OP - JMO but most of this thread is terrible advice from non-weldors and wannabes. Ignore them. Trackwelder's correct, a few decent classes are worth their weight in gold.
Unlike many of those commenting here, both myself and SWMBO have taken quite a few college level trade classes in the last decade and can assure you a decent program doesn't tolerate fuckups, shitheads, or those who aren't there to learn like the universities and high schools today do. Unlike the university crowd which contains many self-entitled 18 year olds who don't know what they want in life other than EASY, the community college/trade school crowd is usually a bit older, quite a bit more mature, and full of folks who are paying THEIR OWN way in life, so consequently are a bit more mature. Many start working as a machinist/weldor/other tradesman shortly before or after starting school, THEIR bill is directly linked to passing the class, and THEIR paycheck is directly linked to skills learned.
As for the actual classes, again, ignore the folks above. JMO, but until you get some time on multiple processes using properly set up machines, you wont really know whats best for you and your projects, that's the beauty of taking a couple classes. Contrary to what others claim, nobody was ever a decent welder who was entirely self-taught nor did they become good watching youtube/online videos. One of my teachers said it best - welding is like shooting, the best NEVER welded before they were taught how bc DIY'ing usually leads to bad habits difficult to break (also why women make some of the best weldors and shooters). In a decent class you'll learn the proper industry standard ways of testing welds (other than the hairy eyeball and hammer) using the proper equipment and how to make STRONG welds, not the pretty welds everybody online worries too much about. You'll also learn a ton about metallurgy and joint design as a consequence. The program will also be setup to make it easy to learn. For example, you might never use stick welding again but you will learn a ton of basic technique and knowledge that is directly applicable to other processes, and are easiest taught on that process. Personally, I took separate classes on 1. gas welding, 2. SMAW (stick), 3. TIG, 4. MIG, and 5. inspection. I rarely gas weld, usually use stick for heavy repairs/fab and TIG for light work, and even rarer yet is me using the MIG bc I prefer very high quality welds and find other processes easier. Honestly, I really could never have picked up half of what I know today nor broken the bad habits developed on my own years prior to taking the classes, had I not had a teacher standing next to me in the booth watching me weld.
I don't really have any feelings one way or another about the cost mentioned. Some states have a ridiculously high cost of college while others don't, and a good program is targeted at creating professionals, not teaching hobbyists "just enough" for their auto/garage hobbies. Personally, I would look into the schools accreditation first and foremost bc I'd rather overpay for a good school than attend a free but crappy one....do they offer American Welding Society (AWS), state Dept of Transportation (yes, that DOT), or other certs? The better schools offer certs, often your tuition includes the cost of the cert test. Are there stories in the local paper or on google about their grads doing great things, or how outstanding their teachers are? JME regarding class hours, but the classes I took in NY and those taught by the good schools (we also have terrible ones) here in IN advertise ** hours like the universities do, but the majority of your time is unlisted lab time. Most of my welding classes were 2 hours of "class" time that was mostly in the lab, and another 2-4 of lab time. One summer I took two, "2 hour" welding classes that involved a minimum of 8 hours welding back-back per day, and often stretched to 10-12.
