22 accredited programs at 13 schools in Wisconsin, ranked for 2027: automotive, diesel, collision repair and aviation maintenance. Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, WI has the highest score, and bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists here earn a median $62,450.
By Trevor Rupe, Contributor at Savo Media Group Updated
At a Glance
22 ranked programs at 13 schools in Wisconsin: 13 automotive, 4 diesel, 3 collision repair and 2 aviation maintenance.
Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, WI scores highest, 78.9 out of 100 (diesel).
BLS reports a May 2025 median of $54,350 for automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023) in Wisconsin.
Published prices run from $4,819 a year, in-state (Moraine Park Technical College) to $5,184 a year, in-state (Milwaukee Area Technical College).
13 of 13 ranked mechanic schools in Wisconsin are public institutions.
Top Mechanic Schools in Wisconsin
These mechanic schools in Wisconsin run in score order. Ranks are this state’s; each card also gives the national rank in its trade.
Rank 1
Diesel Equipment Technology
Fox Valley Technical College
Appleton, WI
Score78.9
ASE Accredited Program
Public
Associate Degree (AAS), 65 credit hours
Cost
$5,040a year, in-state
Graduation rate
65%within 150% of normal time
Diesel technician pay in Wisconsin
$62,450median, BLS May 2025
Graduate earnings
$62,822median four years after completing, certificate level; school-wide across its mechanic programs
Why it ranks here
Ranked #1 of 76 diesel programs nationally. Earns its place with a price toward the low end of ranked diesel programs ($5,040 a year, in-state), graduates earning a median $62,822 and a 65% graduation rate.
Source: IPEDS 2024-25 (provisional), College Scorecard and the ASE accreditation list.
Rank 3
Auto Collision Repair & Refinishing Technology
Fox Valley Technical College
Appleton, WI
Score73.3
ASE Accredited Program
Public
Associate Degree (AAS), 63 credit hours
Cost
$5,040a year, in-state
Graduation rate
65%within 150% of normal time
Graduate earnings
$62,822median four years after completing, certificate level; school-wide across its mechanic programs
Awards
10in 2024-25
Why it ranks here
Ranked #2 of 59 collision repair programs nationally. Stands out for a price toward the low end of ranked collision repair programs ($5,040 a year, in-state), graduates earning a median $62,822 and a 65% graduation rate.
13 ranked automotive programs at 13 schools in Wisconsin. Fox Valley Technical College (Appleton, WI) leads and stands #3 of 415 nationally, in the top quarter, on a score of 75.8. Moraine Park Technical College is the lowest priced at $4,819 a year, in-state, against $5,184 a year, in-state at Milwaukee Area Technical College. Automotive programs are taught in Appleton, WI, Kenosha, WI, Pewaukee, WI, Wausau, WI, Eau Claire, WI and Fond du Lac, WI, and 7 more cities. The largest, in Milwaukee, WI, awarded 111 credentials in 2024-25. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $54,350 for automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023) in Wisconsin, $3,730 above the national median of $50,620.
4 ranked diesel programs at 4 schools in Wisconsin. Fox Valley Technical College (Appleton, WI) leads and stands #1 of 76 nationally, in the top quarter, on a score of 78.9. Chippewa Valley Technical College is the lowest priced at $4,844 a year, in-state, against $5,184 a year, in-state at Milwaukee Area Technical College. Diesel programs are taught in Appleton, WI, Kenosha, WI, Eau Claire, WI and Milwaukee, WI. The program graduated 65% of its students within 150% of normal time and awarded 57 credentials in 2024-25. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $62,450 for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Wisconsin, $680 above the national median of $61,770.
3 ranked collision repair programs at 3 schools in Wisconsin. Fox Valley Technical College (Appleton, WI) leads and stands #2 of 59 nationally, in the top quarter, on a score of 73.3. Chippewa Valley Technical College is the lowest priced at $4,844 a year, in-state, against $5,040 a year, in-state at Fox Valley Technical College. Collision repair programs are taught in Appleton, WI, Eau Claire, WI and Green Bay, WI. The largest, in Green Bay, WI, awarded 11 credentials in 2024-25. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $56,660 for automotive body and related repairers (SOC 49-3021) in Wisconsin, $1,770 above the national median of $54,890.
2 ranked aviation maintenance programs at 2 schools in Wisconsin. Fox Valley Technical College (Appleton, WI) leads and stands #32 of 148 nationally, in the top quarter, on a score of 61.6. Fox Valley Technical College is the lowest priced at $5,040 a year, in-state, against $5,184 a year, in-state at Milwaukee Area Technical College. Aviation maintenance programs are taught in Appleton, WI and Milwaukee, WI. The largest, in Milwaukee, WI, awarded 45 credentials in 2024-25. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $73,930 for aircraft mechanics and service technicians (SOC 49-3011) in Wisconsin, $5,940 below the national median of $79,870.
BLS counts 12,270 wage and salary jobs for automotive service technicians and mechanics in Wisconsin, close to the national concentration. The medians below describe each occupation in the state, not the graduates of the mechanic schools in $Wisconsin above.
BLS median pay in Wisconsin by occupation, May 2025
Occupation
Median
Lowest 10%
Highest 10%
Jobs
U.S. median
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics SOC 49-3023
$54,350
under $36,590
over $78,140
12,270
$50,620
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists SOC 49-3031
$62,450
under $45,250
over $82,210
6,750
$61,770
Automotive Body and Related Repairers SOC 49-3021
$56,660
under $38,200
over $75,500
2,690
$54,890
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians SOC 49-3011
$73,930
under $44,520
over $99,850
1,270
$79,870
Largest metropolitan areas for automotive service technicians and mechanics: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI at $60,490 (7,180 jobs), Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI at $62,530 (3,170 jobs) and Madison, WI at $60,650 (1,270 jobs).
For bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI at $73,730 (4,290 jobs) and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI at $62,920 (1,380 jobs).
For automotive body and related repairers: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI at $62,200 (1,830 jobs) and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI at $57,030 (710 jobs).
For aircraft mechanics and service technicians: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI at $90,050 (2,110 jobs) and Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI at $74,480 (510 jobs).
Mechanic Salary in Wisconsin has the full percentiles, every metropolitan area BLS publishes and the five mechanic trades side by side.
For 2027, Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, WI has the highest score of the 22 ranked programs in Wisconsin, 78.9 out of 100. Among the mechanic schools in Wisconsin, the leaders by trade are Fox Valley Technical College (automotive), Fox Valley Technical College (diesel), Fox Valley Technical College (collision repair) and Fox Valley Technical College (aviation maintenance). All 13 are public institutions.
Which mechanic schools in Wisconsin are accredited?
The 13 ranked mechanic schools in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin?
In the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 estimates, Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics in Wisconsin earn a median of $54,350, $3,730 above the national median of $50,620; Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists earn a median of $62,450, $680 above 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 Wisconsin cost?
Among the mechanic schools in Wisconsin with a published price, tuition and fees run from $4,819 a year, in-state at Moraine Park Technical College (Fond du Lac, WI) to $5,184 a year, in-state at Milwaukee Area Technical College (Milwaukee, WI). The median across the state is about $4,958 a year.
Sources for Wisconsin 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.
