8 accredited programs at 6 schools in Louisiana, ranked for 2027: automotive, diesel and aviation maintenance. South Louisiana Community College in Lafayette, LA has the highest score, and bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists here earn a median $58,680.
By Trevor Rupe, Contributor at Savo Media Group Updated
At a Glance
8 ranked programs at 6 schools in Louisiana: 3 automotive, 2 diesel and 3 aviation maintenance.
South Louisiana Community College in Lafayette, LA scores highest, 55.7 out of 100 (diesel).
BLS reports a May 2025 median of $46,400 for automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023) in Louisiana.
Published prices run from $4,210 a year (South Louisiana Community College) to $4,958 a year (Southern University at Shreveport).
6 of 6 ranked mechanic schools in Louisiana are public institutions.
Top Mechanic Schools in Louisiana
These mechanic schools in Louisiana run in score order. Ranks are this state’s; each card also gives the national rank in its trade.
Rank 1
Diesel Powered Equipment Technology
South Louisiana Community College
Lafayette, LA
Score55.7
ASE Accredited Program
Public
Technical Diploma (TD), 3 semesters
Cost
$4,210a year
Graduation rate
30%within 150% of normal time
Diesel technician pay in Louisiana
$58,680median, BLS May 2025
Graduate earnings
$52,728median four years after completing, certificate level; school-wide across its mechanic programs
Why it ranks here
Ranked #39 of 76 diesel programs nationally. Earns its place with a price toward the low end of ranked diesel programs ($4,210 a year) and graduates earning a median $52,728.
3 ranked automotive programs at 3 schools in Louisiana. Delgado Community College (New Orleans, LA) is the best of them at #272 of 415 nationally (lower half), with 47.5 points. Published prices barely differ: $4,279 a year at Delgado Community College and $4,321 a year at Baton Rouge Community College. Automotive programs are taught in New Orleans, LA, Lacombe, LA and Baton Rouge, LA. The largest, in Lacombe, LA, awarded 150 credentials in 2024-25. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $46,400 for automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023) in Louisiana, $4,220 below the national median of $50,620.
2 ranked diesel programs at 2 schools in Louisiana. South Louisiana Community College (Lafayette, LA) is the best of them at #39 of 76 nationally (lower half), with 55.7 points. South Louisiana Community College is the lowest priced at $4,210 a year, against $4,299 a year at Northshore Technical Community College. Diesel programs are taught in Lafayette, LA and Lacombe, LA. The best completion rate, 40% within 150% of normal time, belongs to the program in Lacombe, LA. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $58,680 for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Louisiana, $3,090 below the national median of $61,770.
3 ranked aviation maintenance programs at 3 schools in Louisiana. SOWELA Technical Community College (Lake Charles, LA) is the best of them at #94 of 148 nationally (lower half), with 48.6 points. South Louisiana Community College is the lowest priced at $4,210 a year, against $4,958 a year at Southern University at Shreveport. Aviation maintenance programs are taught in Lake Charles, LA, Shreveport, LA and Lafayette, LA. The program graduated 43% of its students within 150% of normal time and awarded 39 credentials in 2024-25. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $79,780 for aircraft mechanics and service technicians (SOC 49-3011) in Louisiana, $90 below the national median of $79,870.
BLS counts 8,620 wage and salary jobs for automotive service technicians and mechanics in Louisiana, close to the national concentration. The medians below describe each occupation in the state, not the graduates of the mechanic schools in $Louisiana above.
BLS median pay in Louisiana by occupation, May 2025
Occupation
Median
Lowest 10%
Highest 10%
Jobs
U.S. median
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics SOC 49-3023
$46,400
under $30,230
over $77,790
8,620
$50,620
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists SOC 49-3031
$58,680
under $38,900
over $79,160
3,270
$61,770
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians SOC 49-3011
$79,780
under $47,840
over $107,830
1,150
$79,870
Largest metropolitan areas for automotive service technicians and mechanics: Baton Rouge, LA at $48,480 (1,710 jobs), New Orleans-Metairie, LA at $49,190 (1,610 jobs) and Shreveport-Bossier City, LA at $45,990 (930 jobs).
For bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists: New Orleans-Metairie, LA at $60,460 (710 jobs) and Baton Rouge, LA at $60,300 (640 jobs).
For aircraft mechanics and service technicians: Lafayette, LA at $87,630 (240 jobs) and New Orleans-Metairie, LA at $82,160 (240 jobs).
Mechanic Salary in Louisiana has the full percentiles, every metropolitan area BLS publishes and the five mechanic trades side by side.
Mechanic Licensing in Louisiana
Motor vehicle inspector (training at state-approved schools for licensed MVI stations) comes from the Louisiana State Police, Motor Vehicle Inspection Unit and covers state inspection or emissions work, which is separate from general repair.
For 2027, South Louisiana Community College in Lafayette, LA has the highest score of the 8 ranked programs in Louisiana, 55.7 out of 100. Among the mechanic schools in Louisiana, the leaders by trade are Delgado Community College (automotive), South Louisiana Community College (diesel) and SOWELA Technical Community College (aviation maintenance). All six are public institutions.
Which mechanic schools in Louisiana are accredited?
The 6 ranked mechanic schools in Louisiana 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 Louisiana?
In the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 estimates, Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics in Louisiana earn a median of $46,400, $4,220 below the national median of $50,620; Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists earn a median of $58,680, $3,090 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 Louisiana cost?
Among the mechanic schools in Louisiana with a published price, tuition and fees run from $4,210 a year at South Louisiana Community College (Lafayette, LA) to $4,958 a year at Southern University at Shreveport (Shreveport, LA). The median across the state is about $4,299 a year.
Do you need a license to work as a mechanic in Louisiana?
Motor vehicle inspector (training at state-approved schools for licensed MVI stations) comes from the Louisiana State Police, Motor Vehicle Inspection Unit and covers state inspection or emissions work, which is separate from general repair.
Sources for Louisiana 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.
