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Welding classes in Montana

7 welding programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

4 schools offer these welding programs, and Montana has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did. One school runs 3 of these 7 programs, so the typical figures lean heavily on its prices and results.

Welders join and cut metal parts with hand-held or remotely controlled equipment. Most have a high school diploma plus technical training, and some employers ask for a certification for particular jobs.1

In Montana, all 7 programs take students without a high school diploma.

By kind, the 7 programs here are welding and fabrication (4 programs), general welding (2 programs) and welding (associate degree, 1 program).

See the 7 programs

How much do welding classes cost in Montana?

$6,436 to $11,169 is what most welding programs in Montana cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 6 programs with a price. All of them: $4,913 to $20,175

In the typical program

Finished the program
Not enough data
3 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Working 6 months later
Not enough data
3 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Earned a year, estimated
Not enough data
3 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Length
30 to 120 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Montana may also offer welding classes. How these figures are made

Are there free welding classes in Montana?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 7 welding programs in Montana approved for WIOA funding

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7 programs

  • General weldingIn personNo diploma needed

    Welding Technology CAS

    Msu - Northern

    Havre

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Msu - Northern, HavreGeneral welding · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimated$48,300
    Price if you pay yourselfNot reported
    Program website, Welding Technology CAS at Msu - Northern
    More details about Welding Technology CAS at Msu - Northern
    Finished
    100%
    Working at 6 months
    65%
    Earned in a quarter
    $12,085
    Length
    30 weeks, 31 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    Not reported
    Students counted
    17
    Earned a year, estimated
    $48,300
    Price if you pay yourself
    Not reported
    Program website, Welding Technology CAS at Msu - Northern

  • Welding and fabricationIn personNo diploma needed

    Welding Tech and Fabrication

    Msu - Great Falls College

    Great Falls

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Msu - Great Falls College, Great FallsWelding and fabrication · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimated$42,400
    Price if you pay yourself$12,700
    Program website, Welding Tech and Fabrication at Msu - Great Falls College
    More details about Welding Tech and Fabrication at Msu - Great Falls College
    Finished
    100%
    Working at 6 months
    77%
    Earned in a quarter
    $10,595
    Length
    120 weeks, 32 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    13
    Earned a year, estimated
    $42,400
    Price if you pay yourself
    $12,700
    Program website, Welding Tech and Fabrication at Msu - Great Falls College

  • Welding and fabricationIn personNo diploma needed

    Welding & Metal Fabrication

    Msu - Billings/City College

    Billings

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Msu - Billings/City College, BillingsWelding and fabrication · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimated$37,800
    Price if you pay yourself$6,390
    Program website, Welding & Metal Fabrication at Msu - Billings/City College
    More details about Welding & Metal Fabrication at Msu - Billings/City College
    Finished
    100%
    Working at 6 months
    85%
    Earned in a quarter
    $9,450
    Length
    30 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    11
    Earned a year, estimated
    $37,800
    Price if you pay yourself
    $6,390
    Program website, Welding & Metal Fabrication at Msu - Billings/City College

  • General weldingIn personNo diploma needed

    CTS Welding, Tier III

    Dawson Community College

    Glendive

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Dawson Community College, GlendiveGeneral welding · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$4,913
    Program website, CTS Welding, Tier III at Dawson Community College
    More details about CTS Welding, Tier III at Dawson Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    15 weeks, 15 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $4,913
    Program website, CTS Welding, Tier III at Dawson Community College

  • Welding and fabricationIn personNo diploma needed

    Welding and Fabrication Tier 1

    Msu - Great Falls College

    Great Falls

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Msu - Great Falls College, Great FallsWelding and fabrication · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$6,575
    Program website, Welding and Fabrication Tier 1 at Msu - Great Falls College
    More details about Welding and Fabrication Tier 1 at Msu - Great Falls College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    120 weeks, 16 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $6,575
    Program website, Welding and Fabrication Tier 1 at Msu - Great Falls College

  • Welding and fabricationIn personNo diploma needed

    Welding and Fabrication Tier 2

    Msu - Great Falls College

    Great Falls

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Msu - Great Falls College, Great FallsWelding and fabrication · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$6,575
    Program website, Welding and Fabrication Tier 2 at Msu - Great Falls College
    More details about Welding and Fabrication Tier 2 at Msu - Great Falls College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    120 weeks, 16 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $6,575
    Program website, Welding and Fabrication Tier 2 at Msu - Great Falls College

  • Welding (associate degree)In personNo diploma needed

    AAS Welding Technology

    Dawson Community College

    Glendive

    Accredited school

    No diploma needed

    Dawson Community College, GlendiveWelding (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$20,175
    Program website, AAS Welding Technology at Dawson Community College
    More details about AAS Welding Technology at Dawson Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    60 weeks, 50 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $20,175
    Program website, AAS Welding Technology at Dawson Community College

How to pay for welding classes in Montana

WIOA funding can pay for welding classes in Montana

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for welding classes

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.67

GI Bill for welding classes

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.8

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Quick facts: Welding classes in Montana

lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
37th of 46
welding programs here, against the typical state's 24
7 vs 24

State comparisons use the same figures as the welding classes by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Welding classes in Great Falls, Billings and other Montana cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above. 3 in smaller cities and towns.

Other training in Montana

How welding classes compare with the rest of skilled trades: Trade school programs in Montana

Where the Montana welding program numbers come from

Which Montana welding programs are on this list?

These are the welding programs Montana approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).9 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Montana offers.

How the prices and results of Montana welding programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about welding classes in Montana

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  8. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  9. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List