9 accredited programs at 8 schools in Arizona, ranked for 2027: automotive, diesel and aviation maintenance. Universal Technical Institute of Arizona in Avondale, AZ has the highest score, and bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists here earn a median $61,680.
By Trevor Rupe, Contributor at Savo Media Group Updated
At a Glance
9 ranked programs at 8 schools in Arizona: 5 automotive, 1 diesel and 3 aviation maintenance.
Universal Technical Institute of Arizona in Avondale, AZ scores highest, 67.8 out of 100 (diesel).
BLS reports a May 2025 median of $49,570 for automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023) in Arizona.
Published prices run from $2,358 a year, in-state (Chandler-Gilbert Community College) to $42,145 for the 45-week program (Universal Technical Institute of Arizona).
7 of 8 ranked mechanic schools in Arizona are public institutions.
Top Mechanic Schools in Arizona
These mechanic schools in Arizona run in score order. Ranks are this state’s; each card also gives the national rank in its trade.
Rank 1
Diesel Technology
Universal Technical Institute of Arizona
Avondale, AZ
Score67.8
ASE Accredited Program
Private For-Profit
Diploma
Cost
$42,145for the 45-week program (scored as $48,701 a year)
Graduation rate
70%within 150% of normal time
Diesel technician pay in Arizona
$61,680median, BLS May 2025
Graduate earnings
$60,060median four years after completing, associate’s level; school-wide, shared by 6 campuses
Why it ranks here
Ranked #9 of 76 diesel programs nationally. Earns its place with graduates earning a median $60,060, a 70% graduation rate and 312 awards in 2024-25, among the larger diesel programs.
Source: school’s published price (2026-27, read November 3, 2026), IPEDS 2024-25 (provisional), College Scorecard, the ASE accreditation list and BLS OEWS May 2025.
Rank 2
Aircraft Maintenance Technology
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Chandler, AZ
Score67.0
FAA Part 147
Public
Associate in Applied Science, 88-115 credit hours
Cost
$2,358a year, in-state
Graduation rate
30%within 150% of normal time
Graduate earnings
$80,226median four years after completing, certificate level
Awards
120in 2024-25
Why it ranks here
Ranked #12 of 148 aviation maintenance programs nationally. Scores well on a price toward the low end of ranked aviation maintenance programs ($2,358 a year, in-state), graduates earning a median $80,226 and 120 awards in 2024-25.
Source: IPEDS 2024-25 (provisional), College Scorecard and the FAA school list.
Rank 3
Automotive & EV Technology
Universal Technical Institute of Arizona
Avondale, AZ
Score66.6
ASE Accredited Program
Private For-Profit
Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS)
Cost
$43,750for the 13-month program (scored as $40,385 a year)
Graduation rate
70%within 150% of normal time
Graduate earnings
$60,060median four years after completing, associate’s level; school-wide, shared by 6 campuses
Awards
621in 2024-25
Why it ranks here
Ranked #20 of 415 automotive programs nationally. Stands out for graduates earning a median $60,060, a 70% graduation rate and 621 awards in 2024-25, among the larger automotive programs.
5 ranked automotive programs at 5 schools in Arizona. Universal Technical Institute of Arizona (Avondale, AZ) leads and stands #20 of 415 nationally, in the top quarter, on a score of 66.6. GateWay Community College is the lowest priced at $2,358 a year, in-state, against $43,750 for the 13-month program at Universal Technical Institute of Arizona. Automotive programs are taught in Avondale, AZ, Phoenix, AZ, Glendale, AZ, Mesa, AZ and Yuma, AZ. The largest, in Glendale, AZ, awarded 636 credentials in 2024-25. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $49,570 for automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023) in Arizona, $1,050 below the national median of $50,620.
Universal Technical Institute of Arizona (Avondale, AZ) is the only ranked diesel program in Arizona, and #9 of 76 nationally puts it in the top quarter, with a score of 67.8. Universal Technical Institute of Arizona publishes $42,145 for the 45-week program. The program graduated 70% of its students within 150% of normal time and awarded 312 credentials in 2024-25. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $61,680 for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Arizona, $90 below the national median of $61,770.
3 ranked aviation maintenance programs at 3 schools in Arizona. Chandler-Gilbert Community College (Chandler, AZ) leads and stands #12 of 148 nationally, in the top quarter, on a score of 67.0. Chandler-Gilbert Community College is the lowest priced at $2,358 a year, in-state, against $22,931 for the 19-month program at Western Maricopa Education Center. Aviation maintenance programs are taught in Chandler, AZ, Tucson, AZ and Glendale, AZ. The largest, in Tucson, AZ, awarded 194 credentials in 2024-25. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $75,300 for aircraft mechanics and service technicians (SOC 49-3011) in Arizona, $4,570 below the national median of $79,870.
BLS counts 16,400 wage and salary jobs for automotive service technicians and mechanics in Arizona, a denser market than the national average. The medians below describe each occupation in the state, not the graduates of the mechanic schools in $Arizona above.
BLS median pay in Arizona by occupation, May 2025
Occupation
Median
Lowest 10%
Highest 10%
Jobs
U.S. median
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics SOC 49-3023
$49,570
under $34,660
over $79,330
16,400
$50,620
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists SOC 49-3031
$61,680
under $45,460
over $84,350
5,140
$61,770
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians SOC 49-3011
$75,300
under $48,290
over $121,480
5,670
$79,870
Largest metropolitan areas for automotive service technicians and mechanics: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ at $50,090 (11,340 jobs), Tucson, AZ at $48,600 (2,150 jobs) and Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ at $46,670 (540 jobs).
For bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ at $63,330 (3,550 jobs) and Tucson, AZ at $60,370 (580 jobs).
For aircraft mechanics and service technicians: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ at $76,610 (3,810 jobs) and Tucson, AZ at $73,340 (1,390 jobs).
Mechanic Salary in Arizona has the full percentiles, every metropolitan area BLS publishes and the five mechanic trades side by side.
For 2027, Universal Technical Institute of Arizona in Avondale, AZ has the highest score of the 9 ranked programs in Arizona, 67.8 out of 100. Among the mechanic schools in Arizona, the leaders by trade are Universal Technical Institute of Arizona (automotive), Universal Technical Institute of Arizona (diesel) and Chandler-Gilbert Community College (aviation maintenance). 7 of the 8 ranked schools with a recorded control are public.
Which mechanic schools in Arizona are accredited?
The 8 ranked mechanic schools in Arizona hold ASE Education Foundation accreditation in automotive and diesel and FAA Part 147 certification for aviation maintenance, and each met the federal entry bar for the ranking.
How much do mechanics make in Arizona?
In the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 estimates, Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics in Arizona earn a median of $49,570, $1,050 below the national median of $50,620; Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists earn a median of $61,680, $90 below the national median of $61,770. These are medians for wage and salary workers in the occupation, not starting pay.
How much do mechanic schools in Arizona cost?
Among the mechanic schools in Arizona with a published price, tuition and fees run from $2,358 a year, in-state at Chandler-Gilbert Community College (Chandler, AZ) to $42,145 for the 45-week program at Universal Technical Institute of Arizona (Avondale, AZ). The median across the state is about $2,442 a year.
Sources for Arizona Mechanic School Rankings
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.
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.
