DSL · CA

Diesel Mechanic Schools in California

21 schools in California reported diesel mechanic graduates for 2023-24, 752 awards in all. Sorted by number of graduates.

Universal Technical Institute of Northern California Inc

4100 Duckhorn Drive, Sacramento, CA · Private for-profit, 2-year

DSL 133
AUTO 394
WELD 55

Grads 2023-24: 133 diesel mechanic
Program tuition 2023-24: $40,250 11 mo
Median pay 1 yr out: $40,853 undergraduate certificate

Universal Technical Institute of California Inc

9494 Haven Avenue, Rancho Cucamonga, CA · Private for-profit, 2-year

DSL 115
AUTO 539
WELD 170
IMT 24

Grads 2023-24: 115 diesel mechanic
Program tuition 2023-24: $40,250 11 mo
Median pay 1 yr out: $46,664 undergraduate certificate

San Joaquin Delta College

5151 Pacific Ave, Stockton, CA · Public, 2-year

DSL 102
AUTO 95
ELEC 69
WELD 31
BODY 2
CNC 2

Grads 2023-24: 102 diesel mechanic
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,180
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $46,256

Universal Technical Institute-Southern California

4175 E. Conant Street, Long Beach, CA · Private for-profit, 2-year

DSL 82
AUTO 423
WELD 195
BODY 73

Grads 2023-24: 82 diesel mechanic
Program tuition 2023-24: $40,250 11 mo
Median pay 1 yr out: $46,664 undergraduate certificate

Los Angeles Trade Technical College

400 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA · Public, 2-year

DSL 70
AUTO 197
ELEC 189
IMT 173
WELD 56
PLMB 40
CARP 37
CNST 26
BODY 23
CNC 14

Grads 2023-24: 70 diesel mechanic
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,238
Median pay 1 yr out: $38,935 undergraduate certificate

San Diego Miramar College

10440 Black Mountain Rd, San Diego, CA · Public, 2-year

DSL 39
AUTO 156
A&P 27

Grads 2023-24: 39 diesel mechanic
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,154
Median pay 1 yr out: $54,039 undergraduate certificate

Santa Rosa Junior College

1501 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA · Public, 2-year

DSL 33
AUTO 185
WELD 50
CNC 44
ELEC 1

Grads 2023-24: 33 diesel mechanic
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,318
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $52,482

Citrus College

1000 W Foothill Blvd, Glendora, CA · Public, 2-year

DSL 31
AUTO 64

Grads 2023-24: 31 diesel mechanic
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,254
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $46,835

Santa Ana College

1530 W. 17th Street, Santa Ana, CA · Public, 4-year

DSL 30
AUTO 111
WELD 50
CNC 28

Grads 2023-24: 30 diesel mechanic
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,188
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $48,917

American River College

4700 College Oak Dr, Sacramento, CA · Public, 2-year

DSL 20
CARP 491
PLMB 68
ELEC 36
WELD 29
AUTO 22
IMT 11
BODY 2
CNST 1

Grads 2023-24: 20 diesel mechanic
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,288
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $44,544

Barstow Community College

2700 Barstow Road, Barstow, CA · Public, 2-year

DSL 19
WELD 47
IMT 44
AUTO 28

Grads 2023-24: 19 diesel mechanic
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,104
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $39,138

San Bernardino Valley College

701 South Mount Vernon Avenue, San Bernardino, CA · Public, 2-year

DSL 15
AUTO 16
ELEC 15
BODY 10
A&P 9
WELD 4
CNC 3
IMT 2

Grads 2023-24: 15 diesel mechanic
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,185
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $43,912

Rio Hondo College

3600 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, CA · Public, 4-year

DSL 13
AUTO 101
CARP 20

Grads 2023-24: 13 diesel mechanic
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,388
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $48,362

College of Alameda

555 Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pky, Alameda, CA · Public, 2-year

DSL 10
A&P 69
AUTO 20
BODY 3

Grads 2023-24: 10 diesel mechanic
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,258
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $47,627

Imperial Valley College

380 E. Aten Road, Imperial, CA · Public, 2-year

DSL 9
CNST 34
IMT 28
WELD 25
AUTO 23
ELEC 21

Grads 2023-24: 9 diesel mechanic
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,148
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $40,691

Palomar College

1140 W. Mission Road, San Marcos, CA · Public, 2-year

DSL 8
WELD 42
ELEC 30
AUTO 20
CARP 12
BODY 5
CNC 3

Grads 2023-24: 8 diesel mechanic
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,356
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $48,110

Shasta College

11555 Old Oregon Trail, Redding, CA · Public, 4-year

DSL 7
WELD 32
AUTO 22
HEO 11
CNC 3

Grads 2023-24: 7 diesel mechanic
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,199
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $43,608

Butte College

3536 Butte Campus Drive, Oroville, CA · Public, 2-year

DSL 6
WELD 177
HEO 53
AUTO 24
CNST 8

Grads 2023-24: 6 diesel mechanic
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,374
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $44,807

Ventura College

4667 Telegraph Rd, Ventura, CA · Public, 2-year

DSL 5
AUTO 87
WELD 19

Grads 2023-24: 5 diesel mechanic
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,416
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $46,592

Las Positas College

3000 Campus Hill Drive, Livermore, CA · Public, 2-year

DSL 4
AUTO 15
WELD 7

Grads 2023-24: 4 diesel mechanic
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,348
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $57,379

Fresno City College

1101 E. University Ave, Fresno, CA · Public, 4-year

DSL 1
WELD 69
CNST 47
IMT 26
BODY 13
AUTO 9

Grads 2023-24: 1 diesel mechanic
In-state tuition/yr 2025-26: $1,334
Median pay 10 yrs, all: $39,674

Diesel Mechanic Schools by city

Licensing in California

Requirements are set by California (and sometimes your city), not by the school. Look up the current rules for diesel technicians on CareerOneStop's License Finder for California. General path: Diesel Mechanic Schools overview.

BLS puts the median annual wage for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists in California at $73,950 (middle 80% from $47,180 to $96,730), May 2025. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Questions, answered from the data

How many diesel mechanic schools are there in California?

21 schools in California reported diesel mechanic graduates to the Department of Education for 2023-24, 752 awards in all (666 undergraduate certificates, 86 associate degrees).

How long is diesel mechanic school?

Among the 3 diesel mechanic programs in California that reported a length to IPEDS for 2023-24, the median took 11 months to finish. Community college associate degrees usually take two years full time.

How much does diesel mechanic school cost in California?

At schools that price by program, the median published tuition and fees for a whole diesel mechanic program was $40,250 in 2023-24 (3 programs reporting, from $40,250 to $40,250); public two-year colleges teaching it charge a median $1,256 a year in-state (2025-26). Grants and aid lower what most students pay.

How much does a diesel technician make in California?

The BLS median annual wage for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists in California was $73,950 in May 2025; the lowest-paid 10% earned under $47,180 and the top 10% over $96,730.

What do diesel mechanic graduates earn right after school?

Across 5 schools in California with College Scorecard data, the median of their graduates' median earnings one year after a certificate was $46,664. Scorecard reports this for the broader program family and only for federally aided graduates.

All trade schools in California

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.