State School Rankings

Best Auto Mechanic Schools In New Hampshire Ranked For 2026

Explore 5 automotive schools in New Hampshire, with certificate and degree options, tuition, and facts about automotive training.

New Hampshire geographic illustration for the best auto mechanic schools in New Hampshire guide
New Hampshire · Geographic Illustration
Schools Compared
5
Across The State
Annual Tuition From
$6,450
Institution-Wide · 2024–25
New Hampshire Median Pay
$59,020
Automotive Mechanics · May 2025
New Hampshire Employment
4,840
Occupation-Wide · BLS OEWS

The best auto mechanic schools in New Hampshire include five schools and eight automotive programs. Those programs report 55 awards in 2023-24. New Hampshire's May 2025 BLS OEWS median wage for automotive service technicians and mechanics was $59,020.

The schools share a $6,450 annual in-state tuition figure in the published figures. White Mountains Community College in Berlin reports a 62% schoolwide graduation rate and five awards across certificates and associate degrees. Lakes Region Community College in Laconia reports a 46% rate and 21 awards. Manchester Community College reports 17 awards and a 41% rate.

Compare The Best Auto Mechanic Schools In New Hampshire

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.

SchoolLocationAnnual In-State TuitionAutomotive Awards
Lakes Region Community CollegeLaconia, NH$6,45021
Manchester Community CollegeManchester, NH$6,45017
White Mountains Community CollegeBerlin, NH$6,4505
Nashua Community CollegeNashua, NH$6,4506
Great Bay Community CollegeRichard W. Creteau Regional Technology Center, Rochester, NH$6,4506

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

Laconia, NH

Lakes Region Community College

39.2Score

Certificate · Associate DegreePublic

Sponsored GM Degree With Paid Co-Ops

GM ASEP suits you if you want a manufacturer-specific degree tied to a sponsoring employer. You need that sponsor before the college makes its admissions decision.

Lakes Region's GM ASEP degree makes dealership sponsorship an admissions requirement. Once enrolled, you alternate college instruction with paid GM dealership work through a 21-month, 69-credit AAS. Four cooperative education courses run through the degree, and the technical curriculum stays focused on GM electrical, chassis, engine, HVAC, restraint, and drivetrain systems.

Annual In-State Tuition
$6,450
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
21
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
46%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Degree And Duration

The cooperative Automotive Service Education Program leads to an Automotive Technology AAS in 21 months. The published curriculum totals 69 credits.

Sponsorship Before Admission

Applicants need a GM dealer sponsor, a placement exam, and an automotive department interview. Selection also considers the academic record.

Work And Technical Study

You alternate classroom training with paid dealership work. Four GM ASEP cooperative education courses accompany GM-specific electrical, chassis, engine, HVAC, and drivetrain instruction.

Tools And Driving

A valid driver’s license and purchase of the required tools are program requirements. The listed tool estimate is $3,500 to $4,500, depending on vendor.

02

Manchester, NH

Manchester Community College

33.2Score

Associate DegreePublic

Professional Certificate With Paid Work Experience

The certificate fits you if you want technical instruction while working as an apprentice technician, with general-education coursework included in the credential.

Manchester's Automotive Technology Professional certificate pairs paid automotive work with a substantial 53-credit curriculum. The college describes the route as preparation for B-level technician responsibilities. Alongside maintenance, electrical systems, electronic controls, brakes, and climate control, you take college-level math, composition, and electives, making this a broader commitment than a short specialty course.

Annual In-State Tuition
$6,450
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
17
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
41%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Credential Scope

The published Automotive Technology Professional certificate curriculum totals 53 credits and is intended to develop the skills of a B-level technician.

Paid Practical Experience

The certificate combines college instruction and practical training with paid on-the-job experience. Work takes place at an approved automotive site.

Technical Subjects

Required study includes maintenance/light repair, electrical systems, electronic controls, steering and suspension, internal-combustion engines, brake systems, and climate control.

General Education

The course plan includes college composition, a college-level math elective, a humanities/foreign-language/fine-arts elective, an open elective, and MCC Essentials.

03

Berlin, NH

White Mountains Community College

25.4Score

Certificate · Associate DegreePublic

AAS With EV Study And Required ASE Exams

The course mix suits you if you want electrical and computerized diagnosis alongside chassis and powertrain work, with welding and electric-vehicle study in the degree sequence.

White Mountains combines automotive diagnosis with electric-vehicle technology and wire-fed welding in its AAS curriculum. Lab instruction uses scan tools, alignment equipment, brake lathes, and electronic test instruments. Degree and certificate students also take national ASE exams each spring, while required tools and uniforms add a published $1,800 to $3,500 to college expenses.

Annual In-State Tuition
$6,450
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
5
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
62%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Degree And Certificate Options

The college offers an Automotive Technology AAS and a certificate for specific automotive skills. The automotive program is accredited by the ASE Education Foundation.

EV And Welding Coursework

The AAS course plan includes Electric Vehicle Technology, computerized diagnostics and air conditioning, automotive electronics, and wire-fed welding and cutting.

Diagnostic Equipment

Lab instruction uses multimeters, engine and emissions analyzers, scan tools, computerized alignment equipment, and brake lathes. Students also learn ALLDATA service-information systems.

Exams And Equipment Budget

Both degree and certificate students must take at least two national ASE exams each spring. Required tools and uniforms cost an additional $1,800 to $3,500.

04

Nashua, NH

Nashua Community College

18.4Score

Certificate · Associate DegreePublic

Honda And Acura Training With Dealer Internships

PACT gives you a manufacturer-focused sequence supported by Honda-supplied vehicles, special tools, and technical information, plus required experience at a dealership.

Nashua's 52-credit Honda PACT certificate follows Honda and Acura systems from basic service into advanced electronics, engine performance, and a repair capstone. Dealership internships begin after the initial coursework and continue into the second year. You need a valid license, a clean driving record, your own basic tools, and a 2.0 GPA for internship placement.

Annual In-State Tuition
$6,450
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
6
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
38%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Certificate Sequence

The 52-credit certificate spans first-year fall and spring courses, a summer internship, and second-year coursework and internship experience.

Honda Systems And Equipment

American Honda supplies vehicles, special tools, and technical data. Courses address Honda electrical systems, engine performance, transmissions, brakes, HVAC, and engine repair.

Internship Requirements

Internships are required and carry per-credit tuition. You must complete the preceding courses and maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA for placement.

Driving And Tools

PACT admission requires a valid driver’s license and clean driving record. You supply a basic automotive tool kit and a rolling cabinet.

05

Richard W. Creteau Regional Technology Center, Rochester, NH

Great Bay Community College

16.5Score

CertificatePublic

Three-Evening Certificate In Rochester

The evening schedule leaves daytime hours open while you complete the certificate over fall, spring, and summer. Training takes place at Rochester’s Richard W. Creteau Regional Technology Center.

Great Bay teaches its automotive certificate three evenings a week in Rochester, with fall entry and a summer finish. The 24-credit sequence works through maintenance, two electronics courses, engines, brakes, and steering/suspension. You supply your tools, so the published $1,800 to $2,400 equipment estimate is a meaningful addition to tuition.

Annual In-State Tuition
$6,450
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
6
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
34%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Length And Credits

The Automotive Technology certificate requires 24 credits across three semesters. Classes begin in fall, continue through spring, and finish in summer.

Evening Teaching Location

Classes meet three evenings per week at the Richard W. Creteau Regional Technology Center in Rochester, away from Great Bay’s main campus.

Course Sequence

Fall covers maintenance/light repair and electronics. Spring adds mechanical engine work and further electronics, followed by brakes and steering/suspension in summer.

Entry And Tool Costs

Admission requires high school completion or equivalent and a valid driver’s license. Student-supplied tools cost an estimated $1,800 to $2,400 and are due by week three.

Best Auto Mechanic Schools In New Hampshire

The five New Hampshire schools differ in award scope despite sharing a $6,450 annual in-state tuition figure. Lakes Region Community College reports 21 awards, Manchester Community College reports 17, and White Mountains Community College reports five across certificates and associate degrees. Great Bay Community College adds a shorter certificate route.

New Hampshire's 55 awards are spread across eight programs, with Lakes Region Community College reporting 21 and White Mountains reporting five. The $6,450 annual tuition figure appears across the named reports, leaving award level, campus access, tools, fees, and lab plan as the meaningful distinctions.

A lower award count does not tell you that a program is weaker, and a schoolwide rate does not predict an automotive student's outcome. The credential guide compares the award you actually want.

A shared checklist for every campus can make the schoolwide figures more useful: award, tuition, fees, tools, travel, course timing, and practical work.

Auto Mechanic Pay In New Hampshire

The May 2025 BLS survey reports a $59,020 median annual wage for automotive service technicians and mechanics in New Hampshire, across 4,840 jobs. The median is the midpoint for the occupation, not an offer to new graduates.

10th Percentile
$38,310
Median
$59,020
90th Percentile
$82,250

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.

New Hampshire Auto Mechanic School Questions

What Is The May 2025 New Hampshire Wage Median?
The May 2025 BLS OEWS median for automotive service technicians and mechanics in New Hampshire is $59,020. The middle figure is a statewide occupation measure, with the 10th percentile at $38,310 and the 90th percentile at $82,250.
Where Does New Hampshire Report Associate Degree Awards?
Lakes Region Community College (certificate and associate degree, 21 awards), Manchester Community College (associate degree, 17 awards), Nashua Community College (certificate and associate degree, 6 awards), White Mountains Community College (certificate and associate degree, 5 awards) show associate degree credentials among the published school figures.
How Many Automotive Awards Are Reported In New Hampshire?
The New Hampshire schools span certificate and associate degree credentials across 8 automotive options and 55 awards in 2023-24. Lakes Region Community College has the largest listed award count at 21. Great Bay Community College lists $6,450 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.

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