State School Rankings
Explore 2 automotive schools in Alaska, with certificate and degree options, tuition, and facts about automotive training.
UAA is our pick among the best auto mechanic schools in Alaska if you want an associate degree with supervised repair experience and electric-vehicle coursework. Choose UAF if your priority is a shorter technical qualification: its Automotive Technology Certificate fits into one academic year, with a four-credit practicum included.
The time commitment separates these choices. UAA plans both its AAS and its undergraduate certificate over four semesters. UAF puts its certificate into one fall and one spring term.
Associate Degree Route
UAA combines an associate degree with required Electric and Hybrid Vehicle I coursework and supervised automotive practice. You can complete six practicum credits, or take three practicum credits plus Electric and Hybrid Vehicle II.
The AAS requires at least 61 credits. UAA’s certificate is a separate 50-credit, four-semester route rather than a one-year shortcut.
One-Year Certificate
UAF is the shorter route in the current catalog: its 34-credit certificate is mapped across one fall and one spring term and includes a four-credit practicum.
The 16-credit fall and 18-credit spring loads make this a full-time course plan. Choose UAA if you also want an associate degree.
Ranked schools receive a comparison score from automotive credential awards (50%), annual institution-wide tuition (30%), and schoolwide graduation rate (20%). These measures help compare reported scale, cost, and institutional completion. Read The Full Ranking Method.
| School | Location | Annual In-State Tuition | Automotive Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alaska Fairbanks | Fairbanks, AK | $8,072 | 6 |
| University of Alaska Anchorage | Anchorage, AK | $6,192 | 5 |
Tuition is the institution’s annual undergraduate figure for 2024–25, excluding fees, tools, housing, and other expenses. Awards are credentials reported in 2023–24, not a count of unique graduates. Blank cells indicate an omitted measure.
Fairbanks, AK
CertificatePublic
UAF is the shorter Alaska route in the current catalog: its 34-credit certificate is mapped across one fall and one spring term and includes a four-credit practicum.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks offers a 34-credit Automotive Technology Certificate with a two-term roadmap: 16 credits in fall and 18 in spring. The current catalog centers the certificate on electrical systems, engine theory and diagnosis, climate control, brakes, suspension and alignment, drivability diagnostics, and a four-credit practicum. Each course requires a grade of C or better.
The Automotive Technology Certificate requires 34 credits. The catalog roadmap schedules 16 credits in the first fall term and 18 credits in the spring term.
Required courses include Introduction to Automotive Technology, Basic Electrical Systems, Climate Control Systems, Engine Theory and Diagnosis, Automotive Electrical II and III, Brake Systems, Suspension Alignment, Emission Controls and Diagnostics, and Drivability Diagnostics.
Automotive Practicum I carries four credits in the certificate requirements and appears in the catalog roadmap. The practicum is part of the certificate sequence alongside the technical systems courses.
Students must earn a C grade or better in each course to complete the Automotive Technology Certificate.
Anchorage, AK
Certificate · Associate DegreePublic
UAA is the associate-degree choice in this two-school comparison, with a 61-credit minimum AAS and a current course plan that includes Electric and Hybrid Vehicle I plus a practicum or Electric and Hybrid Vehicle II option.
The University of Alaska Anchorage offers a 61-credit minimum Automotive Technology AAS and a separate 50-credit undergraduate certificate. The current AAS requirements include electrical and electronic diagnosis, computerized engine controls, Electric and Hybrid Vehicle I, transmissions, and a practicum choice; the certificate follows a four-semester sequence with six required practicum credits and a final-term choice.
The Automotive Technology AAS requires a minimum of 61 credits. The current catalog includes General Automotive and General Motors Automotive Service Education Program options and lists a four-semester plan.
The current AAS requirements include six credits of Automotive Practicum I, or three practicum credits combined with three credits of Electric and Hybrid Vehicle II. The plan therefore provides a three-to-six-credit practicum choice rather than a fixed practicum in every early semester.
The current catalog includes Basic Electrical Systems, Auto Electrical II and III, Electric and Hybrid Vehicle I, a choice involving Electric and Hybrid Vehicle II, Electronic and Automatic Transmissions, engine performance, and mobile heating and air conditioning.
The catalog offers General Automotive and General Motors Automotive Service Education Program options. GMASEP admission is offered only during odd-numbered years; after 2026, the next odd-numbered intake year is 2027.
UAA’s undergraduate certificate requires 50 credits across four semesters. The first three semesters each include two practicum credits; in the final semester, students choose three credits of Electronic and Automatic Transmissions or three credits of Automotive Practicum II.
UAF’s 34-credit certificate is arranged as 16 credits in fall and 18 in spring. UAA’s certificate requires 50 credits over four semesters: six practicum credits are built into the first three semesters, and the final term offers three credits of Electronic and Automatic Transmissions or three credits of Automotive Practicum II. If the goal is an associate degree, UAA’s AAS requires at least 61 credits.
UAA offers General Automotive and General Motors Automotive Service Education Program options. GM ASEP admits in odd-numbered years, making 2027 the next intake year under the published schedule. Waiting for GM ASEP makes sense if GM-specific training is your priority. General Automotive follows the standard associate-degree admissions route.
The May 2025 BLS survey reports a $60,840 median annual wage for automotive service technicians and mechanics in Alaska, across 1,420 jobs. The median is the midpoint for the occupation, not an offer to new graduates.
Experience, employer, and the work you do affect where you fall in that spread. Explore Auto Mechanic Salaries.
A college certificate is an academic credential; professional ASE certification requires passing the relevant ASE test and satisfying its work experience rule. For the A1–A9 automobile tests, that rule is two years of qualifying repair experience. You can take most tests before completing the experience requirement, but passing alone does not make you certified.
Completing an ASE-accredited automotive program can count for one year of that experience. An eligible ASE-accredited manufacturer co-op program can count for the full two years when it includes the required hands-on work. These substitutions cannot be combined. Source: ASE Work Experience Rules.
Our certificate and associate degree comparison explains the academic routes, while the ASE certification guide covers professional credentials. The school cost guide separates tuition, fees, and tools.
School records and program sources checked September 8, 2026. Federal figures retain their original reporting years; program details cite the school’s published requirements and costs. Send A Correction.