Updated October 5, 2026. Verified against school program and cost pages, ACCSC disclosures, New Jersey’s higher education and student aid lists, and FAA pass-rate data. How we verify.
New Jersey has one FAA-certificated A&P mechanic school that adults can attend: Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Hasbrouck Heights, next to Teterboro Airport. No New Jersey community college offers an A&P program. New Jersey residents can also train in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania or Delaware, where costs range from about $7,200 to $52,000.
Key Takeaways
- The only New Jersey school: AIM Hasbrouck Heights, a 21-month certificate in a 63,000-square-foot building with a 20,000-square-foot hangar; next start November 2, 2026.
- Results: AIM Hasbrouck Heights graduates passed 70.4% of FAA written tests; AIM reports 72% graduation and 72% employment.
- Cost: AIM’s latest published price is $52,077 in tuition and fees (2023-24). New Jersey’s Tuition Aid Grant does not apply; federal aid and the GI Bill do.
- Lowest cost nearby: Connecticut’s two state-run A&P schools charge $7,200 for the whole program, the same for out-of-state students, and post 88%–95% pass rates. Classes run weekdays, full-time.
- Pay: aircraft mechanics in the New York–Newark–Jersey City area averaged $95,780 a year, among the highest metro wages in the country (BLS, May 2023).
New Jersey A&P Options Compared
AIM Hasbrouck Heights is the only Part 147 school in New Jersey. The others below are the closest programs that accept New Jersey adults.
| School | Credential | Length and schedule | Cost for NJ residents | FAA pass rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aviation Institute of Maintenance – Hasbrouck Heights Hasbrouck Heights, NJ | AMT certificate (78 credits) | 21 months; day classes | $52,077 (2023-24, latest published) | 70.4% |
| Connecticut Aero Tech School Hartford, CT (about 2 hours) | A&P program (no degree) | 2 years; weekdays 7:25–2:15 | $7,200 total, same for out-of-state | 95.4% |
| Stratford School for Aviation Maintenance Technicians Stratford, CT (about 1.5 hours) | A&P program (no degree) | About 2 years; weekdays 7:40–2:30 | $7,200 total, same for out-of-state | 88.4% |
| Vaughn College Queens, NY | A&P certificate; can continue to an associate or bachelor’s degree | As few as 16 months | $10,975 per semester; about $43,900 for four semesters (our estimate) | 81.5% |
| Western Suffolk BOCES Republic Airport, Farmingdale, NY | A&P program (1,910 hours) | 5 semesters; day | $37,025 tuition (2025-26), tools included | Not in report |
| Dutchess Community College Poughkeepsie, NY | A&P certificate | 12 months, full-time | Nonresident tuition plus about $14,900 in fees | 86.2% |
| Aviation Institute of Maintenance – Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA | AMT certificate (78 credits) | 21 months; day or evening | $52,077 (2023-24) | 73.4% |
| Delaware Tech – Owens Campus Georgetown, DE | AAS (95 credits) | 5 semesters | About $30,550 for nonresidents (our estimate) | 8 of 9 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. Rates based on fewer than 20 tests are shown as counts.
Aviation Institute of Maintenance – Hasbrouck Heights
AIM’s Hasbrouck Heights campus at 459 Route 17 is the former Teterboro School of Aeronautics, founded in 1947 and part of AIM since 2019. In 2023 it moved from Teterboro Airport into a 62,798-square-foot building with a 20,000-square-foot hangar and 19 classrooms. NJ Transit buses 163 and 164 connect Route 17 in Hasbrouck Heights with the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan.
- Program: 21-month Aviation Maintenance Technician certificate (78 credits). The campus also runs a short exam-prep course for mechanics who qualify to test through work experience.
- Schedule: AIM’s campus page lists day classes. Ask admissions whether an evening section is running.
- Next start: November 2, 2026.
- Outcomes: 70.4% FAA pass rate (329 of 467 tests); 72% graduation and 72% employment for the 221 students who started in 2021-22, per AIM’s 2025 disclosures.
- Approvals: ACCSC accredited; approved by New Jersey’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
What it costs
AIM’s most recent cost sheet (2023-24) lists $47,410 tuition plus $4,667 in fees ($52,077), plus $1,050 for books and tools. With housing and living costs, AIM estimated $46,311 for one year at this campus, its highest of any location. Ask for a current enrollment agreement before you sign.
Why Students Choose AIM Hasbrouck Heights
Public options cost less, but none is in New Jersey. AIM is the only school that New Jersey residents can reach daily by car or bus, and its next class starts November 2, 2026. The campus sits beside Teterboro Airport, a business-jet hub, and about 20 minutes from United’s maintenance base at Newark.
Lower-Cost Options Near New Jersey
Connecticut: $7,200 for the full program
Connecticut’s state technical school system runs two adult A&P schools at airports: Connecticut Aero Tech at Hartford-Brainard Airport and Stratford School for Aviation Maintenance Technicians at Sikorsky Memorial Airport. Both charge $7,200 for the whole program, and the same rate applies to out-of-state students. Graduates passed 95.4% (Hartford) and 88.4% (Stratford) of FAA written tests.
- Schedule: full-time, weekdays from about 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., about two years, no summer classes. There is no evening option.
- Admission: high school diploma or GED and the ACCUPLACER placement test.
- Next deadline: October 15, 2026 is the priority deadline for December 2026 classes; the next starts are August 2027 and March 2028.
- Trade-off: from North Jersey, Stratford is about 1.5 hours each way by car, so most students would need to relocate.
New York
- Vaughn College (Queens, near LaGuardia): A&P certificate in as few as 16 months at $10,975 per semester, with credits that carry into associate and bachelor’s degrees; 81.5% FAA pass rate. Vaughn is private, so New Jersey residents pay the same rate as New Yorkers.
- Western Suffolk BOCES (Republic Airport, Long Island): an adult A&P program of 1,910 hours over five daytime semesters for $37,025, tools included.
- Dutchess Community College (Poughkeepsie): a 12-month full-time A&P certificate with 86.2% pass rate. New Jersey residents pay SUNY’s nonresident tuition, plus about $14,900 in lab fees, tools and exam fees.
- Hudson Valley Community College (Albany airport): a 12-month program with starts in January and June 2027; tuition not published.
- Not options: Aviation High School in Queens trains only New York City high school students, and Mohawk Valley Community College is closing its A&P program in January 2027.
South Jersey: Philadelphia and Delaware
From Camden, Cherry Hill or Trenton, AIM Philadelphia at Northeast Philadelphia Airport is about 30–40 minutes away, with day and evening classes and a 73.4% pass rate. Delaware Tech’s 95-credit associate degree in Georgetown, Delaware, costs nonresidents about $30,550 at its 2026-27 flat full-time rate of $5,884.50 per semester. See our Philadelphia comparison and Pennsylvania guide for details.
Paying for A&P School in New Jersey
- State grants: AIM Hasbrouck Heights is not on HESAA’s eligible-school list, so the Tuition Aid Grant, Community College Opportunity Grant and NJ STARS do not apply there. The New Jersey National Guard tuition benefit covers public colleges only.
- Workforce funds: AIM’s Hasbrouck Heights programs appear on My Career NJ, the state’s training-provider search. Ask your county One-Stop Career Center whether WIOA funding can cover them.
- Federal aid and military benefits: AIM accepts Pell Grants, federal loans, the GI Bill, military tuition assistance and vocational rehabilitation.
- Degree credit: Thomas Edison State University in Trenton awards up to 29 credits for an Airframe rating and up to 28 for a Powerplant rating toward its online aviation maintenance degrees.
Aviation Maintenance Jobs and Pay in New Jersey
Aircraft mechanics in the New York–Newark–Jersey City metro area earned a mean of $95,780 a year, compared with a national median of $75,020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2023). The area employed about 3,830 of them.
- Airlines: United runs a 90,000-square-foot widebody hangar at Newark Liberty, its New York-area hub.
- Business aviation: Teterboro Airport hosts repair stations such as Duncan Aviation, which does airframe and avionics work for business jets.
- Military and government: Naval Air Warfare Center Lakehurst employs more than 1,800 people; the 177th Fighter Wing in Atlantic City and the 108th Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst have aircraft maintenance units.
How to Become an A&P Mechanic in New Jersey
- Complete a Part 147 program (21 months at AIM Hasbrouck Heights), or document 30 months of hands-on experience on airframes and engines, a common route for military mechanics.
- 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. New Jersey has no separate state license.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many A&P schools are in New Jersey?
One that adults can attend: Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Hasbrouck Heights.
Does any New Jersey community college offer aviation maintenance?
No. Mercer County and Atlantic Cape offer flight, air traffic control and drone programs, and Bergen offers aviation administration, but none trains A&P mechanics, per the state’s degree directory.
What is the cheapest A&P school near New Jersey?
Connecticut’s state-run schools in Hartford and Stratford, at $7,200 for the full program for in-state and out-of-state students alike.
Can I use the Tuition Aid Grant at AIM?
No. AIM Hasbrouck Heights is not approved for New Jersey state grants. Federal aid, the GI Bill and WIOA training funds may apply.
Is Teterboro School of Aeronautics still open?
It is now Aviation Institute of Maintenance – Hasbrouck Heights. AIM bought the school in 2019 and moved it to Route 17 in 2023.
How We Verify This Information
We check every figure against primary sources: school program, cost and admissions pages; ACCSC outcome disclosures; New Jersey’s degree directory and HESAA eligibility list; the Bureau of Labor Statistics; and the FAA’s pass-rate report. Where a school does not publish a figure, we say so. Verified October 5, 2026.