20 accredited programs at 11 schools in Kentucky, ranked for 2027: automotive, diesel, collision repair and aviation maintenance. Elizabethtown Community and Technical College in Elizabethtown, KY has the highest score, and bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists here earn a median $55,480.
By Trevor Rupe, Contributor at Savo Media Group Updated
At a Glance
20 ranked programs at 11 schools in Kentucky: 9 automotive, 6 diesel, 2 collision repair and 3 aviation maintenance.
Elizabethtown Community and Technical College in Elizabethtown, KY scores highest, 64.3 out of 100 (diesel).
BLS reports a May 2025 median of $44,890 for automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023) in Kentucky.
Published prices run from $4,728 a year, in-state (Elizabethtown Community and Technical College) to $4,808 a year, in-state (Bluegrass Community and Technical College).
11 of 11 ranked mechanic schools in Kentucky are public institutions.
Top Mechanic Schools in Kentucky
These mechanic schools in Kentucky run in score order. Ranks are this state’s; each card also gives the national rank in its trade.
Rank 1
Diesel Technology
Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
Elizabethtown, KY
Score64.3
ASE Accredited Program
Public
Associate in Applied Science
Cost
$4,728a year, in-state
Graduation rate
59%within 150% of normal time
Diesel technician pay in Kentucky
$55,480median, BLS May 2025
Graduate earnings
$48,524median four years after completing, certificate level; school-wide across its mechanic programs
Why it ranks here
Ranked #14 of 76 diesel programs nationally. Earns its place with a price toward the low end of ranked diesel programs ($4,728 a year, in-state) and 151 awards in 2024-25, among the larger diesel programs.
Source: IPEDS 2024-25 (provisional), College Scorecard, the ASE accreditation list and BLS OEWS May 2025.
Rank 2
Collision Repair Technology
Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College
Bowling Green, KY
Score64.3
ASE Accredited Program
Public
Diploma
Cost
$4,728a year, in-state
Graduation rate
58%within 150% of normal time
Awards
49in 2024-25
Why it ranks here
Ranked #13 of 59 collision repair programs nationally. Scores well on a price toward the low end of ranked collision repair programs ($4,728 a year, in-state) and 49 awards in 2024-25, among the larger collision repair programs.
9 ranked automotive programs at 9 schools in Kentucky. Jefferson Community and Technical College (Louisville, KY) leads and stands #53 of 415 nationally, in the top quarter, on a score of 63.3. Gateway Community and Technical College is the lowest priced at $4,728 a year, in-state, against $4,808 a year, in-state at Bluegrass Community and Technical College. Automotive programs are taught in Louisville, KY, Florence, KY, Lexington, KY, Bowling Green, KY, Elizabethtown, KY and Owensboro, KY, and 3 more cities. The best completion rate, 59% within 150% of normal time, belongs to the program in Florence, KY. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $44,890 for automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023) in Kentucky, $5,730 below the national median of $50,620.
6 ranked diesel programs at 6 schools in Kentucky. Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (Elizabethtown, KY) leads and stands #14 of 76 nationally, in the top quarter, on a score of 64.3. Published prices barely differ: $4,728 a year, in-state at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College and $4,728 a year, in-state at Big Sandy Community and Technical College. Diesel programs are taught in Elizabethtown, KY, Owensboro, KY, Ashland, KY, Somerset, KY, Paducah, KY and Prestonsburg, KY. The largest, in Somerset, KY, awarded 215 credentials in 2024-25. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $55,480 for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Kentucky, $6,290 below the national median of $61,770.
2 ranked collision repair programs at 2 schools in Kentucky. Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College (Bowling Green, KY) leads and stands #13 of 59 nationally, in the top quarter, on a score of 64.3. Published prices barely differ: $4,728 a year, in-state at Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College and $4,728 a year, in-state at West Kentucky Community and Technical College. Collision repair programs are taught in Bowling Green, KY and Paducah, KY. The program graduated 58% of its students within 150% of normal time and awarded 49 credentials in 2024-25. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $46,080 for automotive body and related repairers (SOC 49-3021) in Kentucky, $8,810 below the national median of $54,890.
3 ranked aviation maintenance programs at 3 schools in Kentucky. Jefferson Community and Technical College (Louisville, KY) leads and stands #37 of 148 nationally, in the top quarter, on a score of 60.8. Maysville Community and Technical College is the lowest priced at $4,728 a year, in-state, against $4,808 a year, in-state at Jefferson Community and Technical College. Aviation maintenance programs are taught in Louisville, KY, Maysville, KY and Somerset, KY. The best completion rate, 56% within 150% of normal time, belongs to the program in Maysville, KY. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $67,920 for aircraft mechanics and service technicians (SOC 49-3011) in Kentucky, $11,950 below the national median of $79,870.
BLS counts 11,140 wage and salary jobs for automotive service technicians and mechanics in Kentucky, a denser market than the national average. The medians below describe each occupation in the state, not the graduates of the mechanic schools in $Kentucky above.
BLS median pay in Kentucky by occupation, May 2025
Occupation
Median
Lowest 10%
Highest 10%
Jobs
U.S. median
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics SOC 49-3023
$44,890
under $30,210
over $73,910
11,140
$50,620
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists SOC 49-3031
$55,480
under $38,250
over $80,500
3,890
$61,770
Automotive Body and Related Repairers SOC 49-3021
$46,080
under $28,360
over $80,770
1,680
$54,890
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians SOC 49-3011
$67,920
under $45,210
over $156,910
1,680
$79,870
Largest metropolitan areas for automotive service technicians and mechanics: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN at $49,090 (4,520 jobs), Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN at $47,440 (3,640 jobs) and Lexington-Fayette, KY at $46,080 (1,530 jobs).
For bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN at $62,400 (2,300 jobs) and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN at $61,310 (1,480 jobs).
For automotive body and related repairers: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN at $50,020 (1,170 jobs) and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN at $53,030 (650 jobs).
For aircraft mechanics and service technicians: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN at $85,410 (1,370 jobs) and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN at $76,800 (470 jobs).
Mechanic Salary in Kentucky has the full percentiles, every metropolitan area BLS publishes and the five mechanic trades side by side.
For 2027, Elizabethtown Community and Technical College in Elizabethtown, KY has the highest score of the 20 ranked programs in Kentucky, 64.3 out of 100. Among the mechanic schools in Kentucky, the leaders by trade are Jefferson Community and Technical College (automotive), Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (diesel), Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College (collision repair) and Jefferson Community and Technical College (aviation maintenance). All 11 are public institutions.
Which mechanic schools in Kentucky are accredited?
The 11 ranked mechanic schools in Kentucky hold ASE Education Foundation accreditation in automotive, diesel and collision repair and FAA Part 147 certification for aviation maintenance, and each met the federal entry bar for the ranking.
How much do mechanics make in Kentucky?
In the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 estimates, Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics in Kentucky earn a median of $44,890, $5,730 below the national median of $50,620; Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists earn a median of $55,480, $6,290 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 Kentucky cost?
Among the mechanic schools in Kentucky with a published price, tuition and fees run from $4,728 a year, in-state at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (Elizabethtown, KY) to $4,808 a year, in-state at Bluegrass Community and Technical College (Lexington, KY). The median across the state is about $4,728 a year.
Sources for Kentucky 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.
