Home › California › Automotive Technology schools
99 schools in California offer automotive technology-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 15 registered apprenticeship sponsors in California train automotive technology apprentices — see apprenticeships. Federal program data groups automotive technology with diesel mechanics and aviation maintenance — schools below may offer any of these.
California does not license general auto mechanics — you can work as a technician with no individual state credential, though any repair business must register with the Bureau of Automotive Repair as an Automotive Repair Dealer. Individual BAR licenses exist only for specialties: Smog Check inspectors, Smog Check repair technicians, and Vehicle Safety Systems (brake-and-lamp) technicians, each requiring qualifications plus a state exam. For everyone else, voluntary ASE certification is the standard employers expect.
Official source: California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR), Department of Consumer Affairs · Exam: No exam for general repair work. BAR licensing exams are required for Smog Check inspector, Smog Check repair technician, and Vehicle Safety Systems technician licenses; ASE exams are the voluntary norm for everyone else. · Typical requirement: None mandated for general technicians. BAR specialty licenses require qualifying education/experience combinations before the exam. Any business diagnosing or repairing vehicles for compensation must register with BAR as an Automotive Repair Dealer.
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College of the Sequoias | Visalia | public | $480 | 33.7% | $39,092 |
| Skyline College | San Bruno | public | $1,738 | 26.7% | $55,702 |
| Imperial Valley College | Imperial | public | $1,115 | 40.2% | $34,487 |
| Irvine Valley College | Irvine | public | $2,090 | 31.3% | $49,156 |
| Hartnell College | Salinas | public | $2,039 | 16.2% | $44,316 |
| Victor Valley College | Victorville | public | $1,947 | 27% | $36,119 |
| San Joaquin Delta College | Stockton | public | $2,407 | 29.7% | $43,212 |
| Cerritos College | Norwalk | public | $2,424 | 30.2% | $41,156 |
| Yuba College | Marysville | public | $2,576 | 26.4% | $39,552 |
| West Valley College | Saratoga | public | $3,423 | 24.2% | $51,688 |
| Modesto Junior College | Modesto | public | $2,818 | 27.8% | $42,368 |
| San Diego Miramar College | San Diego | public | $3,337 | 22.2% | $48,224 |
| Santa Ana College | Santa Ana | public | $3,133 | 18.9% | $43,552 |
| Shasta College | Redding | public | $2,878 | 24.5% | $39,269 |
| College of the Canyons | Santa Clarita | public | $3,702 | 29.9% | $49,022 |
| Saddleback College | Mission Viejo | public | $4,152 | 28.5% | $50,874 |
| Pasadena City College | Pasadena | public | $3,864 | 32.7% | $43,937 |
| Hacienda La Puente Adult Education | La Puente | public | $3,536 | 82.7% | $39,271 |
| Citrus College | Glendora | public | $4,135 | 35.4% | $42,065 |
| Mission College | Santa Clara | public | $5,080 | 19.1% | $50,936 |
| Las Positas College | Livermore | public | $5,377 | 29.6% | $51,088 |
| Antelope Valley Community College District | Lancaster | public | $3,860 | 29.1% | $36,526 |
| Solano Community College | Fairfield | public | $4,669 | 26.3% | $44,170 |
| Cypress College | Cypress | public | $4,606 | 29.9% | $43,533 |
| Golden West College | Huntington Beach | public | $4,824 | 29.6% | $43,145 |
| De Anza College | Cupertino | public | $6,642 | 43.6% | $56,596 |
| Allan Hancock College | Santa Maria | public | $5,383 | 25.7% | $42,786 |
| San Diego Mesa College | San Diego | public | $5,814 | 23.1% | $45,120 |
| Chaffey College | Rancho Cucamonga | public | $5,672 | 27.3% | $42,975 |
| Butte College | Oroville | public | $5,520 | 36.3% | $41,810 |
| Merced College | Merced | public | $5,040 | 30.4% | $37,815 |
| Santa Rosa Junior College | Santa Rosa | public | $6,331 | 35% | $47,224 |
| Palomar College | San Marcos | public | $5,763 | 24.6% | $42,300 |
| Gavilan College | Gilroy | public | $6,542 | 17.1% | $47,169 |
| Mt San Antonio College | Walnut | public | $6,490 | 34.7% | $46,283 |
| Cosumnes River College | Sacramento | public | $5,981 | 21.7% | $42,446 |
| Fullerton College | Fullerton | public | $6,134 | 27.8% | $43,366 |
| El Camino Community College District | Torrance | public | $5,968 | 29.5% | $41,589 |
| City College of San Francisco | San Francisco | public | $6,906 | 22.5% | $45,805 |
| Orange Coast College | Costa Mesa | public | $7,203 | 32.9% | $47,348 |
| Sacramento City College | Sacramento | public | $6,614 | 18.9% | $42,214 |
| Long Beach City College | Long Beach | public | $6,202 | 24.3% | $38,870 |
| Sierra College | Rocklin | public | $7,245 | 31% | $45,294 |
| MiraCosta College | Oceanside | public | $7,339 | 28.4% | $43,845 |
| Los Medanos College | Pittsburg | public | $7,443 | 31.3% | $42,454 |
| Reedley College | Reedley | public | $6,814 | 30.4% | $38,493 |
| Mt San Jacinto Community College District | San Jacinto | public | $6,806 | 27.1% | $38,319 |
| Los Angeles Southwest College | Los Angeles | public | $5,964 | 17.9% | $32,172 |
| Chabot College | Hayward | public | $9,053 | 24.6% | $48,143 |
| College of the Redwoods | Eureka | public | $6,904 | 25.3% | $36,243 |
| American River College | Sacramento | public | $7,999 | 24.6% | $40,162 |
| College of Alameda | Alameda | public | $8,496 | 20.9% | $42,563 |
| Riverside City College | Riverside | public | $8,377 | 28.2% | $41,091 |
| Cuyamaca College | El Cajon | public | $6,618 | 26% | $32,435 |
| Mendocino College | Ukiah | public | $8,330 | 18.6% | $40,243 |
| Baldwin Park Adult & Community Education | Baldwin Park | public | $6,665 | 62.8% | $32,069 |
| Fresno City College | Fresno | public | $8,069 | 24.7% | $37,361 |
| Contra Costa College | San Pablo | public | $9,490 | 23.7% | $40,850 |
| Evergreen Valley College | San Jose | public | $12,414 | 27.9% | $53,077 |
| Santa Barbara City College | Santa Barbara | public | $11,315 | 30.7% | $47,647 |
| West Los Angeles College | Culver City | public | $9,634 | 18.2% | $38,537 |
| East Los Angeles College | Monterey Park | public | $10,852 | 26.7% | $42,006 |
| Cuesta College | San Luis Obispo | public | $12,124 | 34.8% | $46,047 |
| Monterey Peninsula College | Monterey | public | $11,373 | 16.2% | $42,176 |
| Copper Mountain Community College | Joshua Tree | public | $9,105 | 24.2% | $33,281 |
| College of Marin | Kentfield | public | $12,351 | 19.3% | $42,654 |
| Columbia College | Sonora | public | $11,316 | 23.9% | $39,035 |
| Los Angeles Pierce College | Woodland Hills | public | $13,270 | 26.7% | $44,521 |
| Southwestern College | Chula Vista | public | $12,671 | 29.5% | $40,060 |
| Rio Hondo College | Whittier | public | $14,379 | 18.8% | $44,950 |
| Lassen Community College | Susanville | public | $12,517 | 9.3% | $35,994 |
| Los Angeles Trade Technical College | Los Angeles | public | $12,323 | 20.2% | $35,233 |
| Barstow Community College | Barstow | public | $12,773 | 19.5% | $35,104 |
| Compton College | Compton | public | $12,647 | 18.7% | $34,181 |
| Bakersfield College | Bakersfield | public | $14,621 | 25.9% | $37,291 |
| College of the Desert | Palm Desert | public | $15,728 | 30.5% | $39,020 |
| CET-Colton | Colton | private nonprofit | $14,634 | 68.7% | $32,986 |
| San Bernardino Valley College | San Bernardino | public | $18,943 | 22.2% | $39,676 |
| CET-San Jose | San Jose | private nonprofit | $16,101 | 79.6% | $32,986 |
| Universal Technical Institute of California Inc | Rancho Cucamonga | private for-profit | $26,360 | 58.9% | $52,873 |
| Universal Technical Institute-Southern California | Long Beach | private for-profit | $27,506 | 68.2% | $52,873 |
| Palo Verde College | Blythe | public | $18,993 | 14.8% | $36,389 |
| Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology | Riverside | private for-profit | $32,601 | 72% | $61,575 |
| Spartan College of Aeronautics & Technology | Inglewood | private for-profit | $33,320 | 69.6% | $61,575 |
| Universal Technical Institute of Northern California Inc | Sacramento | private for-profit | $28,887 | 68.8% | $48,341 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia | Visalia | private for-profit | $27,854 | 52.2% | $38,317 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Trades Education Center | Fresno | private for-profit | $27,887 | 64.7% | $38,317 |
| UEI College-West Covina | West Covina | private for-profit | $27,414 | 65.7% | $31,141 |
| UEI College-Garden Grove | Garden Grove | private for-profit | $28,182 | 63% | $31,141 |
| UEI College-Chula Vista | Chula Vista | private for-profit | $28,606 | 67.9% | $31,141 |
| UEI College-Sacramento | Sacramento | private for-profit | $28,670 | 57.6% | $30,848 |
| UEI College-Gardena | Gardena | private for-profit | $28,691 | 66.9% | $30,848 |
| UEI College-Huntington Park | Huntington Park | private for-profit | $29,145 | 65.2% | $31,141 |
| UEI College-Oceanside | Oceanside | private for-profit | $29,253 | 67.3% | $31,141 |
| UEI College-Bakersfield | Bakersfield | private for-profit | $27,257 | 65.2% | $27,688 |
| UEI College-Fresno | Fresno | private for-profit | $28,282 | 58.2% | $27,688 |
| Oxnard College | Oxnard | public | $-1,128 | 27.1% | $41,393 |
| Ventura College | Ventura | public | $-982 | 31.4% | $43,430 |
| Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Fremont | Fremont | private for-profit | $29,428 | 53.5% | not reported |
Ranking = median earnings 10 years after entry per $1,000 of average yearly net price (methodology). Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.
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