1601 Botham Jean Blvd., Dallas, TX · Public, 4-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 768 auto mechanic
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $2,970
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $47,206 undergraduate certificate
Auto Mechanic Schools
Automotive technicians diagnose and repair cars and light trucks: engines, brakes, steering and suspension, electrical systems, heating and air conditioning, and the computer controls that now run all of them. Programs range from short certificates to two-year associate degrees, some built with a manufacturer.
751schools with grads
41,726awards 2023-24
$21,500median program tuition
13 momedian length
$50,620BLS median pay
By state
- Alabama10 schools
- Alaska2 schools
- American Samoa1 school: American Samoa Community College
- Arizona13 schools
- Arkansas16 schools
- California81 schools
- Colorado18 schools
- Connecticut4 schools
- Delaware2 schools
- Florida47 schools
- Georgia23 schools
- Guam1 school: Guam Community College
- Idaho7 schools
- Illinois36 schools
- Indiana3 schools
- Iowa15 schools
- Kansas16 schools
- Kentucky14 schools
- Louisiana7 schools
- Maine5 schools
- Maryland4 schools
- Massachusetts5 schools
- Michigan24 schools
- Minnesota20 schools
- Mississippi15 schools
- Missouri12 schools
- Montana6 schools
- Nebraska6 schools
- Nevada5 schools
- New Hampshire5 schools
- New Jersey12 schools
- New Mexico10 schools
- New York16 schools
- North Carolina41 schools
- North Dakota4 schools
- Ohio14 schools
- Oklahoma29 schools
- Oregon11 schools
- Palau1 school: Palau Community College
- Pennsylvania24 schools
- Puerto Rico7 schools
- Rhode Island1 school: New England Institute of Technology
- South Carolina11 schools
- South Dakota4 schools
- Tennessee23 schools
- Texas45 schools
- Utah11 schools
- Vermont1 school: Vermont State University
- Virginia15 schools
- Washington23 schools
- West Virginia4 schools
- Wisconsin16 schools
- Wyoming5 schools
Largest auto mechanic programs by graduates
50 W. Fall Creek Parkway N. Drive, Indianapolis, IN · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 729 auto mechanic
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $5,154
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $41,197 undergraduate certificate
10695 West Pierce Street, Avondale, AZ · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 647 auto mechanic
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $42,500 13 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $47,922 associate degree
5151 Regent Blvd., Irving, TX · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 630 auto mechanic
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $54,550 19 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $47,758 associate degree
9494 Haven Avenue, Rancho Cucamonga, CA · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 539 auto mechanic
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $54,950 19 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $47,922 associate degree
220 Byers Creek Road, Mooresville, NC · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 506 auto mechanic
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $49,750 16 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $47,922 associate degree
1889 Venture Drive, Laramie, WY · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 477 auto mechanic
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $31,750 9 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $49,700 undergraduate certificate
721 Lock Haven Dr., Houston, TX · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 468 auto mechanic
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $49,900 19 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $47,758 associate degree
Num 39-40 B St W Industrial Pk, Caguas, PR · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 457 auto mechanic
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $11,394
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $20,287 undergraduate certificate
4175 E. Conant Street, Long Beach, CA · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 423 auto mechanic
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $43,150 13 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $47,922 associate degree
1515 Broad Street, Bloomfield, NJ · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 415 auto mechanic
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $41,450 13 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $47,064 undergraduate certificate
108 N. 40th Street, Phoenix, AZ · Public, 4-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 413 auto mechanic
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $2,358
- Median pay 10 yrs, all
- $51,029
109 East Broadway, Louisville, KY · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 399 auto mechanic
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $4,872
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $52,449 undergraduate certificate
4100 Duckhorn Drive, Sacramento, CA · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 394 auto mechanic
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $42,750 13 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $46,617 associate degree
2611 Corporate West Drive, Lisle, IL · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 391 auto mechanic
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $41,050 13 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $46,664 undergraduate certificate
Becoming a automotive technician: licenses and credentials
- There is no state license to work as an auto technician in most states. The industry credential is ASE certification, earned by passing an ASE test and documenting work experience. ASE.
- Anyone repairing motor-vehicle air conditioning for pay needs EPA Section 609 certification. EPA Section 609.
- Some states register repair shops (the business, not you). Check on CareerOneStop.
BLS puts the median annual wage for automotive service technicians and mechanics nationally at $50,620 (middle 80% from $34,660 to $81,790), May 2025. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Questions, answered from the data
How many auto mechanic schools are there?
751 schools reported auto mechanic graduates to the Department of Education for 2023-24, 41,726 awards in all (31,375 undergraduate certificates, 10,325 associate degrees, 26 bachelor's degrees).
How long is auto mechanic school?
Among the 151 auto mechanic programs that reported a length to IPEDS for 2023-24, the median took 13 months to finish. Community college associate degrees usually take two years full time.
How much does auto mechanic school cost?
At schools that price by program, the median published tuition and fees for a whole auto mechanic program was $21,500 in 2023-24 (170 programs reporting, from $900 to $64,800); public two-year colleges teaching it charge a median $4,361 a year in-state (2025-26). Grants and aid lower what most students pay.
How much does a automotive technician make?
The BLS median annual wage for automotive service technicians and mechanics was $50,620 in May 2025; the lowest-paid 10% earned under $34,660 and the top 10% over $81,790.
What do auto mechanic graduates earn right after school?
Across 213 schools with College Scorecard data, the median of their graduates' median earnings one year after a certificate was $41,342. Scorecard reports this for the broader program family and only for federally aided graduates.
Sources: IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024_A) and Directory (HD2024), NCES; College Scorecard institution data (2025-26 charges, released Nov 2, 2026) and field-of-study data (Oct 15, 2026); FMCSA Training Provider Registry (as of 2026-11-02); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked 2026-11-02. How we build this list.