Best Auto Mechanic Schools In Washington Ranked For 2026

UEI lists the Tacoma Automotive Technician program as a hybrid diploma with an approximate 10-month length and nine course modules. Students complete part of the program online and attend on-site labs using actual vehicles.

A high school diploma or equivalent is required for enrollment. As of the September 2026 review, the Tacoma program page lists September 28, 2026 as its next class start.

Course modules cover engine design, evaluation, diagnosis, and disassembly; electrical systems including batteries, charging, lighting, and instrumentation; and engine performance and ignition using onboard diagnostic information, scan testers, and symptom charts.

The Preventative Maintenance and Hybrid Technology module covers hybrid diagnostic and safety procedures, professional communication, workflow management, and working as part of a service team.

UEI College Tacoma holds institutional accreditation from the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges. The campus opened in 2021 and offers the automotive diploma at its East 72nd Street location.

The program lasts 12 months over four quarters and awards 76.5 credits for 1,344 clock hours.

Perry offers two scheduling options for Automotive Technology: a daytime program and a night school option. The school presents the night offering as a way to study while maintaining existing daytime responsibilities.

Training ends with an off-campus externship or an on-campus capstone project. The published externship course carries four credits and 121 clock hours in the final quarter.

The catalog specifies a student-to-instructor ratio no greater than 18 to one for Automotive Technology.

The program is ASE Education Foundation accredited and prepares students for Section 609 certification through the Mobile Air Conditioning Society.

The certificate is taught in person, with students usually attending Monday through Thursday. Automotive Technology operates through full-time cohorts.

Students enroll in either a 7 a.m.–1 p.m. morning cohort or a 2–8 p.m. afternoon cohort; introductory automotive classes are offered in fall or spring quarters.

AUT 130 covers engine disassembly, cleaning, inspection, measurement, cylinder-head rebuilding, engine-block overhaul, and reassembly. The course carries eight credits within the certificate’s technical core.

Required supplies include hard-toed boots, coveralls, and at least $300 in tools. The college also lists $189 for ASE testing and approximately $85 per quarter for books and supplies.

Students need placement eligibility for MATH 110 or higher and ENGL 107 or higher. The college provides directed self-placement tools for both subjects.

Shoreline lists Automotive Service Technician as a 101-credit Associate of Applied Arts and Sciences degree taught on campus, with fall, winter, spring, and summer starting quarters.

The degree alternates classroom study with a dealership internship, giving students additional theory and higher-level hands-on practice while they complete the Automotive Service Technician route.

The AST degree identifies Subaru University and Nissan Technical Training Academy as industry partners through which students earn certifications while developing advanced repair skills.

The AST degree builds on the General Service Technician I certificate. Applicants must meet program eligibility requirements and apply to both the college and the automotive program.

Spokane lists an Automotive Technology AAS alongside A1 Engine Repair, A2 Automatic Transmissions, A3 Manual Drivetrains, A4 Suspension and Steering, A5 Brakes, A6 Electrical, A7 HVAC, A8 Engine Performance, and L3 Hybrid and Electric Vehicle certificates.

The page’s Automotive Technology Short-Term certificate map totals 19 credits and includes Applied Mathematics, Introduction to Computers for Technology, Applied Written Communication, Leadership Skills for Business and Industry, Introduction to Automotive, and Auto Welding.

Spokane says much of the automotive learning takes place on actual project cars in a fully equipped on-campus shop. The page names tune-ups, brake repair, electrical repair, transmission repair, and heater and air-conditioning diagnosis among the work students study.

The one-year certificate requires any three quarters of automotive study plus four related classes. Students need at least 2.0 in courses to advance. The separate short-term certificate lists fall, winter, and spring starts.

LWTech lists an Auto Repair Technician AAS, an Auto Repair Technician Certificate of Proficiency, an Electric Vehicle Technician Certificate of Completion, and a General Service Technician Certificate of Completion.

The program lists fall and spring entry and requires summer-quarter coursework. Course offerings follow a quarterly schedule, so students progress through a planned sequence.

The General Service Technician Certificate of Completion includes in-class support with writing, mathematics, note-taking, presentation skills, study techniques, and career readiness.

The Auto Repair pathway includes a premium education partnership with Audi of America, which the college says provides graduates with exposure and practical experience connected to dealer-based technician work.

BTC lists Automotive Technology at 123 total credits and estimates seven quarters to completion, with admission to the program once each year in the fall quarter.

BTC estimates total tuition and fees at $23,100, tools from $600 to $9,000, materials at $300 to $500, and clothing at $300 for the seven-quarter plan.

Applicants need a completed college application and English and math placement; before program classes, BTC also requires a valid driver’s license presentation during the mandatory GET Started appointment.

Quarter one begins with AUTO100 Introduction to Automotive Technology, AUTO102 Introduction to Automotive Technology Lab, and AUTO113 HVAC, alongside applied English and placement-based prerequisites.

All general education courses must be completed before the second year begins. The first-year plan includes Applied English, Applied Mathematics, and a communication or psychology choice.

Green River says students can complete the Automotive Technology program in as little as six quarters. New students must complete the college application and placement assessment, meet with an advisor, and show a valid driver’s license.

The AAS combines general education with certificates covering brakes, steering and suspension; electrical systems; engine performance; HVAC; and transmission and transaxle systems.

Students work in two modern shops with ten bays each and troubleshoot real customer vehicles when instructors approve the work. Listed equipment includes Hunter tire and alignment tools, newer and factory scan tools, and four- and eight-channel scopes.

Green River says it provides personal protective equipment and uniforms, while second-year students must buy a tool set estimated at $1,400 to $5,000. The page also identifies the program as an ASE-accredited professional training program.

Through Subaru-U, students can take most of the entry-level training required for Subaru technicians. Subaru has also donated three newer vehicles to Green River’s automotive program.

The AAT requires 115 technical credits plus 18 general education credits, for a total of 133. Admission dates are listed for fall, winter, spring, and summer.

Cooperative work experience is available with instructor permission, with the credit amount based on time spent in the placement. Program outcomes also require diagnosis and repair of customer-owned vehicles.

To remain in the program, students must have required textbooks by the start of the third week and required tools by the start of the second quarter.

All technical courses require a 2.0 GPA or higher. General education includes communication, a college-level math course, science or social science or humanities, and College Success for All.

RTC offers a Certificate of Completion and an Automotive Technology Associate of Applied Science, both with fall, winter, and spring enrollment points.

The AAS requires four general education courses totaling 20 credits in addition to technical instruction across the eight NATEF/ASE repair areas.

Certificate students graduate with an ASE Refrigerant Recovery and Recycling Certificate, while RTC also provides opportunities for additional ASE certifications across the repair areas.

INDS 101 CPR/First Aid/AED certification is required in the first quarter. Equivalent prior certification may qualify for credit if it remains valid through graduation and meets the college’s review.

The program includes support in mathematics, reading, writing, and study skills. Students complete an I-BEST identification survey, and those placed into I-BEST also complete an intake form.

SPSCC lists Automotive Technology as an Associate in Applied Science and Basic Automotive Technology as a Certificate of Proficiency. The page describes the certificate as a starting point before students continue toward the associate degree.

SPSCC offers evening automotive courses so students can work during the day while completing the degree. Its published quarterly plan outlines the course progression.

SPSCC teaches in a modern industry-standard shop certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. The curriculum is designed around all eight ASE areas, including systems such as brakes, electrical, transmissions, HVAC, and engine performance.

The program’s I-BEST model places a professional-technical instructor and a second instructor in first-year classes. The support instructor helps students strengthen English, writing, and math while they study automotive content.

Students can service community members’ vehicles through the Automotive Services Department. The college operates the repair service as a student training facility, providing practical experience with customer vehicles.

CBC lists Automotive Technology as a six-quarter A.A.S. delivered full time and in person, with fall and winter cohorts that follow a set course progression together.

CBC says more than 60% of class time is spent in the lab, where students practice on customer cars in a simulated shop alongside classroom instruction.

The typical schedule runs Monday through Thursday, with the fall cohort listed at 7 a.m.–2 p.m. and the first winter and spring quarters at 11:30 a.m.–5 p.m. before switching to the morning block.

Students attend an information session and register first come, first served; CBC loans a toolbox, provides four work shirts, and lists a required tool costing about $750 in the second quarter.

The one-quarter Introduction to Automotive Preventative Maintenance certificate and three-quarter Maintenance and Light Repair certificate apply their coursework toward the AAS. Degree students must earn at least 2.0 in major courses to continue.

Clark’s automotive cohorts begin each August and accept 40 students annually through competitive admission. Training combines mechanical skills with automotive computer, electrical, and electronic systems.

Dealer Ready students are paired with local dealerships and participate in paid internships, connecting their college training with work in a dealership service operation.

Students train in a 14,000-square-foot facility with simulators and late-model vehicles donated by local industry. These vehicles support instruction in current automotive technology.

Clark identifies three Dealer Ready options: Toyota Technician and Education Network, the Dick Hannah Initiative for Technician Education, and an Audi Education Partnership. The college also says its automotive program is accredited by the ASE Education Foundation.

WVC lists a one-year, 63-credit Automotive Technology Certificate of Completion, a two-year Automotive Technology AAS, and a separate Light Diesel Certificate. The college notes that the stand-alone light diesel certificate is not financial-aid eligible unless incorporated into the AAS.

WVC is a Subaru University member. Students train on a 2014 Subaru Forester and use Subaru diagnostic equipment for vehicle communication, programming, and testing; the page says two levels of Subaru technician certification may be completed and Subaru-U is included in tuition.

The catalog assigns credits to named system courses, including electrical systems at five credits, engine repair at four, engine performance at five, automatic transmissions and manual drivetrains at five each, and suspension, brakes, and HVAC at 5–7.5 credits.

The catalog offers AUTO 196 and AUTO 296 Cooperative Work Experience, awarding one credit for each five hours of work per week. Separate project labs provide additional practice on ASE/NATEF tasks.

WWCC says its Automotive Repair Technology certificate is equivalent to the first year of the AAS degree. The certificate is listed at the Walla Walla campus and Corrections Education, while the page describes the AAS as a two-year route.

The first-year sequence lists 55 credits across quarters of 15, 20, and 20 credits. A separate three-credit first-year experience requirement is also specified. The technical classes include maintenance, engines, and electrical systems with labs.

WWCC says the program is certified by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation and led by Automotive Service Excellence Master Certified instructors. The page connects that preparation with basic hand tools and sophisticated shop equipment.

Certificate outcomes include writing clear automotive service reports and communicating with a repair-shop team to solve problems. The plan includes Communication in the Workplace and Quantitative Problem Solving for Trades.

Skagit lists Automotive Technology as a six-quarter, two-year Associate in Applied Science taught in person at the Mount Vernon Campus with a fall cohort start.

The program participates in Boeing’s Pre-Employment Training program. Skagit says students are eligible to bypass the interview process when applying for certain Boeing manufacturing jobs.

Skagit also includes light-duty diesel, engine machining, and hybrid-electric/electric vehicle subjects, extending the plan beyond basic maintenance and repair.

Skagit identifies its automotive program as ASE Education Foundation accredited at the master level, alongside its six-quarter curriculum and training on late-model vehicles.

Bates lists Automotive Technology as a 142-credit Associate in Applied Science completed over eight quarters at its South Campus, with posted program hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Students train in a fully operational auto service facility serving the public. Their work includes diagnosis, repairs, engine and transmission overhauls, and computerized diagnostic tools.

The AAS includes five credits each in communication, quantitative studies, and a science or humanities distribution. The listed choices include technical writing, business math, and interpersonal communication.

AUTOM 296 Work-Based Learning Experience is listed as an elective carrying one to 13 credits. It is separate from the required quarterly technical sequence.

The 2026–27 program map organizes the certificate over four quarters. It begins with college success, first aid, industrial safety, industrial mathematics, and human relations before moving into the automotive system courses.

Second quarter includes AMTC 104 Automotive Electrical Systems for 15 credits and ENGL 110 Industrial Communication for five credits. The map identifies AMTC 104 as the first major automotive systems block in the sequence.

Third quarter pairs AMTC 114 Automotive Chassis, listed at 15 credits, with AMTC 100 Essentials of Mechanics at five credits. Fourth quarter then lists AMTC 124 Automotive Engines for 15 credits.

Industrial Mathematics requires MATH 079 or TECH 079 with a C or better, or instructor permission. The first quarter also includes five-credit Management of Human Relations and three-credit Industrial Safety.

The published plan requires at least 134 credits: 113 core credits, six support credits, and 15 general education credits.

The plan moves from introductory AUTO 101–106 courses through AUTO 201–206 and then the advanced AUTO 281–286 sequence. These courses revisit electrical systems, engines, drivetrains, chassis systems, and engine performance.

The support requirement includes Related Welding I or a higher welding course. This adds welding instruction to the automotive systems curriculum.

General education includes English Composition I or technical and business writing, Vocational Technical Mathematics or higher, and a choice of psychology, human relations, or sociology.

AUTO 290 Hybrid/Electric/Hydrogen Vehicles is included in the required technical core, alongside Introduction to Industrial Technology: Automotive and Diesel.

The 2025–2026 bulletin requires at least 55 quarter hours in the automotive specialization, plus required cognates, general studies, and the remaining Associate of Science requirements.

Walla Walla says the A.S. is designed for three years because many AUTO classes alternate by year, so full-time students cannot assume every required course runs annually.

The course list pairs internal-combustion engines, manual drivetrains, electrical systems, engine performance, suspension and steering, brakes, climate control, and automatic transmissions with corresponding laboratory courses.

The specialization requires two-credit AUTO 280 Practicum, two-credit Fundamentals of CAD, and three-credit CNC Prototyping. Its additional 13 elective credits come from approved automotive, aviation, or technology courses.

YVC states that Automotive Service Technology requires two years and awards an Associate of Applied Science after successful completion of the program.

Enrollment is open to qualifying students at the beginning of fall, winter, and spring quarters, giving the program three stated entry points each academic year.

Each 16-credit automotive quarter presents one subject at a time, pairing an eight-credit lecture course with an eight-credit lab. Training spans all nine ASE areas with emphasis on electronic and computer-integrated systems.

Students repair customer vehicles in lab courses, with work scheduled to match the subject being taught. ASE-certified instructors supervise, inspect, and sign off on the repairs.

YVC identifies its automotive program as accredited by the ASE Education Foundation at the Master Automotive Service Technology level. The training also counts as one year toward ASE’s work-experience requirement.

Big Bend states that the automotive program is being revamped and is closed to new students for the 2026–2027 academic year.

The same planning page marks its automotive repair specialty certificates as closed to current enrollment, including engine repair, brakes, electrical systems, and transmissions.

The college’s 2026 budget announcement pauses Automotive Technology starting in fall 2026 while the curriculum and long-term enrollment sustainability are reviewed.

The published certificate plan spans six months and two quarters, with a sample schedule of 15 credits in each quarter. This describes the program structure retained during the admissions pause.

The first-quarter schedule included Automotive Safety and Tools, Basic Electrical for Automotive, Gas and Diesel Vehicles, and Preventative Maintenance and Inspection. Those courses totaled 15 credits and included automotive shop safety, multimeter use, service information, and inspections.

The second-quarter schedule included Electrical Vehicles, Automotive Diagnostics, and a one-credit ATEC 291 Internship. The program page describes hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-electric service work plus mentored workplace skill application.