce Commission. It teaches two programs: Truck Driver, a 630-hour program that makes students eligible for the CDL exam, with evening sessions as well as day, and Welding Fabrication, a 900-hour program. Both end in a CET Certificate of Graduation, with open-entry starts. CET is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education and takes federal aid.
- Length
- 630 hours (truck driver) or 900 hours (welding fabrication)
- Accredited
- Council on Occupational Education (COE)
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: El Paso prices are not posted online; ask for the catalog addendum
View school profile →Mountain View Vocational Institute
Mountain View Vocational Institute is a private career school that teaches short, in-person courses in commercial truck driving and cooking: a 200-hour CDL Class A & B course of about five weeks and an eight-week Culinary Arts course that includes ServSafe. It is licensed by the Texas Workforce Commission but not accredited, so federal student aid is not available; the school accepts VA education benefits and WIOA funding.
- Length
- About 5 weeks (CDL) to 8 weeks (culinary arts)
- Accredited
- None; licensed by the Texas Workforce Commission
- Federal aid
- No; VA benefits and WIOA
Cost: Heavy equipment listed at $8,000; ask for CDL and culinary prices
View school profile →Sun City Welding Academy
Sun City Welding Academy is a privately owned school that teaches only welding, in 10 in-person programs from an 80-hour introduction to two 900-hour programs in pipeline fabrication and specialty metals. Each program has one flat price, from $2,500 to $30,500 as listed on the school’s site in October 2026. Beginners need no welding experience or diploma. The school names no accreditor and does not offer federal student aid.
- Length
- 80 to 900 hours
- Accredited
- None named
- Federal aid
- No; payment plans and private loans
Cost: $2,500 to $30,500 per program (October 2026)
View school profile →Career colleges (health, trades and IT) (2)
Milan Institute
Texas has eight Milan campuses: Amarillo, Denton, two in El Paso, Houston, Plano and two in San Antonio. All teach cosmetology, barbering, esthetics and manicuring. Amarillo and Houston add medical programs, Houston and San Antonio’s Ingram Road campus teach massage, and Houston alone teaches HVAC-R and electrical work. Houston is still applying for COE accreditation; Denton, Plano and El Paso West hold provisional NACCAS status. No Texas prices are published.
- Length
- 24 weeks (esthetician, manicurist) to 51 weeks (HVAC-R, electrician)
- Accredited
- COE or NACCAS by campus; Houston still applying to COE; Denton, Plano and El Paso West provisional NACCAS
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: No Texas prices published
View school profile →Southwest University
Southwest University at El Paso is a private university that trains nurses, radiographers, surgical and laboratory technologists, mechanics, welders and cooks, with certificates and associate and bachelor’s degrees on one campus and business, health-administration and master’s degrees online. ABHES accredits it through February 2029, and its ADN graduates had a 91.23% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate in 2024. The 2023-24 catalog priced most whole programs at about $18,100 to $54,700.
- Length
- Certificates 9 to 14 months; associate degrees 12 to about 25 months
- Accredited
- ABHES, through February 2029
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: About $18,100 to $54,700 for most programs (2023-24 catalog; newer prices not available)
View school profile →Nursing and health schools (3)
Cultural Technical Institute, LLC.
Cultural Technical Institute is a private career school that holds a Texas Workforce Commission Certificate of Approval. It teaches short, in-person healthcare programs: nursing assistant, patient care technician, phlebotomy, EKG, medical assistant, pharmacy technician and medical billing and coding. Students pay themselves, with monthly plans available, and eight programs are listed for WIOA training funds; we found no federal financial aid. Its truck-driving program is paused and not enrolling.
- Length
- 5 to 20 weeks
- Accredited
- None found
- Federal aid
- No federal aid found; WIOA for 8 programs
Cost: $1,735 (nursing assistant) to $13,910 (billing and coding) on the state list; the school’s own figures are lower, so ask
View school profile →NOVA Career Institute
NOVA Career Institute is a small private career school in Texas, opened in 2022, that trains medical assistants, medical billing and coding staff and phlebotomy technicians. All three programs are on-campus diplomas: about nine months for medical assisting and for billing and coding, both with an externship, and about 2.5 to 3 weeks for phlebotomy. The school says it holds Texas Workforce Commission approval, names no accreditor and shows no federal student aid.
- Length
- About 9 months (medical assisting, billing and coding); 2.5 to 3 weeks (phlebotomy)
- Accredited
- None named
- Federal aid
- Not offered
Cost: No prices published in our profile; ask the school
View school profile →Pima Medical Institute
Pima Medical Institute has three Texas campuses: Houston (since 2009), El Paso (2014) and San Antonio. All three teach dental and medical assisting, pharmacy technician, phlebotomy, radiography, sonography and vet tech. Houston adds dental hygiene, OTA, PTA and respiratory therapy; San Antonio adds dental hygiene, Houston and San Antonio teach veterinary assisting, and El Paso adds OTA. Sonography at all three is CAAHEP accredited. El Paso’s radiography program was on JRCERT probation in October 2026.
- Length
- About 9 months (most certificates) to 24 months (radiography, respiratory therapy)
- Accredited
- ABHES; CAAHEP for sonography; El Paso radiography on JRCERT probation
- Federal aid
- Yes; GI Bill and MyCAA
Cost: Medical assistant $18,459 (1 July 2026 list); most associate degrees about $41,000 to $59,000
View school profile →No school on this page matches that trade. Try the public colleges above, or see all Texas trade schools.
- Several El Paso schools name no accreditor (Sun City Welding, ASC, Mountain View, NOVA, Cultural Technical Institute), so federal aid is not available. Check each school’s Texas Workforce Commission approval.
- Pima’s El Paso radiography program was on JRCERT probation in October 2026.
- A welding course does not license you; employers test welders to codes such as AWS D1.1 or API 1104.
- Cultural Technical Institute’s truck-driving program is paused and not enrolling.
More in Texas: All Texas trade schools
Where to start, by goal
| Your goal | Schools to consider | What it leads to |
|---|---|---|
| Welder | Sun City Welding Academy (80 to 900 hours), Center for Employment Training (900-hour welding fabrication) and Southwest University | AWS or employer weld tests |
| Truck driver or equipment operator | ASC Technical Institute (CDL and heavy equipment), Mountain View Vocational Institute and Center for Employment Training (630-hour truck driver) | Texas commercial driver’s license; OSHA 10 for equipment |
| Nurse (LVN or RN) | Southwest University (ADN: 91.23% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate in 2024) | NCLEX-RN and a Texas nursing license |
| Medical, dental or imaging | Pima Medical Institute, Southwest University, NOVA Career Institute and Cultural Technical Institute, LLC. | National certification; ARRT for radiographers |
| Cosmetology or barbering | Milan Institute (2 El Paso campuses) | TDLR license after 1,000 hours |
| Cook | Mountain View Vocational Institute (8-week culinary course with ServSafe) and Southwest University | No license; ServSafe for food safety |
These match goals to published program features. They are not rankings.
Costs and financial aid
Public colleges charge by the credit, with the lowest rate for residents of their own district; private schools charge one price per program or per term, and CDL and short courses one price per course. These are the prices each school published, with the date.
| Route | Example | Cost | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welding course | Sun City Welding Academy | $2,500 (80 hours) to $30,500 (900 hours), one price per program | October 2026 |
| Heavy equipment and CDL | ASC Technical Institute | Level One $9,200 tuition, Level Two $12,025; truck driving $7,200 with books and supplies | Current |
| Short health course | Cultural Technical Institute | $1,735 (nursing assistant) to $13,910 (billing and coding) on the state training list | Current |
| Health program | Pima | Medical assistant $18,459; most associate degrees about $41,000 to $59,000 | 1 July 2026 |
| University program | Southwest University | About $18,100 to $54,700 for most programs (2023-24 catalog; newer prices not available) | 2023-24 |
Books, tools, uniforms, fees and licensing exam fees are often extra. Ask any school for the total in writing before you sign. School prices are from our school profiles, where the original sources are linked.
Paying for training
- Texas Educational Opportunity Grant (TEOG): for Texas residents with financial need at public two-year colleges, up to $2,134 a term for two terms ($4,268 a year) in 2026-27, enrolled at least half-time. File the FAFSA (or the TASFA) early; funding is limited.
- Federal aid: Pell Grants and federal loans through the FAFSA at accredited schools. Many short private courses on these pages (CDL, phlebotomy, HVAC and welding bootcamps) do not take federal aid, so check each card.
- Workforce funding: local Workforce Solutions offices of the Texas Workforce Commission can pay for training on the state’s eligible training provider list (WIOA) for people who qualify; several schools here list WIOA funding.
- Veterans: the GI Bill at approved schools, and the Texas Hazlewood Act tuition exemption for eligible veterans at public colleges such as Houston City College and Lone Star College. RightTek’s HVAC bootcamp in Killeen and CLC in Fort Worth are DoD SkillBridge providers.
- Paid apprenticeships: electricians and plumbers earn their license hours on the job, so many start by applying to a contractor, union or employer apprenticeship and take classes at night. A Department of Labor apprenticeship also meets the plumbing board’s training-course rule.
- CDL training: CDL schools such as Roadmaster and SAGE do not take federal aid. Some carriers repay tuition for new drivers who sign on; read the contract terms before you agree.
Trade pathways and licensing
How each trade works in Texas, how long training takes, what it pays and which license you need. Pay is the El Paso-area median annual wage for all experience levels (BLS 2025, via O*NET OnLine).
Electrical
Texas licenses electricians statewide through TDLR, and electrical work must be done through a licensed electrical contractor. You start with a TDLR apprentice license (no exam or experience needed) and learn on the job under a master electrician. A journeyman license needs 8,000 hours of supervised work (you can sit the exam at 7,000); a residential wireman license needs 4,000 hours; a master license needs 12,000 hours and two years as a journeyman. School classes alone do not count as those hours.
- Length
- Weeks to 2 years in school; then 4,000 to 8,000 hours on the job
- License
- TDLR apprentice license to start; journeyman after 8,000 hours, residential wireman after 4,000
Schools on this page: Milan Institute. Guide: How to become an electrician in Texas.
A school certificate is not a license and its hours do not count toward TDLR’s on-the-job hours. Sources: TDLR and Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners license pages, read November 2026.
HVAC, plumbing, welding and construction
HVAC technicians must register with TDLR and work under a licensed air conditioning contractor; a certified technician designation needs 24 months of supervised work or a 2,000-hour TDLR-approved program, and a contractor license 48 months of experience in the last 72 (an AC/R degree, diploma or certification can qualify for an exception). Plumbers register as apprentices with the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners before their hours count: tradesman plumber-limited after 4,000 hours and a 24-hour course, journeyman after 8,000 hours and a 48-hour course. HVAC work also needs federal EPA 608 certification. Welders, carpenters and machinists need no state license.
- Length
- 100 hours (EPA 608 courses) to 2 years (HVAC and welding degrees)
- El Paso-area median pay
- $47,270 HVAC mechanics; $53,560 plumbers and pipefitters; $45,000 welders; $42,430 carpenters
- License
- TDLR technician registration (HVAC); TSBPE apprentice registration (plumbing); EPA 608
Schools on this page: HVAC: Milan Institute. Welding: Center for Employment Training, Southwest University and Sun City Welding Academy. Construction and heavy equipment: ASC Technical Institute. Guides: How to become an HVAC technician in Texas; How to become a plumber in Texas; How to become a welder in Texas; CNC machinist training in Texas.
Sources: TDLR and Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners license pages, read November 2026.
Truck driving, automotive and aviation
Texas has no license for auto or diesel technicians or welders; ASE and AWS certifications are the usual credentials. Truck drivers need a commercial driver’s license from Texas DPS after federal entry-level driver training from a provider on the FMCSA registry, and aircraft mechanics need the FAA’s A&P certificate.
- Length
- About 4 to 12 weeks (Class A CDL) to 21 months (aircraft maintenance)
Schools on this page: Truck driving: ASC Technical Institute, Center for Employment Training and Mountain View Vocational Institute. Automotive and diesel: Southwest University.
CDL schools do not take federal aid. Sources: our school profiles.
Nursing and healthcare
The Texas Board of Nursing licenses vocational nurses (LVNs, Texas’s name for LPNs) and registered nurses after the NCLEX. Check each program’s board approval, accreditation and recent pass rates before you apply; on the schools on our pages, first-time NCLEX pass rates range from about 67% to 100%. Medical assistants need no state license but usually earn a national certification; pharmacy technicians register with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy.
- Length
- Days (phlebotomy) to about 1 year (LVN) and 2 to 3 years (RN)
Schools on this page: Nursing: Southwest University. Medical assisting, phlebotomy and CNA: Cultural Technical Institute, LLC., Milan Institute, NOVA Career Institute and Pima Medical Institute. Imaging, surgical tech, dental and therapy: Cultural Technical Institute, LLC., Pima Medical Institute and Southwest University. Texas guides: medical assistant, dental assistant, phlebotomist, pharmacy technician, radiologic technologist, surgical technologist, sonographer, sterile processing tech, patient care tech, home health aide, billing and coding.
Ask any nursing program for its newest first-time NCLEX pass rate and its Texas Board of Nursing approval status. Sources: our school profiles.
Cosmetology, barbering and massage
TDLR licenses barbers and cosmetologists: 1,000 hours for a Class A barber or cosmetology operator, 750 hours for an esthetician and 600 for a manicurist. Students can take the written exam after 900 of the 1,000 hours, and must be 17 to be licensed. Massage therapists need 500 hours at a Texas-licensed massage school (TDLR).
- Length
- 1,000 hours (cosmetology operator or Class A barber), about 8 to 15 months; esthetician 750 hours; manicurist 600; massage 500 hours
- El Paso-area median pay
- $26,970 hairstylists and cosmetologists
Schools on this page: Milan Institute. Guide: How to become a massage therapist in Texas.
Sources: TDLR and Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners license pages, read November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best trade schools in El Paso?
It depends on the trade. El Paso Community College is the public option. For welding, Sun City Welding Academy and the Center for Employment Training teach in person; ASC Technical Institute and Mountain View Vocational Institute teach CDL and heavy equipment. For health care, Pima Medical Institute and Southwest University teach assisting, imaging and nursing. We list schools by type, not by rank.
How much does welding school cost in El Paso?
Sun City Welding Academy charges one price per program, from $2,500 for its 80-hour intro course to $30,500 for its two 900-hour programs (October 2026). It does not take federal aid. The Center for Employment Training teaches a 900-hour welding program and does take federal aid.
Where can I get CDL training in El Paso?
ASC Technical Institute (by the airport, $7,200 with books and supplies), Mountain View Vocational Institute (about 5 weeks) and the Center for Employment Training (630 hours, with evening sessions) all teach truck driving. Only CET takes federal aid; ASC and Mountain View accept VA benefits.
How do you become an electrician in Texas?
Get a TDLR apprentice electrician license (no exam needed) and a job with a licensed electrical contractor, where you train under a master electrician. After 8,000 hours of supervised work you can be licensed as a journeyman (you can take the exam at 7,000 hours); a residential wireman license needs 4,000 hours, and a master license 12,000 hours plus two years as a journeyman. A school certificate helps you get hired but does not replace the hours.
How long is cosmetology or barber school in Texas?
Texas requires 1,000 hours for a cosmetology operator license and 1,000 hours for a Class A barber license, 750 hours for an esthetician and 600 for a manicurist. Students can take the written exam after 900 hours. Full-time students usually finish 1,000 hours in about 8 to 10 months.
Facts checked October 2026. School facts come from each school’s profile on this site, where the original sources are linked. Licensing rules are from TDLR (electricians, air conditioning and refrigeration, barbering and cosmetology, massage therapy), the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners and the Texas Board of Nursing, read November 2026. Pay figures are El Paso-area median annual wages from BLS 2025 data, via O*NET OnLine.