State School Rankings

Best Auto Mechanic Schools In Kentucky Ranked For 2026

Explore 14 automotive schools in Kentucky, with certificate and degree options, tuition, and facts about automotive training.

Kentucky geographic illustration for the best auto mechanic schools in Kentucky guide
Kentucky · Geographic Illustration
Schools Compared
14
Across The State
Annual Tuition From
$4,536
Institution-Wide · 2024–25
Kentucky Median Pay
$44,890
Automotive Mechanics · May 2025
Kentucky Employment
11,140
Occupation-Wide · BLS OEWS

The best auto mechanic schools in Kentucky include 14 schools and 45 automotive certificate and degree options. Those programs report 1,905 awards in 2023-24. Kentucky's May 2025 BLS OEWS median wage for automotive service technicians and mechanics was $44,890.

Several community and technical colleges share the same $4,536 annual in-state tuition figure in the published figures. Elizabethtown Community and Technical College reports 165 awards and a 59% schoolwide graduation rate. Gateway Community and Technical College reports 265 awards and the same 59% rate. Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College reports 91 awards and a 58% schoolwide rate.

Compare The Best Auto Mechanic Schools In Kentucky

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.

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.

01

Florence, KY

Gateway Community and Technical College

75.9Score

Certificate · Associate DegreePublic

Detailed Four-Semester Plan

This fits you if you want a term-by-term diploma plan with explicit course timing. Gateway also states that 25% of the approved curriculum must be completed at the home college.

Gateway’s Automotive Technician Diploma is a 64-credit plan with four recommended semesters. The published sequence includes electrical systems, engine repair, climate control, manual and automatic drivetrains, brakes, suspension, fuel and ignition, emissions, computer controls, and a work-experience component. The published schedule also identifies course timing and home-college residency expectations for diploma completion.

Annual In-State Tuition
$4,536
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
265
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
59%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Credit Load

Gateway publishes the Automotive Technician Diploma as a 64-credit program.

Term Sequence

The recommended plan covers four semesters, with midday sections needed to complete the diploma in that sequence.

Named Systems

Courses include electrical systems, engine repair, climate control, manual drivetrain, brakes, suspension, automatic transmissions, fuel, emissions, and computer controls.

Residency Rule

Gateway states that at least 25% of an approved certificate, diploma, or degree curriculum must be completed at the home college.

02

Elizabethtown, KY

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College

73.7Score

Certificate · Associate DegreePublic

ASE-Accredited Degree And Certificates

ECTC suits students seeking a two-year full-time associate route or a shorter automotive credential, with ASE testing available during their studies.

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College offers an Automotive Technology AAS technician track, diploma, and systems certificates, including hybrid and electric vehicle training. The program holds ASE Education Foundation accreditation and provides opportunities for ASE testing. A full-time student can earn the AAS in two years; ASE certification is encouraged but is not required to complete the college program.

Annual In-State Tuition
$4,536
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
165
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
59%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Credential Options

ECTC offers an AAS technician track, Automotive Technician diploma, and certificates including hybrid/electric vehicles, electrical systems, and engine repair.

Program Accreditation

The Automotive Technology program is accredited by the ASE Education Foundation.

Degree Length

Students maintaining full-time status can earn the Associate in Applied Science degree in two years.

Student Certification

Students have opportunities to take ASE certification tests. ASE certification is encouraged but is not required for college-program completion.

03

Hazard, KY

Hazard Community and Technical College

72.1Score

CertificatePublic

College-Based Study With Work-Study Potential

Hazard suits students seeking broad repair training with a possible alternating work-study experience. Eligible high-school students take automotive dual-credit courses at the college.

Hazard Community and Technical College offers an Automotive Technician degree, diploma, and focused certificates. Its program teaches diagnosis and repair across engines, fuel systems, onboard computers, transmissions, steering, suspension, and brakes. Students may receive alternating work-study experience, and the college gives full-time AAS students a two-year timeline. Automotive dual credit requires instruction at the college.

Annual In-State Tuition
$4,536
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
222
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
48%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Technical Systems

Instruction covers engines, fuel, onboard computers, transmissions, steering, suspension, and brakes.

Degree Timing

Hazard says students maintaining full-time status can earn an AAS in two years.

Work-Study Option

Students may receive a work-study experience alternating work on site with classroom-laboratory instruction.

Dual-Credit Location

Automotive courses must be taught at the college by a college instructor to qualify for dual credit.

04

Owensboro, KY

Owensboro Community and Technical College

69.9Score

Certificate · Associate DegreePublic

Repair Or Parts And Service Study

Owensboro suits students choosing between the technician and parts/service writer tracks, with a full laboratory sequence for students pursuing hands-on repair work.

Owensboro Community and Technical College offers automotive associate tracks for technicians and parts/service writers, giving students a choice between repair work and service operations. The technician track pairs systems courses with separate laboratories. Owensboro identifies NATEF accreditation, and its program page gives students maintaining full-time enrollment a two-year associate-degree completion timeline.

Annual In-State Tuition
$4,536
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
111
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
54%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Associate Tracks

Owensboro offers Automotive Technology AAS tracks for Automotive Technician and Automotive Parts/Service Writer.

Full-Time Timeline

The college says students maintaining full-time status can earn the associate degree in two years.

Technician Laboratories

The KCTCS technician track includes separate labs in electrical systems, engine repair, brakes, transmissions, emissions, and computer-control diagnosis; Owensboro is a listed provider.

Program Accreditation

Owensboro identifies national accreditation by the National Automotive Technician Education Foundation.

05

Bowling Green, KY

Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College

68.9Score

Certificate · Associate DegreePublic

Modern And Vintage Systems

This fits you if you want a program that explicitly includes computer diagnostics, integrated vehicle systems, and vintage-vehicle knowledge alongside the standard KCTCS credentials.

Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College’s Automotive Technology page describes advanced work on modern and vintage vehicles, including high-performance motors, computer diagnostics, and integrated mechanical, hydraulic, electronic, and pneumatic systems. Its official program-code listing names AAS, diploma, and certificates from transmissions and air conditioning through brakes and engine repair.

Annual In-State Tuition
$4,536
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
91
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
58%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Technical Scope

SKYCTC describes training in high-performance motors, digital and manual equipment, computer diagnostics, and integrated vehicle systems.

Vehicle Coverage

The program page mentions both today’s high-tech vehicles and vintage automobiles.

Credential Menu

SKYCTC’s program-code listing names an AAS, diploma, and certificates in transmission, air conditioning, electrical, brakes, engine, front-end, and tune-up work.

Systems Foundation

The page names engines, fuel delivery, onboard computers, manual and automatic transmissions, steering, suspension, and brakes.

06

Lexington, KY

Bluegrass Community and Technical College

68.8Score

Certificate · Associate DegreePublic

Waitlist And ASE Credit

This fits you if you want Bluegrass’s broad certificate menu and ASE-accredited training, while planning around the current waitlist and mandatory shop uniform.

Bluegrass Community and Technical College’s Automotive Technology program has a current waitlist, accepts new students each semester when seats are available, and offers diploma, AAS, and system certificates. The page details ASE accreditation, a mandatory shop uniform, and possible credit for up to 54 hours of documented ASE certifications.

Annual In-State Tuition
$4,536
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
168
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
43%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Current Availability

Bluegrass says new students are accepted every semester, but available seats are first come first served and the program currently has a waitlist.

Uniform Policy

BCTC requires a dark-blue shirt and pants, a belt, tied shoestrings, and clear safety glasses during lab work.

ASE Accreditation

The BCTC Automotive Program is currently accredited by the ASE Education Foundation.

Certification Credit

Students with qualifying ASE certifications may earn up to 54 equivalent automotive credit hours, subject to documentation and residency rules.

07

Somerset, KY

Somerset Community College

68.0Score

CertificatePublic

Master-Accredited Lab Pathway

This fits you if you want hands-on labs, a two-year full-time AAS route, and an accreditation period stated by the college through Spring 2028.

Somerset Community College publishes an automotive pathway with diploma, AAS, and certificate options, fully equipped labs, and named coursework in electrical systems, fuel and ignition, emissions, computer controls, and diagnosis. The page says a full-time student can earn the AAS in two years and identifies ASE Education Foundation Master Auto Service Technician accreditation through 2028.

Annual In-State Tuition
$4,536
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
144
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
43%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Lab Training

Somerset says hands-on opportunities in fully equipped labs develop skills for automotive diagnosis, maintenance, and repair.

Coursework

The page names electrical systems, fuel and ignition, emissions, computer control systems, and diagnosis coursework.

Accreditation

Somerset identifies ASE Education Foundation Master Auto Service Technician accreditation for Spring 2023 through 2028.

AAS Length

The college says a full-time student can earn the Automotive Technology AAS in two years.

08

Louisville, KY

Jefferson Community and Technical College

67.6Score

Certificate · Associate DegreePublic

Two-Year Work-Study Option

This fits you if you want a two-year automotive route with a possible alternating work-study arrangement and a broad vehicle-systems curriculum.

Jefferson’s Automotive Technology program is designed for two years and covers engines, fuel, onboard computers, transmissions, steering, suspension, and brakes. The page describes a possible alternating work-study arrangement between an employer and classroom-laboratory setting, with diploma, AAS, and certificate pathways. Jefferson also lists an Automotive Technician diploma and focused certificates for shorter credential stages.

Annual In-State Tuition
$4,536
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
399
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
35%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Program Length

Jefferson describes the Automotive Technology program as designed for completion in two years.

Work-Study Format

The page says students may receive a work-study experience alternating on-site work with classroom-laboratory study.

Systems Curriculum

Instruction covers engines, fuel, onboard computers, transmissions, steering, suspension, and brakes.

Credential Options

JCTC lists Automotive Technology AAS, Automotive Technician diploma, and certificates in its program pathway.

09

Maysville, KY

Maysville Community and Technical College

67.5Score

CertificatePublic

Rowan Campus Two-Year Route

This fits you if you want a two-year automotive pathway based at Maysville’s Rowan Campus, with both full credentials and focused certificates.

Maysville’s Automotive Technology program is located at the Rowan Campus and is designed for completion in two years. The program teaches troubleshooting, preventative maintenance, service, and repair across engines, fuel, onboard computers, transmissions, steering, suspension, and brakes, with diploma, AAS, and certificate options.

Annual In-State Tuition
$4,536
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
79
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
56%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Teaching Location

Maysville identifies the Rowan Campus as the location for its Automotive Technology program.

Program Length

The program is designed to be completed in two years.

Systems Coverage

Instruction covers engines, fuel, onboard computers, transmissions, steering, suspension, and brakes.

Credential Choices

Maysville lists Automotive Technician diploma, Automotive Technology AAS, and system certificates.

10

Cumberland, KY

Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College

64.4Score

CertificatePublic

ASE Credit Toward Credentials

This fits you if you want Southeast’s automotive diploma or degree route and may hold ASE certifications that could qualify for documented credit within the curriculum.

Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College lists an Automotive Technician diploma, a General Occupational and Technical Studies degree option, and a five-credit automatic transmission/transaxle certificate. The page says an AAS can be completed in two years full time and permits up to 54 credit hours for qualifying ASE certifications under its stated documentation rules.

Annual In-State Tuition
$4,536
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
77
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
47%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Credential Options

Southeast lists a 60-68-credit general occupational and technical studies degree, a 61-64-credit Automotive Technician diploma, and a five-credit transmission certificate.

ASE Credit

Qualifying ASE certifications may earn up to 54 equivalent credit hours. Official credentials must be accepted within four years of issue, and residency requirements still apply.

AAS Timing

The page says a full-time student can earn an Associate in Applied Science degree in two years.

Transmission Course Pair

The five-credit transmission certificate pairs AUT 180, a three-credit lecture course, with AUT 181, a two-credit laboratory.

11

Paducah, KY

West Kentucky Community and Technical College

62.3Score

Certificate · Associate DegreePublic

Vintage And High-Tech Vehicle Work

This fits you if you want broad systems training that includes both modern diagnostics and vintage automobiles, with KCTCS credentials available at West Kentucky.

West Kentucky Community and Technical College combines modern and vintage vehicle study with computer diagnostics and hands-on practice. Its program covers engines, fuel systems, onboard computers, transmissions, steering, suspension, and brakes. The college offers an Automotive Technician associate track, diploma, and focused certificates, and gives full-time associate students a two-year completion timeline.

Annual In-State Tuition
$4,536
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
57
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
50%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Degree Length

West Kentucky says students maintaining full-time status can earn an Associate in Applied Science degree in two years.

Technical Systems

The program covers engines, fuel delivery, onboard computers, manual and automatic transmissions, steering, suspension, and brakes.

Advanced Equipment

West Kentucky describes computer diagnostics and operation of digital and manual machines and equipment.

Vehicle Range

The page explicitly includes high-tech automotive systems and vintage automobiles.

12

Madisonville, KY

Madisonville Community College

59.7Score

CertificatePublic

Focused Automatic-Transmission Certificate

Madisonville suits students who want to concentrate on automatic-transmission diagnosis and repair through a short credential with a defined lecture-and-laboratory combination.

Madisonville Community College is listed in the 2026–2027 KCTCS catalog for a five-credit Automatic Transmission/Transaxle Technician certificate. This focused credential pairs a three-credit theory course with a two-credit automotive laboratory course. Students study how front- and rear-wheel-drive automatic transmissions operate, then develop diagnosis and repair skills in the associated lab.

Annual In-State Tuition
$4,536
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
49
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
49%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Certificate Requirement

The certificate requires AUT 180 and AUT 181, totaling five credits, and the catalog specifically lists Madisonville as a provider.

Lecture Topics

AUT 180 covers operating principles of front- and rear-wheel-drive automatic transmissions and transaxles, including testing and diagnosis.

Lab Commitment

AUT 181 carries two credits and 90 contact hours devoted to transmission and transaxle diagnosis and repair.

Course Sequence

AUT 180 must be taken before or alongside AUT 181.

13

Prestonsburg, KY

Big Sandy Community and Technical College

56.4Score

Certificate · Associate DegreePublic

College-Based Dual Credit

This fits you if you want Big Sandy’s automotive credentials and may be considering dual credit. The college explicitly limits automotive dual-credit eligibility to courses taught at the college by its instructor.

Big Sandy Community and Technical College offers an Automotive Technician degree track, diploma, and systems certificates, with a two-year full-time AAS route. The program identifies NATEF certification and ASE-certified instructors. Automotive dual-credit courses must take place at the college with a college instructor, a specific requirement for high-school students considering this pathway.

Annual In-State Tuition
$4,536
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
55
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
38%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Dual Credit Rule

Big Sandy says automotive courses must be completed at the college by a college instructor to earn dual credit because of ASE accreditation.

Credential Options

The Big Sandy page lists an Automotive Technician track degree, Automotive Technician diploma, and multiple certificates.

Accredited Training

The program page describes the pathway as NATEF Certified and taught by ASE Certified Technicians.

Full-Time Degree Timing

Big Sandy says students maintaining full-time status can earn an Associate in Applied Science degree in two years.

14

Ashland, KY

Ashland Community and Technical College

49.7Score

CertificatePublic

Systems Study With Optional Work-Study

Ashland suits students who want a full automotive credential and are interested in the college’s possible alternating work-study arrangement.

Ashland's automotive program combines vehicle-systems instruction with an optional work-study arrangement alternating employment and classroom-laboratory study. The college describes a two-year route, and the current KCTCS catalog lists Ashland for the Automotive Technology AAS technician track. Its shorter certificates include automotive electrical work, air conditioning, brakes, engine repair, and transmissions.

Annual In-State Tuition
$4,536
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
23
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
51%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Program Length

Ashland describes a two-year automotive program and says a full-time student can earn an AAS in two years.

Core Systems

The ACTC page names engines, fuel, on-board computers, transmissions, steering, suspension, and brakes as instructional systems.

Credential Route

The KCTCS catalog offers the Automotive Technician diploma and Automotive Technology AAS at Ashland.

Optional Work-Study

Students may receive an alternating work-study experience combining employment on site with classroom-laboratory study.

Best Auto Mechanic Schools In Kentucky

Kentucky's 1,905 awards sit across 45 programs, extending beyond the five named campuses. The shared $4,536 tuition figure creates room to compare credentials and schoolwide rates.

Kentucky's decision angle is the breadth of credentials attached to similarly priced public options. Elizabethtown Community and Technical College shows certificate and associate degrees, including short certificates, alongside $4,536 tuition. Gateway Community and Technical College shows the same broad mix and reports 265 awards. Maysville Community and Technical College reports 79 awards and a 56% schoolwide rate, while Owensboro reports 111 awards and a 54% rate. The schoolwide figures describe each whole institution.

The identical $4,536 tuition figure does not make the programs identical. Elizabethtown and Gateway show certificate and associate degree routes, while Maysville and Owensboro report different award totals and schoolwide rates. The certificate versus associate degree guide explains the award distinction, and Kentucky’s $44,890 wage median is occupational context rather than a promised starting wage.

Similar institution tuition can still lead to different credential plans once fees and tools are included.

The statewide wage is broad occupational context; published campus costs define the budget comparison.

Auto Mechanic Pay In Kentucky

The May 2025 BLS survey reports a $44,890 median annual wage for automotive service technicians and mechanics in Kentucky, across 11,140 jobs. The median is the midpoint for the occupation, not an offer to new graduates.

10th Percentile
$30,210
Median
$44,890
90th Percentile
$73,910

Experience, employer, and the work you do affect where you fall in that spread. Explore Auto Mechanic Salaries.

School Credentials And ASE Certification

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.

Kentucky Auto Mechanic School Questions

What Is The May 2025 Kentucky Wage Median?
The May 2025 BLS OEWS median for automotive service technicians and mechanics in Kentucky is $44,890. The middle figure is a statewide occupation measure, with the 10th percentile at $30,210 and the 90th percentile at $73,910.
Where Does Kentucky Report Associate Degree Awards?
Jefferson Community and Technical College (certificate and associate degree, 399 awards), Gateway Community and Technical College (certificate and associate degree, 265 awards), Bluegrass Community and Technical College (certificate and associate degree, 168 awards), Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (certificate and associate degree, 165 awards) show associate degree credentials among the published school figures.
How Many Automotive Awards Are Reported In Kentucky?
The Kentucky schools span certificate and associate degree credentials across 45 automotive options and 1905 awards in 2023-24. Jefferson Community and Technical College has the largest listed award count at 399. Ashland Community and Technical College lists $4,536 in annual in-state institution tuition.

Sources For These School Comparisons

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.

Continue Comparing Auto Mechanic Schools