Arizona Aviation Mechanic Schools 2026-27: Costs, Length & FAA Pass Rates

Updated October 1, 2026. Verified against 2026-27 school catalogs, tuition schedules, state training-provider listings, ACCSC disclosures and FAA pass-rate data. How we verify.

Arizona has six FAA-certificated A&P mechanic programs open to adults. Five are in metro Phoenix: two private schools (Aviation Institute of Maintenance and Universal Technical Institute), Chandler-Gilbert Community College, West-MEC and Thrust Institute. The sixth is Pima Community College in Tucson. Community college paths cost about $8,000–$17,500 for residents; private schools run $39,500–$54,100.

Key Takeaways

Lowest cost: Chandler-Gilbert’s 84-credit A&P certificate costs about $8,223 in tuition and fees for Maricopa County residents, thanks to a $97-per-credit rate frozen for 2026-27.
Fastest: Thrust Institute in Mesa finishes in 10 months. Pima’s full-time day schedule takes 16 months; UTI Avondale takes 78 weeks.
Soonest start: AIM Phoenix starts classes about every five weeks (next start November 2, 2026). Thrust starts monthly.
Night classes: West-MEC runs only evenings, Monday–Thursday. AIM Phoenix and Pima also offer evening schedules.
Highest FAA pass rates: Chandler-Gilbert (91.6%) and Pima (91.1%) for August 2023–December 2024. AIM Phoenix and UTI Avondale are too new to appear in FAA data.

Compare schools by metro: Phoenix A&P schools

Arizona A&P Schools Compared

Costs are tuition plus mandatory fees for the full path to the General, Airframe and Powerplant exams, at the resident rate. Books, tools and FAA exam fees are extra unless noted.

School	Full A&P path	Length	Tuition + fees (resident)	Starts	FAA pass rate*
Aviation Institute of Maintenance – Phoenix Phoenix, near Sky Harbor	AMT certificate (78 credits)	21 months	$51,122 ($53,447 with books and tools)	About every 5 weeks	Not yet in FAA data
Universal Technical Institute – Avondale Avondale	A&P Technician diploma (69 credits)	78 weeks (about 18 months)	$54,095 (books included)	Not published	Not yet in FAA data
Chandler-Gilbert Community College Mesa, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport	AMT certificate (84 credits)	5 semesters	$8,223 in-county; $31,323 out-of-state	Each semester (50 seats)	91.6%
West-MEC Glendale	A&P program (1,926 clock hours)	117 weeks, evenings	$26,952.50 (includes books, lab fees, supplies)	Next start Jan 5, 2027	87.2%
Thrust Institute of Maintenance Mesa, Falcon Field	AMT program	10 months	$39,539 (includes books, tool rental)	Monthly	97.1%**
Pima Community College Tucson International Airport	A&P Mechanics certificate (58 credits)	16 months day, 28 evening	$13,429 ($17,499 with course fees); $26,276 out-of-state	Not published	91.1%

*Combined General, Airframe and Powerplant written-test pass rate, August 1, 2023–December 31, 2024, from the FAA’s pass-rate report. The FAA labels this data preliminary. AIM Phoenix opened in January 2024 and UTI Avondale’s program launched in July 2023, so neither had graduates testing in that period. **Thrust’s rate is for its Texas campuses (34 tests); the Mesa campus is newer.

What A&P School Costs in Arizona

Community colleges

Maricopa Community Colleges kept tuition at $97 per credit for county residents in 2026-27, plus a $15 registration fee each semester. That puts Chandler-Gilbert’s 84-credit A&P certificate at $8,223. Out-of-state students pay $372 per credit ($31,323); residents of other Western states may qualify for the WUE rate of $145.50 ($12,297). Course fees and tools are not published and are extra.

Pima charges $103 per credit plus an aviation differential of $127.50 per credit, so its 58-credit certificate costs $13,429 in tuition and fees for Arizona residents. Pima lists $4,070 in aviation course fees on top of that, for $17,499. Its own cost sheet totals $19,034 including FAA exams and a drug screen.

West-MEC

West-MEC charges one rate regardless of residency: $26,952.50 for its 1,926-hour adult program, covering tuition ($15,889.50), lab fees, lab supplies, books and fees. Add a $50 application fee. FAA tests are extra. West-MEC accepts federal aid, the GI Bill and WIOA funding.

Private schools

UTI Avondale’s 2026-27 catalog lists $54,095 for the A&P program, including books, a laptop fee and lab and equipment fees. UTI subsidizes up to $2,000 in FAA test fees for graduates who meet its criteria. AIM does not publish current tuition; Arizona’s training-provider listing for AIM Phoenix shows $47,410 tuition plus $3,712 in fees, and $53,447 with books and tools. Thrust charges $39,539, including books, lab fees and tool rental, but accepts only private loans and 529 plans.

FAA exam fees

Pima lists $175 per written test and $325 per oral and practical section, $1,500 in all. Budget $1,500–$2,000 unless your school covers testing.

Arizona A&P Schools by Region

Metro Phoenix

Compare all Phoenix-area A&P schools side by side.

Aviation Institute of Maintenance – Phoenix

AIM opened its Phoenix campus at 4025 S 32nd St in January 2024, about 1.5 miles from Sky Harbor, with two hangars and seven aircraft. It offers only the 21-month Aviation Maintenance Technician certificate (78 credits), with day and evening classes and starts about every five weeks. It is ACCSC-accredited and accepts federal aid and VA benefits. Its first cohort tracked by ACCSC had 173 starts; completion and job-placement rates are not yet reportable.

Universal Technical Institute – Avondale

UTI added FAA-approved A&P training at its Avondale campus in July 2023. The Airframe & Powerplant Technician program covers 1,950 clock hours (69 credits) in 78 weeks, mixing hands-on labs with instructor-led online learning. UTI does not publish start dates; ask admissions.

Chandler-Gilbert Community College (Mesa)

Chandler-Gilbert trains at its Williams Campus on the former Williams Air Force Base, next to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. The AMT certificate takes five semesters; an AAS adds general education. It admits 50 students a semester in morning and afternoon cohorts, first come, first served, and keeps a waitlist that carries over between terms.

West-MEC (Glendale)

West-MEC’s Central Campus in Glendale houses its aviation program in a 40,900-square-foot hangar building. Adults attend evenings, Monday–Thursday, 6–10:30 p.m., for 117 weeks, which suits people who work days. The next cohort starts January 5, 2027. West-MEC also trains high school students in the same building.

Thrust Institute of Maintenance (Mesa)

Thrust, based in Texas, now runs a Mesa campus at Falcon Field. Its 10-month program is the fastest Part 147 option in Arizona, with day and night shifts and monthly starts (October 19, November 16 and December 21, 2026). Thrust is not accredited and does not accept federal aid or the GI Bill.

Southern Arizona

Pima Community College (Tucson)

Pima’s Aviation Technology Center at Tucson International Airport is the largest A&P training facility we found in Arizona: more than 97,000 square feet, two full-size hangars and 21 aircraft, including three Boeing 727s. The combined A&P certificate takes 16 months full-time (days, 7 a.m.–3:55 p.m.) or 28 months in the evening. Pima names Ascent Aviation Services, Bombardier, MHIRJ and SkyWest as employer partners. Pima also offers short certificates in structural repair, avionics and nondestructive testing; these do not lead to the A&P exams.

Already Have Aviation Experience?

With 30 months of documented maintenance experience (18 for a single rating), you can qualify for the FAA exams without a Part 147 school. America’s Best AMT Courses in Goodyear runs short test-prep courses for these candidates, such as a 12-day A&P course for about $2,215–$2,300, plus FAA test fees. It is not a Part 147 school.

How to Become an A&P Mechanic in Arizona

Complete a Part 147 program (10 months to about 2.5 years in Arizona), or document 30 months of hands-on maintenance experience.
Pass three written tests (General, Airframe, Powerplant) at an FAA-approved testing center.
Pass the oral and practical exams with a Designated Mechanic Examiner.
Receive your FAA Mechanic Certificate with Airframe and Powerplant ratings. You must be at least 18. Arizona has no separate state license.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest A&P school in Arizona?

Chandler-Gilbert Community College, at about $8,223 in tuition and fees for Maricopa County residents. Pima is about $13,429 for Arizona residents, or $17,499 with its aviation course fees.

What A&P schools are in Phoenix?

Aviation Institute of Maintenance (Phoenix), Universal Technical Institute (Avondale), Chandler-Gilbert Community College and Thrust Institute (both in Mesa) and West-MEC (Glendale). See the Phoenix comparison.

Does Embry-Riddle Prescott have an A&P program?

No. Embry-Riddle’s Aviation Maintenance Science degrees and Part 147 school are at its Daytona Beach, Florida, campus. Prescott focuses on flight, aerospace engineering and related fields.

Can I study A&P at night in Arizona?

Yes. West-MEC runs evenings only, Pima has a 28-month evening track, and AIM Phoenix and Thrust Mesa offer evening or night schedules.

How We Verify This Information

We check every figure against primary sources: each school’s 2026-27 catalog, tuition schedule and program pages; Arizona’s training-provider listings; ACCSC outcome disclosures for private schools; and the FAA’s pass-rate report. Where a school does not publish a figure, we say so. Totals are tuition plus mandatory fees for the full A&P path and exclude books, tools, housing and FAA exam fees unless noted. Verified October 1, 2026.