Tuscaloosa Career & Technology Academy (TCTA) is a career and technical center for high-school students in Tuscaloosa City Schools. It is not a college, and we found no adult, evening or continuing-education program there, so adults cannot enroll in the programs on this page. Adults in the Tuscaloosa area who want trade training should look at Shelton State Community College instead.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public career and technical center run by Tuscaloosa City Schools, Alabama; in-person day classes |
| Who can enroll | Tuscaloosa City Schools high-school students. We found no adult or evening programs |
| Location | 1 campus: 2800 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 |
| Programs | 14 academies listed on the school’s website (October 2026) |
| Credentials | None of its own: students graduate from their home high school. Cosmetology and barbering prepares for state board licensure; other certifications are mentioned but not named |
| Accreditation | Not stated on the school’s website |
| Cost | No tuition for district students; we found no published course or lab fees |
| Federal aid | None (high-school program, no tuition) |
| Students | About 900 (district figure, August 2023) |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Tuscaloosa City Schools’ career and technical center
TCTA prepares Tuscaloosa City Schools (TCS) high-school students for work and further study, and students choose a career pathway based on their interests and assessments, according to the school’s About Us page. The district’s three high schools are Central, Paul W. Bryant and Northridge; TCTA sits outside the district’s feeder patterns as a shared center. The school says it has 18 industry instructors and runs a schoolwide “simulated workplace” with a Safety, Teamwork, Attendance, Appearance and Communication (STAAC) code. Its principal is Richjetta Branch.
The current building opened for the 2013-14 school year on the former Westlawn Middle School site, replacing the older Tuscaloosa Center for Technology. It has about 120,000 square feet in six connected buildings and a storm shelter for up to 800 people, Construction Equipment Guide reported in January 2014, which put the cost at $25 million; the school’s own page now says $23 million. A TCS spokeswoman put enrollment at about 900 students in August 2023, the Tuscaloosa Thread reported.
14 academies, all for high-school students
The school’s academies page lists the 14 programs below. Its About Us page describes “16 industry-certified pathways across 15 academies”, and news coverage in 2022 and 2023 counted 21 programs, so the list has changed over time; ask the school which courses run in the year you would enroll. Most program pages label their course lists “tentative”. The “Prepares for” column names a credential only where the school states one.
| Program | Credential | Campus | Schedule and delivery | Prepares for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welding | High-school course credit; up to six classes, from grade 10 | Tuscaloosa (MLK Blvd) | In person; daily schedule not published | “Multiple certifications” and free college credit (not named) |
| Building Construction | High-school course credit; 5 courses | Tuscaloosa (MLK Blvd) | In person; daily schedule not published | Entry-level building work; no certification named |
| Electrical Technology | High-school course credit; 4 courses | Tuscaloosa (MLK Blvd) | In person; daily schedule not published | No certification named |
| Plumbing & Pipefitting | High-school course credit; 3 courses | Tuscaloosa (MLK Blvd) | In person; daily schedule not published | Apprenticeship route; no certification named |
| Modern Manufacturing | High-school course credit; 4 courses | Tuscaloosa (MLK Blvd) | In person; daily schedule not published | No certification named |
| Cosmetology & Barbering | High-school course credit; 6 courses ending in a State Board Practicum | Tuscaloosa (MLK Blvd) | In person; daily schedule not published | State board licensure |
| Health Science & Sports Medicine | High-school course credit; two tracks | Tuscaloosa (MLK Blvd) | In person; daily schedule not published | First aid and CPR training; Patient Care Tech course by application |
| Food & Beverage Services (Culinary Arts) | High-school course credit; 4 courses | Tuscaloosa (MLK Blvd) | In person; daily schedule not published | “Certifications” and free college credit (not named) |
| Computer Science | High-school course credit; includes AP Computer Science Principles | Tuscaloosa (MLK Blvd) | In person; daily schedule not published | AP exam; “industry certifications” (not named) |
| PLTW Engineering | High-school course credit; Project Lead the Way | Tuscaloosa (MLK Blvd) | In person; daily schedule not published | No certification named |
| Entertainment & Media | High-school course credit; film and broadcasting | Tuscaloosa (MLK Blvd) | In person; daily schedule not published | No certification named |
| Visual Arts (Animation) | High-school course credit; Animation I to III | Tuscaloosa (MLK Blvd) | In person; daily schedule not published | No certification named |
| Veterinary Science | High-school course credit; 4 courses | Tuscaloosa (MLK Blvd) | In person; daily schedule not published | Entry-level veterinary assistant work |
| Education & Training | High-school course credit; Future Teachers of Alabama pathway | Tuscaloosa (MLK Blvd) | In person; daily schedule not published | No certification named |
What the main trade programs cover
Welding
The welding page says students can start as early as 10th grade and take up to six classes: Architecture and Construction Fundamentals, SMAW I and II, SMAW Fillet/PAC/CAC, Gas Metal Arc/Flux Cored Arc Welding and a CTE lab. The school says the program has linked students with local industry for almost 50 years and that “multiple certifications and free college credits are available”, but it does not name the certification (such as AWS or NCCER) or the college. Ask which welding tests students take and which college awards the credit.
Cosmetology and Barbering
The cosmetology and barbering academy lists six courses: Fundamentals, Hair Coloring, Chemical Services, Natural Hair Styling Theory, Salon Practices & Management and a State Board Practicum. The school says the final course prepares students for state board licensure in theory and practical skills. It does not say how many instructional hours students log or whether they finish eligible to sit the Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering exam before graduating, so ask before counting on a license.
Building Construction, Electrical and Plumbing
All three start with Architecture and Construction Fundamentals. Building Construction covers framing, roofing, building systems and finishing work such as drywall, trim and cabinets, ending in a senior pathway project. Electrical Technology teaches electrical theory and residential wiring of switches, receptacles, lights and panels, with troubleshooting. Plumbing & Pipefitting has two courses after the fundamentals class and points students toward apprenticeship. None of the three pages names an NCCER, OSHA or other credential.
Modern Manufacturing
The manufacturing academy runs four Basics of Manufacturing courses covering maintenance and troubleshooting, electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic systems, mechanical drives, automation and controls, blueprint reading, measurement and quality control. No certification, such as MSSC, is named.
Health Science and Sports Medicine
Both health tracks start with Foundations of Health Science, which covers first aid and CPR. The health science track adds Medical Terminology, Therapeutic Services, a Patient Care Tech course and an internship, the last two by application; sports medicine adds two courses in taping, injury care and rehabilitation. The page does not say students earn a nursing assistant or patient care certification, so ask what they leave with.
No tuition for Tuscaloosa City Schools students
TCTA is part of a public school district, and district high-school students pay no tuition for its courses. We found no published list of fees for kits, uniforms, tools or certification exams, which programs such as cosmetology and welding often require; ask the school. Federal student aid does not apply, because TCTA is not a college.
For college credit, TCS students in grade 10 or above with at least a 2.5 GPA can take dual-enrollment courses, and a city scholarship covers up to 12 free credit hours at Tuscaloosa colleges, WVUA 23 reported. TCTA’s welding and culinary pages mention free college credit but do not say how it links to this scholarship.
Who can enroll
TCTA serves Tuscaloosa City Schools high-school students, the school says. Program pages show a prerequisite or foundations course first, and welding can begin in grade 10. A 2014 article said Tuscaloosa County students were also welcome; we could not confirm that this still applies. The school does not publish an application process or deadline on its website: it points families to the district’s enrollment page and offers tours (205-759-3649). Students should ask their high-school counselor how to sign up and how the time at TCTA fits around their home-school timetable. The school holds “Mega WOW” open houses for families and the community.
Accreditation and results
TCTA’s website does not name an accreditor. Its district’s Board of Education earned a Cognia board certification for governance in August 2026, WVUA 23 reported; that is not the same as accreditation of TCTA’s programs. TCTA is a high school and does not report to College Navigator or award its own diploma.
The only results figure the school publishes is dated: students earned more than 630 industry-recognized credentials in 2016-17, the school says. We found no current credential counts, license pass rates or placement figures by program.
Before you enroll
- Adults cannot enroll. We found no adult, evening or continuing-education program at TCTA; adults should look at Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa.
- TCTA awards no diploma or degree of its own. Students graduate from their home high school, and only cosmetology and barbering states a specific license it prepares for.
- Several older listings, including our earlier profile, named fire science, automotive and NCCER, ServSafe or Adobe certifications. None of these appears on the school’s current program pages, so check before you choose TCTA for them.
- Most course lists are marked “tentative”, and the program count differs between the school’s own pages (14 academies listed, “16 pathways across 15 academies” described).
- Earnings figures on the program pages are the school’s general estimates, not outcomes of TCTA graduates.
Location
All programs are taught at one campus, 2800 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, in west Tuscaloosa. The 2014 building includes shop areas, a simulated hospital ward and a salon and spa suite, and its storm shelter is built to withstand winds up to 250 mph.
What students say
Reviews are thin. We found no Niche page for TCTA, and Public School Review shows no reviews (checked October 2026). We could not verify a current Google rating or review count. Families wanting first-hand views should ask to tour the school and speak to current students in the program they are considering.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Construction and Electrical Trades (high school)
- Building Construction
- Electrical Technology
- Plumbing & Pipefitting
Welding and Manufacturing (high school)
- Welding
- Modern Manufacturing
- PLTW Engineering
Cosmetology, Barbering and Culinary (high school)
- Cosmetology & Barbering
- Food & Beverage Services (Culinary Arts)
Health and Animal Science (high school)
- Health Science & Sports Medicine
- Veterinary Science
Computing, Media and Arts (high school)
- Computer Science
- Entertainment & Media
- Visual Arts (Animation)
Education (high school)
- Education & Training (Future Teachers of Alabama)
Campus Locations
Tuscaloosa, AL 2800 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401