45 accredited programs at 29 schools in Texas, ranked for 2027: automotive, diesel, collision repair and aviation maintenance. Tarrant County College District in Fort Worth, TX has the highest score, and automotive service technicians and mechanics here earn a median $48,310.
By Trevor Rupe, Contributor at Savo Media Group Updated
At a Glance
45 ranked programs at 29 schools in Texas: 24 automotive, 7 diesel, 3 collision repair and 11 aviation maintenance.
Tarrant County College District in Fort Worth, TX scores highest, 75.1 out of 100 (automotive).
BLS reports a May 2025 median of $48,310 for automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023) in Texas.
Published prices run from $1,863 a year, in-district (Tarrant County College District) to $40,745 for the 45-week program (Universal Technical Institute of Texas).
21 of 29 ranked mechanic schools in Texas are public institutions.
Top Mechanic Schools in Texas
These mechanic schools in Texas run in score order. Ranks are this state’s; each card also gives the national rank in its trade.
Rank 1
Automotive Service Technology
Tarrant County College District
Fort Worth, TX
Score75.1
ASE Accredited Program
Public
AAS
Mopar CAP
Toyota T-TEN
Cost
$1,863a year, in-district
Graduation rate
34%within 150% of normal time
Auto technician pay in Texas
$48,310median, BLS May 2025
Graduate earnings
$70,953median four years after completing, certificate level; school-wide across its mechanic programs
Why it ranks here
Ranked #4 of 415 automotive programs nationally. Earns its place with a price toward the low end of ranked automotive programs ($1,863 a year, in-district), graduates earning a median $70,953 and 87 awards in 2024-25.
Source: IPEDS 2024-25 (provisional), College Scorecard, the ASE accreditation list and BLS OEWS May 2025.
Rank 2
Aviation Maintenance Technology
Tarrant County College District
Fort Worth, TX
Score70.9
FAA Part 147
Public
AAS
Cost
$1,863a year, in-district
Graduation rate
34%within 150% of normal time
Graduate earnings
$70,953median four years after completing, certificate level; school-wide across its mechanic programs
Awards
119in 2024-25
Why it ranks here
Ranked #4 of 148 aviation maintenance programs nationally. Scores well on a price toward the low end of ranked aviation maintenance programs ($1,863 a year, in-district), graduates earning a median $70,953 and 119 awards in 2024-25.
Source: IPEDS 2024-25 (provisional), College Scorecard and the FAA school list.
Rank 3
Auto Collision & Management Technology
Texas State Technical College
Waco, TX
Score69.6
ASE Accredited Program
Public
Auto Collision & Management Technology - Repair Specialization
Cost
$7,212a year, in-state
Graduation rate
46%within 150% of normal time
Graduate earnings
$63,228median four years after completing, associate’s level; school-wide across its mechanic programs
Awards
43in 2024-25
Why it ranks here
Ranked #5 of 59 collision repair programs nationally. Stands out for graduates earning a median $63,228 and 43 awards in 2024-25, among the larger collision repair programs. Its figures cover its accredited sites in Harlingen, TX; Waco, TX.
24 ranked automotive programs at 24 schools in Texas. Tarrant County College District (Fort Worth, TX) leads and stands #4 of 415 nationally, in the top quarter, on a score of 75.1. Tarrant County College District is the lowest priced at $1,863 a year, in-district, against $56,200 for the 19-month program at Universal Technical Institute-Dallas Fort Worth. Automotive programs are taught in Fort Worth, TX, Dallas, TX, Irving, TX, Austin, TX, Pasadena, TX and Houston, TX, and 16 more cities. The largest, in Dallas, TX, awarded 682 credentials in 2024-25. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $48,310 for automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023) in Texas, $2,310 below the national median of $50,620.
7 ranked diesel programs at 7 schools in Texas. Universal Technical Institute-Dallas Fort Worth (Irving, TX) leads and stands #5 of 76 nationally, in the top quarter, on a score of 69.0. Odessa College is the lowest priced at $2,688 a year, in-district, against $40,745 for the 45-week program at Universal Technical Institute of Texas. Diesel programs are taught in Irving, TX, Austin, TX, Odessa, TX, Houston, TX, Grand Prairie, TX and Laredo, TX, and 1 more city. The largest, in Houston, TX, awarded 167 credentials in 2024-25. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $58,810 for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (SOC 49-3031) in Texas, $2,960 below the national median of $61,770.
3 ranked collision repair programs at 3 schools in Texas. Texas State Technical College (Waco, TX) leads and stands #5 of 59 nationally, in the top quarter, on a score of 69.6. Collin County Community College District is the lowest priced at $2,014 a year, in-district, against $28,480 for the 36-week program at Universal Technical Institute of Texas. Collision repair programs are taught in Waco, TX, Houston, TX and McKinney, TX. The largest, in Houston, TX, awarded 101 credentials in 2024-25. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $51,700 for automotive body and related repairers (SOC 49-3021) in Texas, $3,190 below the national median of $54,890.
11 ranked aviation maintenance programs at 11 schools in Texas. Tarrant County College District (Fort Worth, TX) leads and stands #4 of 148 nationally, in the top quarter, on a score of 70.9. Tarrant County College District is the lowest priced at $1,863 a year, in-district, against $52,765 for the 78-week program at Universal Technical Institute of Texas. Aviation maintenance programs are taught in Fort Worth, TX, Irving, TX, Houston, TX, Waco, TX, San Antonio, TX and Amarillo, TX, and 3 more cities. The largest, in Waco, TX, awarded 202 credentials in 2024-25. BLS reports a May 2025 median of $84,440 for aircraft mechanics and service technicians (SOC 49-3011) in Texas, $4,570 above the national median of $79,870.
BLS counts 69,750 wage and salary jobs for automotive service technicians and mechanics in Texas, close to the national concentration. The medians below describe each occupation in the state, not the graduates of the mechanic schools in $Texas above.
BLS median pay in Texas by occupation, May 2025
Occupation
Median
Lowest 10%
Highest 10%
Jobs
U.S. median
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics SOC 49-3023
$48,310
under $29,360
over $81,720
69,750
$50,620
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists SOC 49-3031
$58,810
under $40,930
over $81,660
29,870
$61,770
Automotive Body and Related Repairers SOC 49-3021
$51,700
under $34,140
over $78,570
14,070
$54,890
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians SOC 49-3011
$84,440
under $48,600
over $122,180
16,850
$79,870
Largest metropolitan areas for automotive service technicians and mechanics: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX at $49,720 (17,690 jobs), Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX at $50,940 (14,910 jobs) and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX at $46,880 (6,320 jobs).
For bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX at $60,390 (7,940 jobs) and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX at $60,770 (7,410 jobs).
For automotive body and related repairers: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX at $57,280 (4,080 jobs) and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX at $56,060 (3,410 jobs).
For aircraft mechanics and service technicians: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX at $94,920 (8,000 jobs) and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX at $85,400 (2,710 jobs).
Mechanic Salary in Texas has the full percentiles, every metropolitan area BLS publishes and the five mechanic trades side by side.
Mechanic Licensing in Texas
Vehicle inspector certification (emissions inspector; commercial vehicle inspector endorsement) comes from the Texas Department of Public Safety and covers state inspection or emissions work, which is separate from general repair.
For 2027, Tarrant County College District in Fort Worth, TX has the highest score of the 45 ranked programs in Texas, 75.1 out of 100. Among the mechanic schools in Texas, the leaders by trade are Tarrant County College District (automotive), Universal Technical Institute-Dallas Fort Worth (diesel), Texas State Technical College (collision repair) and Tarrant County College District (aviation maintenance). 21 of the 29 ranked schools with a recorded control are public.
Which mechanic schools in Texas are accredited?
The 29 ranked mechanic schools in Texas hold ASE Education Foundation accreditation in automotive, diesel and collision repair and FAA Part 147 certification for aviation maintenance, and each met the federal entry bar for the ranking.
How much do mechanics make in Texas?
In the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 estimates, Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics in Texas earn a median of $48,310, $2,310 below the national median of $50,620; Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists earn a median of $58,810, $2,960 below the national median of $61,770. These are medians for wage and salary workers in the occupation, not starting pay.
How much do mechanic schools in Texas cost?
Among the mechanic schools in Texas with a published price, tuition and fees run from $1,863 a year, in-district at Tarrant County College District (Fort Worth, TX) to $40,745 for the 45-week program at Universal Technical Institute of Texas (Houston, TX). The median across the state is about $3,412 a year.
Do you need a license to work as a mechanic in Texas?
Vehicle inspector certification (emissions inspector; commercial vehicle inspector endorsement) comes from the Texas Department of Public Safety and covers state inspection or emissions work, which is separate from general repair.
Sources for Texas Mechanic School Rankings
U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Completions (awards July 2024 to June 2025, provisional), tuition and fees for 2024-25, graduation rates within 150% of normal time and the institutional directory.
This site earns money from sponsored school listings served by the education ad network Esyoh, which are marked as ads wherever they appear. Schools pay to appear in those listings, not in the rankings: a listing is not scored, and no listing can change a ranking. Rankings come from published records, and program details from each school’s own published pages.
