Cost
Mechanic School Cost by State: Median Prices Compared
Mechanic school cost by state runs from a median $1,273 a year in California to $18,240 a year in Pennsylvania, among the 25 states with enough ranked programs priced by the year to compare. This post shows every state's median with its program count and its lowest and highest price.
By Trevor Rupe, Contributor at Savo Media Group
At a Glance
- California has the lowest median, $1,273 a year across 52 ranked programs, and Pennsylvania the highest, $18,240 a year across 13.
- 13 of the 25 states have a median under $5,000 a year; the median across every yearly-priced ranked program is $4,728 a year.
- Public colleges set the low end. Their 474 ranked programs priced by the year have a median of $4,613 a year.
- Programs priced for the whole program are counted separately. Their prices are for the full course, not the year, and are never mixed into a state median.
Mechanic School Cost in 25 States
The table covers every state with at least eight ranked programs that price by the year, lowest median first. A yearly price is the tuition and required fees for one academic year, in-district where the college charges its own district's residents less. The last column counts the state's ranked programs that price the whole program instead; their prices are for the full course and stay out of the medians.
| State | Programs | Lowest | Median | Highest | Priced as a whole |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 52 | $1,124 a year | $1,273 a year | $37,667 a year | 11 |
| North Carolina | 20 | $1,986 a year | $2,374 a year | $16,657 a year | 1 |
| Texas | 32 | $1,863 a year | $2,956 a year | $16,757 a year | 13 |
| Florida | 14 | $2,496 a year | $3,106 a year | $16,757 a year | 29 |
| Georgia | 17 | $3,007 a year | $3,448 a year | $16,657 a year | 0 |
| Idaho | 8 | $3,360 a year | $4,123 a year | $8,610 a year | 0 |
| Louisiana | 8 | $4,210 a year | $4,299 a year | $4,958 a year | 0 |
| Illinois | 28 | $3,504 a year | $4,515 a year | $39,200 a year | 2 |
| Colorado | 10 | $2,258 a year | $4,629 a year | $20,235 a year | 2 |
| Michigan | 18 | $2,736 a year | $4,685 a year | $17,943 a year | 1 |
| Kentucky | 20 | $4,728 a year | $4,728 a year | $4,808 a year | 0 |
| Arkansas | 17 | $2,570 a year | $4,776 a year | $8,674 a year | 0 |
| Wisconsin | 22 | $4,819 a year | $4,958 a year | $5,184 a year | 0 |
| Alabama | 13 | $4,272 a year | $5,120 a year | $5,278 a year | 0 |
| Ohio | 8 | $3,249 a year | $5,139 a year | $13,875 a year | 2 |
| South Carolina | 11 | $4,546 a year | $5,210 a year | $8,036 a year | 0 |
| Missouri | 11 | $3,660 a year | $5,250 a year | $18,008 a year | 0 |
| Washington | 14 | $4,711 a year | $5,296 a year | $6,634 a year | 1 |
| Virginia | 13 | $4,979 a year | $5,588 a year | $22,465 a year | 0 |
| Iowa | 12 | $4,848 a year | $6,176 a year | $6,930 a year | 0 |
| Oregon | 9 | $5,220 a year | $6,202 a year | $7,317 a year | 0 |
| Minnesota | 25 | $4,738 a year | $6,249 a year | $27,836 a year | 0 |
| New York | 11 | $5,206 a year | $6,796 a year | $29,810 a year | 6 |
| Kansas | 13 | $2,424 a year | $7,238 a year | $11,221 a year | 2 |
| Pennsylvania | 13 | $4,632 a year | $18,240 a year | $21,225 a year | 12 |
Why State Medians Differ
The gap between states comes mostly from the schools in them. California is the cleanest case: 50 of its 52 yearly-priced ranked programs are at public colleges, and the lowest price in the state is $1,124 a year. At the other end, Pennsylvania's median of $18,240 a year is pulled up by Pennsylvania College of Technology, which prices 4 of its programs at $18,240 a year.
Public colleges set the floor nationally: the 474 ranked public programs priced by the year run from $1,124 a year to $18,240 a year, with a median of $4,613 a year. The mechanic school cost guide breaks the same prices down by trade and type of school.
The cheapest single program in each state is on the cheapest mechanic schools ranking, which takes each school once at its lowest-priced ranked program. The lowest yearly price among these 25 states is $1,124 a year, in California.
How to Read the Medians
A median is the middle price, so half of a state's ranked programs price below it and half above. It is not a price any one school charges. A student's own bill also takes in books, tools and living costs, and a student living outside a college's district can pay more than the in-district price. The state rankings print each program's own price with its unit. The state rankings hub lists every state.
Questions About Mechanic School Cost by State
Which state has the cheapest mechanic school?
California, among the 25 states with at least eight ranked programs priced by the year: its median is $1,273 a year, and 50 of its 52 priced programs are at public colleges.
How much does mechanic school cost in California?
52 ranked programs in California price by the year, with a median of $1,273 a year, from $1,124 a year to $37,667 a year. 11 more price the whole program. The California ranking puts each program's price on its card.
How much does mechanic school cost in Texas?
32 ranked programs in Texas price by the year, with a median of $2,956 a year, from $1,863 a year to $16,757 a year. 13 more price the whole program. The Texas ranking puts each program's price on its card.
How much does mechanic school cost in Florida?
14 ranked programs in Florida price by the year, with a median of $3,106 a year, from $2,496 a year to $16,757 a year. 29 more price the whole program. The Florida ranking puts each program's price on its card.
Why does mechanic school cost more in some states?
A state median reflects the schools in the state. The median in Pennsylvania is $18,240 a year, and the most common price in the state, $18,240 a year, belongs to Pennsylvania College of Technology across 4 programs. Public colleges with an in-district price pull a state median down.
Sources for Mechanic School Cost by State: Median Prices Compared
- U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Completions (awards July 2024 to June 2025, provisional), tuition and fees for 2024-25, graduation rates within 150% of normal time and the institutional directory.
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Field of Study earnings, released June 10, 2026.
- ASE Education Foundation, accredited program list Downloaded November 3, 2026.
- FAA, Part 147 aviation maintenance technician school list FAA data updated October 26, 2026, read October 30, 2026.
This site earns money from sponsored school listings served by the education ad network Esyoh, which are marked as ads wherever they appear. Schools pay to appear in those listings, not in the rankings: a listing is not scored, and no listing can change a ranking. Rankings come from published records, and program details from each school’s own published pages.