Updated October 2, 2026. Verified against 2026-27 college catalogs and fee schedules, private-school catalog supplements, state BPPE disclosures and FAA pass-rate data. How we verify.
California has 21 FAA-certificated A&P mechanic programs open to adults, more than most states: 14 community colleges, a tuition-free LAUSD adult school and six private campuses. Community colleges charge California residents $46 per unit, so the full Airframe and Powerplant path costs about $2,300–$3,900 in tuition and fees. Private schools run $34,000–$57,000.
Key Takeaways
- Lowest cost: Cuesta College’s 48-unit A&P certificate costs about $2,292 for residents. Most community colleges fall between $2,800 and $3,900. The LAUSD North Valley Occupational Center is tuition-free but has a two-year waitlist.
- Fastest: Spartan College in Riverside (15 months), San Joaquin Valley College (as few as 14 months) and California Aeronautical University (75 weeks).
- Soonest starts: AIM Fremont starts in November 2026; Spartan starts six times a year (next November 16 in Inglewood, November 30 in Riverside); UTI Long Beach lists October and December starts.
- Highest FAA pass rates: Sacramento City College (100%, 44 of 44 tests), North Valley Occupational Center (97.5%), Mt. San Antonio College (94.4%) and California Aeronautical University (94.3%).
- Check before you plan: College of Alameda is not accepting applications for two years (from March 2026), Mt. SAC’s next application window is April 2027, and City College of San Francisco has suspended its program.
Compare schools by metro: Los Angeles area A&P schools · San Francisco Bay Area A&P schools
California A&P Schools Compared
Schools are grouped by region. Costs are tuition plus mandatory fees for the full path to the General, Airframe and Powerplant exams. Community college figures use the resident rate; tools, books 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 – Fremont Fremont | AMT certificate (78 credits) | 21 months | $53,087 (2024 total charges, latest published) | November 2026 | 76.2% |
| Universal Technical Institute – Long Beach Long Beach | Aviation Maintenance Technology AOS (69 credits) | 78 weeks (about 18 months) | $53,595 | October and December 2026 | Not yet in FAA data |
| Spartan College – Los Angeles Inglewood, near LAX | A&P diploma (93 credits) | 18 months | $57,096 (includes tools, books) | 6 a year; next Nov 16, 2026 | 85.4% |
| West Los Angeles College Culver City, near LAX | Aviation Maintenance Technician AS or certificates | Not published | $46 per unit (unit total not published) | Not published | 90.8% |
| North Valley Occupational Center (LAUSD) Van Nuys | Aircraft Mechanic Technician (2,340 hours) | About 2 years, days | Tuition-free (supplies extra) | Two-year waitlist | 97.5% |
| Mt. San Antonio College Walnut | A&P AS, evening (63.5 units) or day (67.5) | About 24 months evening; 21 day | $3,129 (evening) | Fall only; next Fall 2027 | 94.4% |
| Orange Coast College Costa Mesa | A&P certificate (63 units) | 6 terms (about 2 years) | $3,033 | Open enrollment | 88.6% |
| Antelope Valley College Lancaster | A&P coursework (75 units) | 2 years with summers | $3,558 | Summer | Too few tests |
| Spartan College – Inland Empire Riverside, Flabob Airport | AMT diploma (60 credits) | 15 months | $51,237 (includes tools, books) | 6 a year; next Nov 30, 2026 | 83.0% |
| Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga | A&P Technician certificate (about 53 units) | About 18 months | About $2,500 | Not published | 91.4% |
| Victor Valley College Victorville, SCLA airport | AMT AS (82 major units) | 18 months to 2 years, year-round | $3,884 | Apply any time | 82.4% |
| San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino | AMT certificate (58 units) | 2 years | $2,780 | Not published | 76.5% |
| San Diego Miramar College San Diego | A&P certificate (78 units) | 5 semesters | $3,713 | Fall or spring | 89.5% |
| California Aeronautical University Bakersfield, Meadows Field | AMT diploma (90 credits) | 75 weeks (about 17 months) | $34,160 (2024 total charges, latest published) | Year-round | 94.3% |
| San Joaquin Valley College Fresno | AMT certificate (61 units) | 14+ months | $41,050 | About every 5 weeks | 54.0% |
| Reedley College Reedley Municipal Airport | AMT certificate | About 24 months | About $9,617 all-in (includes $4,800 tool kit) | Not published | 85.1% |
| Cuesta College San Luis Obispo airport | A&P certificate (48 units) | 4 semesters | $2,292 | Each spring; next Spring 2027 (day) | 89.7% |
| Sacramento City College McClellan Park | AMT certificate (67–70 units) | Summer + 4 semesters, evenings | $3,487 | Summer | 100% |
| Gavilan College San Martin Airport | Airframe + Powerplant (70 units) | 4 semesters, days | $3,348 | Fall | 81.8% |
| Solano Community College Vacaville, Nut Tree Airport | A&P certificate (62 units) | Not published | $2,988 | Not published | 76.5% |
| College of Alameda Oakland airport | Airframe + Powerplant (75 units) | 2 years, evenings | $3,792 | Not accepting applications until 2028 | 92.5% |
*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. UTI Long Beach launched in 2023 and had no graduates testing in that period. Community college totals are 2026-27 resident fees ($46 per unit) plus mandatory campus fees; private-school figures are full program charges.
What A&P School Costs in California
Community colleges
Every California community college charges residents $46 per unit in 2026-27, and eligible students can have that waived through the California College Promise Grant. Programs run 48 to 82 units, so tuition ranges from $2,208 (Cuesta) to $3,772 (Victor Valley), plus about $70–$350 in health and other campus fees over the program. Tools are where costs differ most: Mt. SAC, Cuesta and Antelope Valley provide them, while Reedley runs a tool-ownership program that adds $4,800 in lab fees (students keep a kit worth about $9,000).
Out-of-state students pay $330–$614 per unit depending on the district, about $21,000–$38,000 for the full path. Cuesta ($21,108) and Chaffey (about $24,400) are the lowest.
North Valley Occupational Center
LAUSD’s adult school in Van Nuys runs a tuition-free 2,340-hour program; students pay only for supplies, books and materials. The catch is a waitlist of at least two years and a math assessment.
Private schools
Spartan’s 2026 catalog supplements list $57,096 for the Inglewood A&P diploma and $51,237 for the Riverside diploma, both including tools, books and first-attempt FAA test fees. UTI Long Beach’s 2026-27 catalog lists $53,595, and UTI subsidizes up to $2,000 in FAA test fees. AIM does not publish current tuition; its latest state filing shows $53,087 in total charges for 2024. California Aeronautical University’s latest filing shows $34,160 for its AMT diploma (2024), and San Joaquin Valley College lists $41,050.
FAA exam fees
Most public programs do not include testing. Budget about $1,500–$2,500 for the three written tests and the oral and practical exams. Spartan and CAU include first-attempt written tests; UTI subsidizes testing.
California A&P Schools by Region
Los Angeles and Orange County
Compare all Los Angeles-area A&P schools side by side, including the Inland Empire.
Universal Technical Institute – Long Beach
UTI added aviation at its Long Beach campus at 4175 E Conant St in 2023 and graduated its first class in June 2025. The Aviation Maintenance Technology program (an associate of occupational studies) covers 1,950 clock hours in 78 weeks, with hands-on labs and instructor-led online coursework. It is too new for FAA pass-rate or state outcome data.
Spartan College – Los Angeles (Inglewood)
Spartan trains about a mile from LAX at 8911 Aviation Blvd, with about 100,000 square feet of space. The 18-month A&P diploma runs day (7:30 a.m.–1:45 p.m.) or night (5:30–11:45 p.m.) shifts with six starts a year; a 22-month associate degree adds general education. Spartan reports 76% completion and 72% job placement for its 2024-25 diploma cohort. It is accredited by COE.
West Los Angeles College
West LA College has trained mechanics since 1974 at its Aviation Technology Complex in Culver City, near LAX. It offers day and evening sections, an American Airlines partnership with mentoring and guaranteed interviews for top students, and a bachelor’s in avionics. Its graduates passed 90.8% of FAA written tests. The college does not publish unit totals online.
North Valley Occupational Center (Van Nuys)
This LAUSD adult school trains near Van Nuys Airport, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–3 p.m., over about two years. It is tuition-free, and graduates passed 39 of 40 FAA written tests. Expect a wait of two years or more.
Mt. San Antonio College (Walnut)
Mt. SAC runs separate day (67.5 units, about 21 months) and evening (63.5 units, about 24 months) A&P tracks and supplies all tools. It admits one class a year, in the fall, through an April orientation and math exam; the Fall 2026 class is full, so the next window opens in April 2027.
Orange Coast College (Costa Mesa)
OCC’s 63-unit A&P certificate takes about two years, with open enrollment and courses that can start in any term. It also offers avionics and helicopter maintenance certificates.
Antelope Valley College (Lancaster)
AVC’s 75-unit A&P coursework runs two years, starting in summer, with some labs at Barnes Aviation. The college says Northrop Grumman looks to its graduates for local hires. Very few AVC students took FAA tests in the latest reporting period.
Inland Empire and High Desert
Spartan College – Inland Empire (Riverside)
Spartan’s Riverside campus sits on Flabob Airport, with 38,000 square feet of labs and hangar. Its 15-month diploma is the fastest program in Southern California, with day and night shifts.
Chaffey College (Rancho Cucamonga)
Chaffey trains at its Rancho Cucamonga campus and added night classes in 2024-25. Its graduates passed 91.4% of FAA written tests. Unit totals come from the class schedule; the college’s online catalog does not show them.
Victor Valley College (Victorville)
Victor Valley trains at the Southern California Logistics Airport, the former George Air Force Base. The program runs year-round and you can apply any time; the college lists $3,772 in enrollment fees for the 82 units.
San Bernardino Valley College
SBVC began FAA-certificated classes in 2022, partnering with Certified Aviation Services. Its 58-unit certificate takes two years.
San Diego
San Diego Miramar College
Miramar trains on campus and at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport, with day (7 a.m.–1:30 p.m.) and evening (4:30–11 p.m.) tracks and fall and spring starts. The 78-unit program takes five semesters; the college estimates about $5,000 in total resident costs including tools. It is San Diego’s only Part 147 school.
Central Valley and Central Coast
California Aeronautical University (Bakersfield)
CAU trains in a 32,000-square-foot hangar at Meadows Field. Its 90-credit AMT diploma runs year-round in about 17 months, and graduates receive a 263-piece tool kit. Graduates passed 94.3% of FAA written tests.
San Joaquin Valley College (Fresno)
SJVC’s AMT program at its Fresno Trades Education Center starts about every five weeks and has a SkyWest Airlines partnership. Its FAA pass rate, 54.0%, is the lowest in California.
Reedley College
Reedley has been FAA-certificated since 1948 and trains at Reedley Municipal Airport, with FAA testing on site. Its tool-ownership program raises the cost but leaves graduates with a full kit.
Cuesta College (San Luis Obispo)
Cuesta trains at San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport with Bombardier service center ACI Jet as a partner. A new cohort starts each spring, alternating between day and night classes; Spring 2027 is a day cohort.
Bay Area and Sacramento
Aviation Institute of Maintenance – Fremont
AIM moved its Bay Area campus from Oakland to 420 Whitney Pl in Fremont in 2018. The 21-month AMT certificate runs day or evening, with November 2026 starts. AIM reports 63% graduation and 72% employment for its 2021-22 cohort; graduates passed 76.2% of FAA written tests.
Sacramento City College
Sacramento City trains in the McClellan Hangar at the former McClellan Air Force Base, with a Boeing 727 and an engine test cell. Classes run evenings, 3:30–9:35 p.m., starting each summer. Its graduates passed all 44 FAA written tests they took from August 2023 to December 2024.
Gavilan, Solano and College of Alameda
Gavilan College trains days at San Martin Airport (70 units, four semesters). Solano Community College runs its 62-unit program from a hangar at Nut Tree Airport in Vacaville. College of Alameda, at Oakland International Airport, has a 92.5% pass rate but is not accepting new applicants until 2028.
How to Become an A&P Mechanic in California
- Complete a Part 147 program (14 months to about 2.5 years in California), 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. California has no separate state license.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest A&P school in California?
North Valley Occupational Center in Van Nuys is tuition-free but has a two-year wait. Among community colleges, Cuesta College (about $2,292) and Chaffey College (about $2,500) cost the least for residents.
What A&P schools are in Los Angeles?
UTI (Long Beach), Spartan (Inglewood), West Los Angeles College, North Valley Occupational Center, Mt. San Antonio College, Orange Coast College and Antelope Valley College, plus four Inland Empire schools. See the Los Angeles comparison.
What A&P schools are in the Bay Area?
Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Fremont, Gavilan College in San Martin and Solano Community College in Vacaville. College of Alameda has paused admissions, and City College of San Francisco has suspended its program. See the Bay Area comparison.
Which California A&P school has the best pass rate?
Sacramento City College (100%), North Valley Occupational Center (97.5%), Mt. San Antonio College (94.4%) and California Aeronautical University (94.3%) led for August 2023–December 2024.
Can I get A&P training at night in California?
Yes. Sacramento City College runs evenings only; Mt. SAC, Miramar, West LA, Spartan and AIM offer evening or night tracks; Cuesta alternates day and night cohorts by year.
How We Verify This Information
We check every figure against primary sources: each college’s 2026-27 catalog and fee schedule; private schools’ catalog supplements and California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) filings; accreditor outcome disclosures; 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 2, 2026.
Sources
- FAA AMTS pass rates by exam, Aug 2023–Dec 2024
- Los Rios Community College District – 2026-27 tuition and fees
- Spartan College Los Angeles – 2026 catalog supplement
- Spartan College Inland Empire – 2026 catalog supplement
- UTI Long Beach campus catalog
- BPPE 2024 annual report – AIM Fremont
- BPPE 2024 annual report – California Aeronautical University
- Mt. San Antonio College – Aircraft Maintenance Technology catalog
- Cuesta College – Aviation Maintenance Technology
- College of Alameda – Aviation Maintenance Technology