Michigan Aviation Mechanic Schools 2026-27: Costs & Pass Rates

Updated October 5, 2026. Verified against 2026-27 school catalogs, tuition schedules, ACCSC disclosures, Michigan aid rules and FAA pass-rate data. How we verify.

Michigan has six FAA-certificated A&P mechanic programs open to adults: Universal Technical Institute in Canton, Lansing Community College, Western Michigan University, Andrews University, the School of Missionary Aviation Technology in Ionia and Legacy Aviation Learning Center in Traverse City. Costs range from about $27,700 at Lansing CC for in-district students to $52,999 at UTI, and pass rates run from 78% to 95%.

Key Takeaways

Detroit area: UTI Canton is the only A&P school in metro Detroit. Its 20-month certificate costs $52,999 with books, and its next class starts October 28, 2026.
Lowest cost: Lansing Community College, about $27,700 for in-district students, with Michigan Reconnect covering in-district tuition for adults 21 and older. Its next cohort starts in August 2027.
Best pass rates: the School of Missionary Aviation Technology (94.6%) and Western Michigan University (93.2%).
Fastest: Legacy Aviation Learning Center (48 weeks, $42,350 including tools and all FAA exams) and SMAT (12 months).
Pay: Michigan aircraft mechanics earn a median of $74,900, and $75,940 in metro Detroit (BLS wage data via O*NET).

Compare schools by metro: Detroit-area A&P schools

Michigan A&P Schools Compared

Costs are tuition and mandatory fees for the full path to the General, Airframe and Powerplant exams for Michigan residents. Tools, books and FAA exam fees are extra unless noted.

School	Full A&P path	Length	Cost (Michigan residents)	Starts	FAA pass rate*
Universal Technical Institute – Canton Canton (Detroit area)	A&P certificate or AAS	20 months (certificate); 24 months (AAS)	$52,999 certificate, books included; $59,330 AAS	Several a year; next Oct 28, 2026	78.0%
Lansing Community College Mason Jewett Field, Mason	Airframe and Powerplant sequence (94 credits)	24 months	About $27,700 in-district; $43,500 out-of-district	Fall; next Aug 2027	86.6%
Western Michigan University W.K. Kellogg Airport, Battle Creek	BS Aviation Technical Operations; A&P after year 2	2 years to A&P; 4 for BS	About $37,000 to A&P; $70,200 for the BS (resident)	Fall	93.2%
School of Missionary Aviation Technology Ionia County Airport	AMT program (1,848 hours)	12 months	About $36,350 incl. tools and FAA exams (2025-26)	August; 30 seats	94.6%
Legacy Aviation Learning Center Traverse City	A&P program (1,650 hours)	48 weeks	$42,350 incl. tools and all FAA exams	August	New (2023)
Andrews University Andrews Airpark, Berrien Springs	AMT certificate, associate or bachelor’s	4 semesters for the certificate	About $28,980 non-credit route incl. tools; about $81,200 for credit	Fall	Too few tests

*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 Canton tests under its former name, MIAT College of Technology. Andrews (3 tests) and Legacy (2 tests) had too few results to compare.

What A&P School Costs in Michigan

Lansing CC charges $122 per billing hour in-district, $244 for other Michigan residents and $366 out-of-state in 2026-27, plus a $15-per-hour support fee. The full A&P sequence is 129.25 billing hours, and the college’s course fees add $9,847, so we estimate about $27,700 in-district, $43,500 out-of-district and $59,200 out-of-state. Tools are extra.

Western Michigan charges a flat $8,226 per semester for Michigan residents ($10,477 for nonresidents) in 2026-27. Four semesters to A&P eligibility plus $3,799 in aviation lab fees come to about $37,000; the full bachelor’s degree is about $70,200.

UTI Canton lists $52,999 for the A&P certificate and $59,330 for the AAS at rates effective August 2026, per its campus catalog. UTI also pays up to $2,000 toward FAA written tests for graduates who meet its study requirements.

Andrews University offers a non-credit A&P option for a $25,480 program fee, lab fees included, plus a required $3,500 tool set. Taking the same courses for college credit at Andrews’ 2026-27 tuition of $18,216 per semester costs about $81,200.

SMAT charged $32,000 for tuition and labs in 2025-26, about $36,350 with tools, FAA exams and registration, per its catalog. Legacy charges $42,350 for 2026-27, including a toolkit, all FAA written, oral and practical exams and test prep.

Michigan aid

Michigan Reconnect: adults 21 and older who have lived in Michigan for a year and have no college degree get in-district community college tuition and fees covered, after Pell. It covers only part of the cost at an out-of-district college and does not apply to private schools.
Michigan Achievement Scholarship: recent high school graduates (class of 2023 or later) can get up to $5,500 a year at public universities and private nonprofit colleges such as WMU and Andrews, or tuition-free community college, per the state. A career training award of up to $2,000 a year applies only to programs on the state’s eligible list; ask the school.
Federal aid and VA: UTI, the public colleges, Andrews and SMAT accept federal aid; Legacy offers a student loan through a local credit union.

Michigan A&P Schools by Region

Detroit area

Compare Detroit-area options, including Toledo.

Universal Technical Institute – Canton

UTI took over MIAT College of Technology in 2021 and runs its Canton campus at 2955 S. Haggerty Road. Students choose the 20-month Airframe and Powerplant Technician certificate (2,040 hours) or a 24-month AAS (2,280 hours) that adds general education online. Graduates passed 78.0% of FAA written tests; the certificate’s 2021-22 cohort reported 54% graduation and 72% employment, and the AAS 90% and 71%.

Why Students Choose UTI Canton

Michigan’s public programs cost less, but UTI Canton is the only A&P school in metro Detroit, and it starts classes several times a year, so you will not wait for a once-a-year cohort. Books are included in the certificate price, UTI covers up to $2,000 in FAA test fees for qualifying graduates, and its Hawaiian Airlines partnership offers interviews and sign-on bonuses for hired graduates.

Mid-Michigan

Lansing Community College (Mason)

LCC’s Aviation Technology Center at Mason Jewett Field runs a 24-month day program, 5.5 hours a day, five days a week. Students complete a six-semester sequence to qualify for all three FAA exams, earning Airframe and Powerplant associate degrees along the way. Admission requires department approval, and the next cohort begins August 26, 2027. LCC is a Delta Air Lines partner school, and graduates passed 86.6% of FAA written tests.

School of Missionary Aviation Technology (Ionia)

SMAT trains mechanics for missionary aviation at Ionia County Airport but is open to all students. Its 12-month, 1,848-hour program is 60% lab work, with one class of up to 30 starting each August. Graduates passed 94.6% of FAA written tests, the best result in Michigan. SMAT accepts federal aid and VA benefits and asks applicants for a spiritual reference.

West and Southwest Michigan

Western Michigan University (Battle Creek)

WMU’s Aviation Technical Operations bachelor’s degree is taught at the College of Aviation at W.K. Kellogg Airport in Battle Creek. Students qualify for the A&P exams after about two years and can finish the BS in four. Partners include Delta, United, FedEx, Duncan Aviation and AAR, and graduates passed 93.2% of FAA written tests.

Andrews University (Berrien Springs)

Andrews, a Seventh-day Adventist university, trains mechanics at its on-campus airpark and gives FAA exams on site. The AMT certificate takes four semesters, with Airframe and Powerplant taught in alternating years, and can be part of an associate or bachelor’s degree. Students start in the fall and need a separate aviation application.

Northern Michigan

Legacy Aviation Learning Center (Traverse City)

Legacy, a nonprofit next to Cherry Capital Airport, earned FAA certification in November 2023. Its 1,650-hour program runs 48 weeks, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the $42,350 price includes a toolkit and every FAA exam. Legacy has a career pathway agreement with AAR, a major repair company. It is too new for meaningful FAA pass-rate data.

Other routes

Kalitta Air apprenticeship: Kalitta’s registered apprenticeship in Oscoda pays apprentices while they train toward the A&P exams over about two and a half years.
Coming in 2027: a new aviation maintenance school at Jackson County Airport, free for high school juniors and seniors, is expected to open in fall 2027 pending FAA approval.
Wayne County Community College lists an airframe and powerplant program at its Downriver campus, but it does not appear in FAA testing data. Confirm FAA approval and enrollment before applying.

Aviation Maintenance Jobs and Pay in Michigan

Michigan aircraft mechanics earn a median of $74,900 a year; the middle 80% earn $48,180–$118,100, and the Detroit-area median is $75,940, per BLS wage data published by O*NET. The national median is $79,870 (BLS, May 2025).

Airlines: Detroit Metro is a Delta hub, and Delta lists Lansing CC and WMU as partner schools.
Cargo and repair: Kalitta Air runs its operations from Willow Run Airport and a maintenance base in Oscoda; Duncan Aviation services business jets in a 545,000-square-foot facility in Battle Creek.
Military: the 127th Wing at Selfridge Air National Guard Base is replacing its A-10s with F-15EXs from 2028 and KC-135s with KC-46s from 2030.

How to Become an A&P Mechanic in Michigan

Complete a Part 147 program (12 months to two years in Michigan), or document 30 months of hands-on experience on airframes and engines.
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. Michigan does not license aircraft mechanics separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many A&P schools are in Michigan?

Six FAA-certificated programs are open to adults: UTI Canton, Lansing CC, Western Michigan University, Andrews University, the School of Missionary Aviation Technology and Legacy Aviation Learning Center.

What is the cheapest A&P school in Michigan?

Lansing Community College, about $27,700 for in-district students, and Michigan Reconnect can cover in-district tuition for eligible adults. Andrews University’s non-credit route costs about $29,000 including tools for anyone.

Is there an A&P school in Detroit?

Universal Technical Institute in Canton, the former MIAT, is the only one in metro Detroit. Federal Aerospace Institute at Toledo Express Airport in Ohio is about an hour away.

Which Michigan school has the best pass rate?

The School of Missionary Aviation Technology in Ionia (94.6%), followed by Western Michigan University (93.2%).

Can I use Michigan Reconnect for A&P school?

Yes, at Lansing Community College. Reconnect covers in-district community college tuition for adults 21 and older; it does not apply to UTI or other private schools.

How We Verify This Information

We check every figure against primary sources: each school’s 2026-27 catalog, tuition schedule and program pages; ACCSC outcome disclosures for private schools; Michigan aid program rules; and the FAA’s pass-rate report. Where a school does not publish a figure, we say so or show our estimate. Totals are tuition plus mandatory fees for the full A&P path and exclude housing. Verified October 5, 2026.