Best Auto Mechanic Schools In Minnesota Ranked For 2026

The 77-credit AAS is delivered on campus through daytime, full-time classes, with fall or spring starts.

Applicants must RSVP for and attend a Tuesday information session.

Students must obtain an internship at a full-service automotive facility.

Enrolled automotive students can access Mercedes-Benz Campus and Mopar CAP Local training, with manufacturer-specific coursework and dealership experience opportunities.

The curriculum explicitly includes hybrid/electric-drive systems alongside engine, chassis, drivetrain, electrical, fuel-injection, and emissions work.

The 2026–27 catalog lists 72 credits: 57 in technical studies and 15 in required or elective general education.

Automotive Industry Internship I is a five-credit requirement placed in the recommended second semester.

The AAS is offered at Brooklyn Park and Eden Prairie; the automotive program lists fall daytime and spring evening entry.

Instructors issue a tool list on the first day and help students plan purchases; the program lists discounted supplier tools ranging from $500 to $5,000.

A separate 22-credit Advanced Vehicle Specialist certificate serves employed technicians or automotive AAS and diploma graduates, with courses in hybrid batteries, machines, and controls.

The certificate requires 27 credits, the diploma 56, and the AAS 71; the plan specifies the additional credits at each stage.

The program is delivered on campus, with a recommended two-year AAS sequence that includes a summer general education term.

Diploma technical requirements include three-credit courses in Scan Tools and Wiring and Electrical Diagnosis.

Pine identifies Automotive Technology as a Master Auto Service Technology-accredited program.

Applicants need minimum reading assessment scores and college-ready math scores or equivalent preparatory coursework.

Anoka’s 2026–27 program cost information identifies the Automotive Technician AAS as a 72-credit degree.

The college states that students spend 75% of their program time in the automotive lab.

Students provide a professional-quality hand-tool set and must have it available for lab use each day they attend.

Students have access to AllData, Mitchell OnDemand 5, and General Motors Electronic Service Information, including repair-estimating software.

The Advanced Automotive Electronic Diagnostic Specialist program adds diagnostic and repair skills for successful Automotive Technician program graduates.

The Automotive Service Technology AAS is a two-year program with daytime, on-campus classes only.

Students can use Dunwoody’s automotive lab tools and materials at no extra cost.

Optional online training includes Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Mopar CAP Local, and Subaru; students access modules at any time and complete them outside regular coursework.

The full-service lab includes a service desk, more than 30 service bays, AllData and Identifix resources, scan tools, and an alignment system.

The degree transfers directly into Dunwoody’s BS in Business Management and Leadership.

Automotive classes run during the day, begin in fall only, and require full-time study.

The diploma covers areas such as engine diagnosis, computer systems, fuel injection, HVAC, and automatic transmissions; the basic certificate includes starting/charging, brakes, steering, suspension, and manual drivetrains.

Instruction combines lectures, labs, and live shop work alongside ASE Master Technicians in a full-service automotive center.

New students must attend automotive program orientation after completing college orientation and registering for the program.

Century identifies the Automotive Service Technology program as Master Auto Service Technology accredited.

SCTCC offers the Automotive Service Technician AAS at 72 credits and diploma at 67 credits.

Students can place a vehicle on a wheel dynamometer in a chamber adjustable from 85°F to −20°F, with humidity control for climate-related testing.

The program includes a Light Duty Diesel course developed for work on diesel-powered pickups.

Students in the Discovery Academy AYES Automotive program can transfer up to 16 credits to SCTCC.

SCTCC identifies the Automotive Service Technician program as accredited by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation.

The program cost table lists a 56-credit diploma and 72-credit Automotive Service Technician AAS.

Students supply basic tools and a toolbox; the program-details page estimates $2,000–$3,000 for professional-quality equipment.

Both automotive awards have an agreement with Minnesota State University Moorhead’s BS in Operations Management; the AAS also has Metropolitan State University’s BA in Individualized Studies option.

The college says fall 2026 Automotive Service Technician classes are full; enrolled applicants can join the eServices waitlist for any seats that open.

Automotive Service Technology is offered at Moorhead as a 66-credit AAS or 60-credit diploma.

Hands-on labs in the on-site Transportation Center cover gas-powered, electric, and hybrid cars and light trucks.

M State identifies both the program and its instructors as certified in all eight automotive service areas.

College admission does not guarantee an automotive seat; available seats are assigned through course registration on a first-come basis.

The Technology and Engineering Educator option includes Automotive Service Technology, with three years at M State followed by an online year at Valley City State University.

The 69-credit diploma takes four semesters, starts in fall, and combines Albert Lea instruction with some online coursework.

Riverland provides training tools and vehicles at no extra cost; students can also buy personal tools through the Snap-on Student Excellence Program.

The Ford Tech ACE partnership with Dave Syverson Auto Center provides Ford and Lincoln factory-level training.

The automotive program meets ASE Education Foundation Master Certified standards.

Students may pursue EPA 609 air-conditioning and ASE A6 electrical/electronics certifications, subject to the required exams and applicable work experience.

Full-time students complete the 35-credit Jackson diploma in two semesters, with 17 credits in fall and 18 in spring.

The program states that more than 75% of class time is spent working on repair in the shop.

The diploma meets the ASE Education Foundation’s Automotive Service Technology standard.

The catalog describes limited class size and strict enforcement of dress, attendance, and student conduct policies.

Spring includes five credits of Engine Performance II and four credits of Body Computer Controlled Electrical Systems.

The Auto Service Technology diploma requires 72 credits and is designed for two years of on-campus study.

The three-credit Information Systems and Shop Management course covers vehicle write-ups, estimates, repair-order management, and computer networks supporting shop operations.

Hybrid Electric Vehicle Operation and Safety is a required three-credit course.

The required two-credit safety course covers automotive lift safety, safety-data sheets, job-hazard analysis, and environmental practices.

Entry requires College Composition I and Intermediate Algebra eligibility, or the designated preparatory English/reading and math courses, which may be taken with first-semester classes.

The Winona certificate requires 17 credits and can be completed in one semester, with a flexible course load.

The Norris P. Abts Transportation Center lab operates as a live shop where students work on customer vehicles and program cars.

General Automotive covers labor rates, repair-order documentation, customer care, shop etiquette, and use of service manuals alongside maintenance and tool skills.

The certificate page estimates a minimum tool cost of $3,000 and books/supplies of $350, separate from tuition and fees.

Students can finish with the maintenance certificate or continue their training in the Automotive Technology diploma.

The current plan requires 60 credits: 45 discipline credits and 15 Minnesota Transfer Curriculum credits, completed over 16 months.

The first-year summer contains four-credit courses in Manual Drive Train and Axles and Heating and Air Conditioning.

The intensive program limits class size and strictly enforces a dress code, attendance policy, and student conduct code.

The college states that ASE A1–A8 area certifications transfer into its Automotive Technology AAS, with courses aligned to the corresponding areas.

Students need at least a 2.0 cumulative college GPA and a 2.0 technical-core GPA, and must complete 25% of their credits at Central Lakes.

The Willmar program offers a 65-credit diploma and a 72-credit AAS.

Study is in person and full time, with fall starts only. Published hours are Monday–Wednesday, 7 a.m.–3 p.m., and Thursday, 7–11 a.m.

Students use computerized diagnostic and alignment equipment, brake lathes, a transmission dynamometer, and powertrain analysis equipment; the program also has an on-site parts store.

Ridgewater’s Snap-on NC3 partnership gives students opportunities to earn NC3 certifications and purchase tools at a discount.

RCTC’s automotive cost page lists 67 total program credits.

Tuition includes Mitchell Shop software, two shirts required for class attendance, and ASE testing.

Students must purchase the e-textbook and provide their own safety glasses.

Program admission requires a READ 0900-level placement score or completion of READ 0800 with a C or better.

The program is ASE Education Foundation accredited, with instruction aligned to Master Automobile Service Technology standards.

The 2026–27 planner lists a 64-credit diploma at Hibbing, organized over four semesters.

Customer Auto 1 and 2 each carry three credits and are listed with six lab hours and no lecture hours in the final spring.

Students must purchase their own basic tool set for the program.

The planner specifies differential tuition for ASES automotive courses and WELD welding courses.

Listed agreements include Applied Engineering at Bemidji State University and Operations Management with a Technical Management emphasis at Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Automotive Service and Performance is a two-year, 62-credit diploma delivered on campus.

Program outcomes include installing and testing performance-enhancement systems or devices.

Students are expected to demonstrate welding skills in multiple positions.

The degree requirements include the one-credit First Aid/CPR course, HLTH 1410.

Classroom and hands-on training includes an introduction to hybrids, brakes, powertrain systems, and diagnostic assessment.

South Central offers an Automotive Service AAS degree and Automotive Service diploma.

Automotive Service is based at North Mankato and starts in the fall semester.

Students can participate in cooperative work experience with local employers while attending the program.

Courses are taught by ASE Certified Master Automobile Technicians.

South Central states that the program has been an ASE Education Foundation training program since 1998.

New first-year enrollment is temporarily paused while Northland develops a modernized curriculum for a planned fall 2027 relaunch.

The current program page lists a 58-credit Automotive Service Technology diploma at Thief River Falls.

The existing diploma listing identifies a laptop as optional.

In September 2024, Northland announced Master Automobile Service Technology accreditation for its automotive AAS program.