Updated October 2, 2026. Verified against each school’s published program, cost and schedule information, BPPE disclosures and FAA pass-rate data.
The San Francisco Bay Area has one private A&P school, Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Fremont, and three community college programs: Gavilan College in San Martin, Solano Community College in Vacaville and College of Alameda, which has paused admissions. City College of San Francisco has suspended its program. Sacramento City College, about 90 minutes from Oakland, has the state’s best pass rate.
Key Takeaways
- Soonest start: AIM Fremont starts classes in November 2026, day or evening.
- Lowest cost: Solano (about $2,988) and Gavilan (about $3,348) for California residents.
- Paused or closed: College of Alameda is not accepting applications until 2028; City College of San Francisco’s program is suspended.
- Highest pass rate nearby: Sacramento City College, 100% (44 of 44 FAA written tests), evenings only.
- Bachelor’s pathway: San José State’s BS in Aviation, Maintenance Management accepts A&P graduates from Gavilan and other community colleges; it does not teach the A&P itself.
Bay Area A&P Schools Compared
| 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% |
| 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% |
| Sacramento City College McClellan Park | AMT certificate (67–70 units) | Summer + 4 semesters, evenings | $3,487 | Summer | 100% |
*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. Sacramento City College is in the Sacramento area.
What A&P School Costs in the Bay Area
AIM Fremont does not publish current tuition. Its latest California filing shows $53,087 in total charges for the AMT certificate (2024); AIM’s 2023-24 national sheet listed $52,077. AIM accepts federal aid, the GI Bill (including Yellow Ribbon) and offers a scholarship match of up to 10% of program charges.
Community colleges charge residents $46 per unit in 2026-27. Gavilan’s 70-unit path comes to about $3,348 with campus fees, plus about $500 for tools; Solano’s 62 units, about $2,988. Out-of-state students pay about $29,000.
The Schools
Aviation Institute of Maintenance – Fremont
AIM moved its Bay Area campus from Oakland to 420 Whitney Pl in Fremont in 2018; the FAA still lists it as the Oakland campus. The building has a large hangar and a composites lab, with piston and turbine engines.
- Program: 21-month Aviation Maintenance Technician certificate (78 credits, 2,040 clock hours), day or evening.
- Starts: November 2026.
- Outcomes: 73% on-time completion and 50% in-field placement for 2024 graduates, per its state fact sheet; ACCSC reports 63% graduation and 72% employment for its 2021-22 cohort. Graduates passed 76.2% of FAA written tests.
- Accreditation: ACCSC; approved by California’s BPPE.
Gavilan College (San Martin)
Gavilan trains days at San Martin Airport in southern Santa Clara County. The 70-unit, 1,900-hour program takes four semesters: General and Airframe in the first year, Powerplant in the second. Classes start in the fall; see a counselor and email the department before registering. Budget about $500 for tools.
Solano Community College (Vacaville)
Solano runs its aeronautics program from a hangar at Nut Tree Airport. The combined A&P certificate is 62 units; single-rating certificates are 41. Solano does not publish its class schedule online.
College of Alameda
College of Alameda trains at Oakland International Airport with evening classes and a 92.5% pass rate. In March 2026 it announced it is not accepting applications for two years because of demand.
Nearby: Sacramento City College
Sacramento City trains in the McClellan Hangar with a Boeing 727 and an engine test cell. Classes run evenings, 3:30–9:35 p.m., starting each summer, for about $3,487 for residents. Its graduates passed all 44 FAA written tests they took.