Local Automotive Training Comparisons

Best Auto Mechanic Schools In Providence Ranked For 2026

Compare 5 automotive school options within 50 miles of Providence. Compare credentials, costs, and program details alongside each institution’s location.

Rhode Island geographic illustration for the best auto mechanic schools in Providence guide
Rhode Island · Geographic Illustration
Schools Compared
5
Within 50 Miles
Annual Tuition From
$576
Institution-Wide · 2024–25
Rhode Island Median Pay
$51,770
Automotive Mechanics · May 2025
Rhode Island Employment
2,530
Occupation-Wide · BLS OEWS

Straight-line miles provide a location measure, not a daily-trip promise. If you are comparing the best auto mechanic schools in Providence, this search covers 5 nearby school options. The May 2025 BLS OEWS median wage for automotive service technicians and mechanics was $51,770 statewide in Rhode Island.

The schools span Rhode Island and Massachusetts, so residency can change the tuition category. Providence crosses Rhode Island and Massachusetts, bringing private nonprofit, private technical, and public options together. Motoring Technical Training Institute gives you the shortest straight-line distance at 5.3 miles, and New England Institute of Technology reports the most awards, with 72. The available routes include certificate and associate degree options.

Distances are straight-line estimates from a representative point in Providence to each institution’s federally reported location. They measure geographic proximity, not driving time or the location of every teaching site. Salary figures below describe Rhode Island, not this city.

Compare The Best Auto Mechanic Schools In Providence

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
Motoring Technical Training InstituteSeekonk, MA52
Massachusetts Bay Community CollegeWellesley Hills, MA$57628
New England Institute of TechnologyAccess Road Campus, Warwick, RI$34,87572
Quinsigamond Community CollegeQCC Automotive Technology Laboratory, Burncoat, Worcester, MA$57620
Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of TechnologyBoston, MA$18,30638

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

Seekonk, MA · 5.3 Miles From Providence

Motoring Technical Training Institute

78.7Score

CertificatePrivate for-profit

Day Or Evening Diploma With Substantial Shop Time

The evening route spreads the training over a longer period, while daytime study finishes sooner. Both keep at least half of your time in practical shop work.

MTTI offers the same 900-hour automotive diploma through a 30-week daytime schedule or a 75-week evening schedule. At least half of your training time is spent in the shop diagnosing and repairing cars. Tools are supplied for classroom use, and the school says successful completion counts as a year of work experience toward ASE certification.

Motoring Technical Training Institute is 5.3 straight-line miles from Providence and offers certificate options across 52 awards. The 89% graduation rate is schoolwide.

Automotive Awards
52
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
89%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Two Schedules

The Automotive Service Technician diploma takes 900 hours: 30 weeks for full-time days or 75 weeks for part-time evenings.

Practical Repair Work

At least half of training takes place in the shop. Students diagnose and repair cars through live repair tasks like those performed in automotive employment.

Classroom Tools

MTTI provides a tool set for use during classes. Discounted purchases are available, and a tool bonus depends on eligibility after entering related employment.

ASE Experience Credit

MTTI states that successful program completion qualifies as one year of work experience toward ASE certification. This credit is distinct from passing the certification tests.

02

Wellesley Hills, MA · 34.7 Miles From Providence

Massachusetts Bay Community College

57.5Score

Certificate · Associate DegreePublic

GM Dealership Work Within An AS Degree

GM ASEP is a focused choice if you want your college labs and cooperative work experience centered on General Motors service, with GM technical training alongside the degree.

MassBay's GM ASEP route leads to an Automotive Technology AS with a General Motors concentration. You study GM products at the Automotive Technology Center and complete required work at a GM dealership. The degree combines that technical and work experience with academic coursework, including a quantitative-skills graduation requirement.

Annual In-State Tuition
$576
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
28
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
17%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
GM Concentration

Graduates earn an Associate in Science in Automotive Technology with a General Motors concentration. The college and GM jointly support this manufacturer-specific program.

Required Dealership Work

Training includes automotive lectures and labs at MassBay’s Automotive Technology Center. Working at a GM dealership is required during the cooperative education phase.

Admission And Academic Requirements

Minimum admission requirements include placement testing and a valid driver’s license. Graduation requires a qualifying college math course or placement into higher-level mathematics.

Accreditation And Factory Training

The program is ASE Education Foundation certified in all eight performance areas. Students accumulate specialized training through GM’s Service Technical College or ACDelco.

03

Access Road Campus, Warwick, RI · 12.0 Miles From ProvidenceDistance Uses The Institution Record In East Greenwich, RI

New England Institute of Technology

55.0Score

Associate DegreePrivate nonprofit

Advanced And High-Performance Degree Choices

The choice of standard, advanced, and high-performance automotive degrees lets you put more emphasis on the technical direction you want while retaining a college degree route.

New England Tech offers four automotive AS options, including advanced and high-performance routes. Automotive teaching is based at the Access Road campus in Warwick, where lab work uses vehicle faults and diagnostic equipment. The program also includes Ford MLR, Mopar CAP LOCAL, and Subaru University training, while a later business degree offers an automotive service/transportation management concentration.

New England Institute of Technology is 12 straight-line miles from Providence and offers associate degree options across 72 awards. Annual institution tuition is $34,875 for both in-state and out-of-state students. The 60% graduation rate is schoolwide.

Annual In-State Tuition
$34,875
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
72
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
60%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Four Associate Options

NEIT offers Automotive Technology, Advanced Automotive Technology, and high-performance versions of each. The advanced options examine automotive concepts in greater depth.

Warwick Teaching Location

Automotive instruction is based at the Access Road campus in Warwick. The program combines classroom study with practical diagnosis and repair in automotive labs.

Factory Training

The program includes Ford Maintenance and Light Repair training, Mopar CAP LOCAL coursework, and Subaru University training leading to Level One Subaru technician certification on successful completion.

Management Progression

After automotive study, students can continue into NEIT’s Business Management BS with an Automotive Service/Transportation Management concentration.

04

QCC Automotive Technology Laboratory, Burncoat, Worcester, MA · 39.0 Miles From ProvidenceDistance Uses The Institution Record In Worcester, MA

Quinsigamond Community College

52.7Score

Certificate · Associate DegreePublic

Ford Light-Repair Certificate At Burncoat

This is a focused route into Ford/Lincoln service training, with a three-semester sequence and late-model vehicles used alongside classroom instruction.

Quinsigamond's Ford Maintenance and Light Repair certificate runs from fall through summer at the college's Burncoat automotive lab in Worcester. Its 24 credits cover service fundamentals, electrical systems, brakes, engines, steering, and climate control. The Ford-designed curriculum targets light-line dealership work, and admission to automotive programs is capped at 20 full-time students per academic year.

Annual In-State Tuition
$576
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
20
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
22%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Credits And Sequence

The 24-credit certificate takes three semesters: fall fundamentals, electrical systems, and brakes; spring engines and performance; summer steering/alignment and climate control.

Teaching Location

All courses take place at the QCC Automotive Technology Laboratory at Burncoat High School in Worcester. The program combines classroom study with vehicle work.

Admissions Capacity

Automotive programs admit 20 full-time students per academic year, first come, first served, beginning in fall. A high school diploma or GED/HiSET is required.

Driving And Tools

Applicants need a valid learner’s permit and a suitable driving record. Students are responsible for buying tools before entering employment.

05

Boston, MA · 40.3 Miles From Providence

Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology

43.0Score

Certificate · Associate DegreePrivate nonprofit

Alternative-Fuel Focus In An Automotive AS

The degree combines conventional repair with alternative-fuel and electric technology. It suits you if you want those systems included in your initial automotive education.

Franklin Cummings Tech's automotive AS puts alternative-fuel and electric-vehicle technology inside a two-year, 65-credit degree. You learn repair across vehicle makes in a working garage, including hybrid, electric, and autonomous vehicle systems. A driver’s license is required to enroll, and the program offers opportunities to earn safety, refrigerant, and entry-level ASE credentials.

Annual In-State Tuition
$18,306
Institution-wide · 2024–25
Automotive Awards
38
Certificates & degrees · 2023–24
Schoolwide Graduation
46%
Institution-wide · 150% time

Program Details

Researched September 8, 2026
Degree Commitment

The Associate of Science in Automotive Technology requires 65 credits and has a published two-year duration, with an alternative-fuel and electric-technology focus.

Working Garage Instruction

You diagnose and repair vehicles from different manufacturers in a full-service working garage. The program specifically includes hybrid, electric, and autonomous vehicles.

Repair Curriculum

Subjects include electrical/electronic systems, climate control, brakes, transmissions, chassis, engine repair, emissions, and hybrid/electric car technology.

Entry And Credentials

Enrollment requires a driver’s license. Available credential opportunities include EPA 609 air-conditioning certification, ASE G1 entry-level certification, and SP2 safety certification.

Best Auto Mechanic Schools In Providence

Distance matters here because the closest school and the largest reported award total are different campuses. Motoring Technical Training Institute sits 5.3 straight-line miles from Providence. New England Institute of Technology reports the most awards, with 72. The schools include certificate and associate degree routes; straight-line distance is a map measure, not a driving estimate.

Three useful distinctions here are shortest distance, broader credential scope, and lower listed tuition. New England Institute of Technology lists $34,875 for both in-state and out-of-state tuition. Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology lists $18,306 for both in-state and out-of-state tuition. Massachusetts Bay Community College lists $576 in state and $5,520 out of state. Schools with both residency categories show separate in-state and out-of-state tuition.

Reported awards describe activity, while credential and cost figures describe the choice. New England Institute of Technology offers associate degree options at 12 straight-line miles; Motoring Technical Training Institute offers certificate options at 5.3 straight-line miles; Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology offers certificate and associate degree options at 40.3 straight-line miles. 4 nearby schools offer an associate degree.

Auto Mechanic Pay In Rhode Island

The May 2025 BLS survey reports a $51,770 median annual wage for automotive service technicians and mechanics in Rhode Island, across 2,530 jobs. The median is the midpoint for the occupation, not an offer to new graduates.

10th Percentile
$31,860
Median
$51,770
90th Percentile
$80,780

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.

Providence Auto Mechanic School Questions

What Is The May 2025 Wage Reference For Providence?
The May 2025 BLS OEWS median for automotive service technicians and mechanics in Rhode Island is $51,770. The middle figure is a statewide occupation measure, with the 10th percentile at $31,860 and the 90th percentile at $80,780.
Which Campus Is Closest To Providence?
Motoring Technical Training Institute is 5.3 straight-line miles from Providence and shows 52 awards across certificate credentials. Its schoolwide graduation rate is 89%.
Which School Has The Most Listed Awards Near Providence?
New England Institute of Technology lists $34,875 in annual in-state institution tuition. It also shows 72 awards in the Providence comparison.

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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