Home › Pennsylvania › Diesel Mechanics schools
34 schools in Pennsylvania offer diesel mechanics-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 4 registered apprenticeship sponsors in Pennsylvania train diesel mechanics apprentices — see apprenticeships. Federal program data groups diesel mechanics with automotive technology and aviation maintenance — schools below may offer any of these.
Pennsylvania has no diesel mechanic license. The one state credential in the field is PennDOT's safety inspection mechanic certification — needed only if you perform Pennsylvania state inspections, with Category 3 covering trucks over 17,000 lbs, trailers over 10,000 lbs, and buses — earned through a short PennDOT-approved course, written test, and hands-on exam. For repair work itself, voluntary ASE T-series certification is what employers expect.
Official source: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) — inspection certification only; no mechanic license exists · Exam: None for repair work. PennDOT written and tactile exams only for the inspection credential. Voluntary ASE T-series is the industry standard. · Typical requirement: No hours or license for diesel repair itself. PA inspection certification requires a short PennDOT-approved course at a contracted school (classroom + written category test + hands-on tactile exam, typically ~$200-250), plus a valid driver's license.
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware County Community College | Media | public | $6,576 | 18.3% | $45,391 |
| New Castle School of Trades | New Castle | private for-profit | $8,361 | 78.4% | $44,814 |
| Luzerne County Community College | Nanticoke | public | $9,433 | 24.1% | $40,437 |
| Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology | Pleasant Gap | public | $9,857 | 90.8% | $41,677 |
| Automotive Training Center-Exton | Exton | private for-profit | $12,578 | 71% | $51,112 |
| York County School of Technology-Adult & Continuing Education | York | public | $13,490 | 89.7% | $54,322 |
| Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology | Lancaster | public | $14,104 | 67.1% | $54,681 |
| Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center | Johnstown | public | $14,111 | 76.6% | $48,881 |
| Northampton County Area Community College | Bethlehem | public | $12,119 | 29.8% | $41,566 |
| Community College of Philadelphia | Philadelphia | public | $11,911 | 18.4% | $40,852 |
| Greater Altoona Career & Technology Center | Altoona | public | $12,419 | 71.5% | $38,008 |
| Harrisburg Area Community College | Harrisburg | public | $14,471 | 21.3% | $42,007 |
| Clearfield County Career and Technology Center | Clearfield | public | $14,460 | 80.4% | $41,559 |
| Automotive Training Center-Warminster | Warminster | private for-profit | $18,088 | 67.9% | $51,112 |
| Community College of Allegheny County | Pittsburgh | public | $13,970 | 25.3% | $39,449 |
| YTI Career Institute-York | York | private for-profit | $14,637 | 77.1% | $40,672 |
| Johnson College | Scranton | private nonprofit | $19,954 | 57.3% | $55,194 |
| Somerset County Technology Center | Somerset | public | $14,444 | 89.1% | $37,558 |
| Lancaster County Career and Technology Center | Willow Street | public | $17,505 | 77.2% | $44,566 |
| Rosedale Technical College | Pittsburgh | private nonprofit | $19,760 | 81% | $47,880 |
| Pennco Tech-Bristol | Bristol | private for-profit | $19,197 | 72.3% | $43,493 |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology | Williamsport | public | $25,110 | 61% | $52,567 |
| Universal Technical Institute of Pennsylvania Inc | Exton | private for-profit | $24,883 | 67.3% | $51,222 |
| Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics | West Mifflin | private nonprofit | $32,618 | 71.6% | $66,642 |
| Fayette County Career & Technical Institute Practical Nursing Program | Uniontown | public | $24,194 | 72.4% | $49,229 |
| Indiana County Technology Center | Indiana | public | $18,822 | 72.7% | $34,858 |
| Commonwealth Technical Institute | Johnstown | private nonprofit | $11,714 | 81.4% | $21,632 |
| Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Philadelphia | Philadelphia | private for-profit | $25,437 | 54% | $42,785 |
| Lincoln Technical Institute-Levittown | Levittown | private for-profit | $26,659 | 53.2% | $38,683 |
| Erie Institute of Technology Inc | Erie | private for-profit | $30,164 | 72.1% | $41,951 |
| Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center | Springville | public | $5,594 | 96.7% | not reported |
| Berks Career & Technology Center | Leesport | public | $20,536 | 70% | not reported |
| Philadelphia Technician Training | Philadelphia | private nonprofit | $22,813 | 49.8% | not reported |
| Lehigh Career & Technical Institute | Schnecksville | public | $23,735 | not reported | 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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