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

Updated September 30, 2026. Verified against 2026-27 school catalogs, tuition schedules and FAA pass-rate data. How we verify.

Texas has more A&P mechanic schools than almost any other state. The FAA’s latest pass-rate report lists 15 certificated Texas school programs, and Texarkana College, Dallas College and Universal Technical Institute’s San Antonio and Dallas–Fort Worth campuses have added programs since. Community colleges charge as little as $74 per credit hour for local residents, while private schools in Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio cost $36,000–$54,000 but finish faster and start more often.

Key takeaways

Cheapest route: Texarkana College’s 45-credit A&P certificate costs $7,485 for in-district students, including course fees. St. Philip’s College (about $8,000 at 2024 rates) and Del Mar College ($9,416) are also under $10,000 for local residents.
Fastest: U.S. Aviation Academy in Denton runs an 8-month full-time schedule. Thrust Institute takes 10 months, Texarkana College about 12.
Most starts: Aviation Institute of Maintenance (Irving and Houston), Hallmark University and Thrust Institute enroll new classes throughout the year. Tarrant County College and Del Mar use waitlists.
Highest FAA pass rates: Midland College (100% on 94 tests), Amarillo College (96.4%) and one TSTC campus (96.1%) for Aug 2023–Dec 2024.
Watch the fine print: Southwest Texas College trains for the General and Airframe exams only, and Houston Community College’s program is still awaiting FAA approval.
New private options: Universal Technical Institute now lists its 78-week aviation maintenance degree at San Antonio ($51,900) and Dallas–Fort Worth ($53,095), alongside its established Houston program.

Compare schools by metro: Dallas–Fort Worth A&P schools · Houston A&P schools

Texas A&P schools compared

Costs are tuition plus mandatory fees for the full path to both the Airframe and Powerplant exams, at the in-district or Texas-resident rate. Books, tools, housing and FAA exam fees are extra.

School	Full A&P path	Length	Tuition + fees (in-district)	Starts	FAA pass rate*
Aviation Institute of Maintenance – Dallas Irving	AMT certificate (78 credits)	21 months	$16,757 per year (federal data); program total not published	Next start Nov 2, 2026	76.3%
Aviation Institute of Maintenance – Houston Houston (near Hobby)	AMT certificate (78 credits)	21 months	$52,077 tuition + fees (2023-24, latest published)	Next start Nov 2, 2026	89.3%
Universal Technical Institute – Houston Houston	A&P Technician diploma (1,950 clock hours)	78 weeks (about 18 months)	$53,495	Set at enrollment	85.9%
Universal Technical Institute – Dallas–Fort Worth Irving	AMT associate degree (69 credits)	78 weeks	$53,095	Not published	New program
Universal Technical Institute – San Antonio San Antonio	AMT associate degree (69 credits)	78 weeks	$51,900	Opened 2026	New program
U.S. Aviation Academy Denton	A&P program	8, 13 or 16 months	About $36,000 all-in (school-reported)	Not published	77.3%
Thrust Institute of Maintenance Addison, Burleson, Conroe	AMT program	10 months	$39,539 incl. books and tool rental	Monthly	97.1% (34 tests)
Hallmark University San Antonio	AAS Airframe & Powerplant (96 credits)	16 months	$43,110 (tuition + lab fee, Oct 2024 schedule)	Every 8 weeks	88.7%
Tarrant County College Fort Worth (Alliance)	Airframe and Powerplant credentials	2 years day, 3 years evening	$74/credit in-district; A&P total not published	Waitlist (about 1 year)	88.4%
Dallas College Dallas Executive Airport	General, Airframe and Powerplant (non-credit)	13 months; 24-month evening option	$24,864 (in-county)	Applications May 22–Dec 18, 2026	New program
North Central Texas College Taught at USAA, Denton	Airframe + Powerplant certificates	Not clearly stated	$34,062 (42 aviation credits at $811)	Fall, spring, summer	Tests under USAA
Texarkana College Texarkana Regional Airport	Certificate of Graduation (45 credits)	3 semesters, about 12 months	$7,485	Every semester	New program
Texas State Technical College Waco, Abilene, Harlingen	Airframe AAS + Powerplant	Not clearly stated	$307/credit (Texas residents); total not published	Not published	83.0%–96.1% by campus
St. Philip’s College San Antonio	Airframe + Powerplant Level 2 certificates (73 credits)	Not clearly stated	About $7,957 at the Fall 2024 in-district rate	Not published	86.9%
Del Mar College Corpus Christi	Airframe + Powerplant Level II certificates (81 credits)	18 months full-time, 36 part-time	$9,416	Waitlist	Too few tests to rate
Amarillo College Amarillo	Airframe + Powerplant certificates	21 months	$89/credit in-district (2023 rate); total not published	Not published	96.4%
Midland College Midland International airport	Airframe + Powerplant certificates	18 months	About $106/credit in-district; total not published	Not published	100%
LeTourneau University Longview	BS Aviation Maintenance Science (125 credits)	4 years	$158,656 tuition + required fees before aid	Not published	89.2%

*Combined General, Airframe and Powerplant written-test pass rate, Aug 1, 2023–Dec 31, 2024, from the FAA’s AMTS pass-rate report. The FAA labels this data preliminary. TSTC holds three certificates; the campus for each is not published. Dallas College and Texarkana College started too recently to appear. North Central Texas College students test under U.S. Aviation Academy’s certificate.

What A&P school costs in Texas

Community colleges

Texas community colleges charge three rates: in-district (you live in the college’s taxing district), out-of-district (elsewhere in Texas) and out-of-state. The gap is large. At Del Mar College, the 81-credit A&P path costs $9,416 in-district, $13,466 out-of-district and $16,463 out-of-state. At Texarkana College, the totals are $7,485, $10,185 and $12,840.

Many programs split the A&P path into separate Airframe and Powerplant certificates or degrees. Check that the credential you pick covers both. Tarrant County College’s $4,440 figure, for example, is for one 60-credit degree, Airframe or Powerplant, not both.

Texas State Technical College

TSTC charges one rate for all Texas residents: $307 per credit hour in 2026-27 for aviation programs, and $461 for non-residents. There is no per-semester cap. TSTC’s Money-Back Guarantee refunds out-of-pocket tuition if a qualifying graduate has no job offer within six months.

Private schools

Private schools charge a program price, run year-round and accept federal aid (except Thrust). UTI Houston lists $53,495 for students enrolling from August 2026; UTI’s newer San Antonio and Dallas–Fort Worth campuses list $51,900 and $53,095 for a 78-week associate degree, books included. AIM does not publish current program tuition; its Houston campus last published $52,077 in tuition and fees (2023-24), and federal data put AIM Dallas at $16,757 per year. U.S. Aviation Academy advertises about $36,000, including tool use, digital books and first FAA exam attempts. Thrust Institute charges $39,539 but does not accept federal aid or the GI Bill.

FAA exam fees

Most programs do not include FAA testing. Budget roughly $500–$600 for the three written tests and $1,000–$1,600 or more for the oral and practical exam. These are typical ranges, not official FAA fees. U.S. Aviation Academy includes first attempts, and UTI subsidizes up to $2,000 for students who meet its criteria.

Texas A&P schools by region

Dallas–Fort Worth

Compare all Dallas–Fort Worth A&P schools side by side.

Aviation Institute of Maintenance – Dallas (Irving)

AIM’s Irving campus on Airport Freeway has a 55,000-square-foot facility with a hangar, avionics lab and FAA testing center.

Program: 21-month Aviation Maintenance Technician certificate (78 credits), with day, evening and weekend classes.
Aid: ACCSC-accredited; federal aid, Post-9/11 GI Bill and military tuition assistance.
Outcomes: 52% graduation and 70% employment for the 2021-22 AMT cohort (school’s 2025 ACCSC disclosure).

Tarrant County College (Fort Worth)

TCC trains at its Northwest Center of Excellence for Aviation at Alliance Airport and signed a recruiting agreement with American Airlines in June 2026.

Cost: $74 per credit in-district, $136 out-of-district, $315 out-of-state (Fall 2026).
Schedule: day (Mon–Fri, about 2 years) or evening (Mon–Thu, about 3 years).
Admission: information session, application and a waitlist that typically runs about a year.

U.S. Aviation Academy (Denton)

USAA trains at Denton Enterprise Airport and runs its own repair station on site. It also teaches the aviation courses for North Central Texas College students.

Schedules: 8 months full-time, 13 months weekends or 16 months evenings.
Cost: about $36,000 all-in; avionics add-on $4,000.
Aid: VA-approved at Denton; federal aid not confirmed.
Pass rate: 77.3% combined; its 68.5% Airframe rate is the lowest among Texas schools with large test volumes.

Dallas College

Dallas College launched a non-credit A&P program at its Dallas Executive Airport hangar in 2025 and graduated its first 14 students in June 2026. The General, Airframe and Powerplant certificates total $24,864 for Dallas County residents over 13 months. Current cohorts are full. The college does not state its FAA certificate number, and federal aid eligibility for this non-credit program is unconfirmed.

Thrust Institute of Maintenance (Addison and Fort Worth)

Thrust opened in 2023 at Addison Airport and Fort Worth Spinks Airport, with a third Texas site in Conroe. The 10-month program runs day or night shifts and starts monthly for $39,539. It is not accredited and accepts only private loans and 529 plans.

North Central Texas College

NCTC offers college-credit Airframe and Powerplant certificates and an AAS, with aviation courses taught by U.S. Aviation Academy in Denton. Aviation credits cost $811 each, far above NCTC’s regular rate, and the combined certificates total $34,062. The appeal is federal financial aid eligibility through the college.

Universal Technical Institute – Dallas–Fort Worth

UTI’s Dallas–Fort Worth campus lists its 78-week Aviation Maintenance Technology associate degree (69 credits, 1,950 hours) at $53,095 for 2026-27, books included. UTI’s website gives the address as 5151 Regent Blvd, Irving, and the company has announced a new aviation facility in Coppell. Confirm the location, start date and FAA approval status before enrolling.

Houston

Compare all Houston A&P schools side by side.

Aviation Institute of Maintenance – Houston

AIM Houston sits on Airport Boulevard near Hobby Airport, with an 18,000-square-foot hangar.

Program: 21-month AMT certificate (78 credits), day and evening.
Outcomes: 74% graduation and 75% employment for the 2021-22 cohort, and an 89.3% FAA pass rate.
Aid: ACCSC-accredited; federal aid and VA benefits.

Universal Technical Institute – Houston

UTI’s North Houston campus offers an Airframe & Powerplant Technician diploma: 1,950 clock hours over about 18 months.

Cost: $52,520 tuition plus registration, lab, equipment and laptop fees, $53,495 total.
FAA exams: UTI covers up to $2,000 in test fees for graduates who meet GPA and practice-test criteria and test within 120 days.
Pass rate: 85.9% combined.

Coming soon: Houston Community College is developing an A&P program at its North Forest campus but does not yet have FAA Part 147 approval. San Jacinto College and Lone Star College do not offer A&P training.

San Antonio and South Texas

Hallmark University (San Antonio)

Hallmark trains at Port San Antonio and tests more A&P students than any other Texas school: 982 FAA exams in the latest report, with an 88.7% pass rate.

Programs: 16-month AAS in Airframe & Powerplant (96 credits), or 10-month Airframe-only or Powerplant-only AAS degrees. Bachelor’s completion in Aviation Maintenance Management.
Schedule: 8-week terms with six starts per year; day and evening classes.
Cost: $435 per credit on its published fee schedule ($41,760 tuition for the A&P degree), plus lab and technology fees. Military students pay $250 per credit.

Universal Technical Institute – San Antonio

UTI opened its San Antonio campus at 5776 Stemmons Dr in 2026. It offers the 78-week Aviation Maintenance Technology associate degree (69 credits) for $51,900, books included, and the catalog lists the program as VA-eligible. UTI covers up to $2,000 in FAA written-test fees for graduates who meet its study criteria and test within 120 days. The program is too new for FAA pass-rate data.

St. Philip’s College (San Antonio)

St. Philip’s trains at its Aircraft Technology Center on the former Kelly Air Force Base. Both Level 2 certificates together total 73 credits. At the last published in-district rate ($109 per credit, Fall 2024) that is about $7,957. The program is on San Antonio’s Ready to Work list, which can cover tuition for eligible city residents.

Del Mar College (Corpus Christi)

Del Mar trains at its Windward Campus and Corpus Christi International Airport. Full-time students attend Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., for about 18 months; part-time takes 36. Admission is by waitlist, and tools cost about $850. Only five FAA tests were recorded in the latest report, too few to judge.

TSTC Harlingen

TSTC’s Harlingen campus offers the same Airframe and Powerplant programs as Waco and Abilene. See the TSTC section below for cost.

Not a full A&P option: Southwest Texas College in Del Rio is FAA-approved for General and Airframe training only. Graduates would need a Powerplant program elsewhere to earn both ratings.

Central, West Texas and the Panhandle

Texas State Technical College (Waco and Abilene)

TSTC Waco trains at the Connally Aerospace Center beside TSTC’s own 8,600-foot-runway airport. Abilene is near Abilene Regional Airport, and its partners include Envoy Air and American Airlines. Classes are hybrid and day-only. TSTC does not publish total A&P credit hours online, so confirm the program cost with admissions.

Cost: $307 per credit hour for Texas residents, $461 for non-residents.
Pass rates: 83.0%, 87.9% and 96.1% across TSTC’s three FAA certificates.
Already experienced? TSTC Abilene’s FAST Trac prepares 8610-2-eligible candidates in 14 evening weeks for $4,500, exams included.

Midland College

Midland College trains in Hangar E at Midland International Air & Space Port, about 17 miles from main campus. Its graduates passed all 94 FAA tests in the latest report. The school says both certificates take about 18 months full-time. Its 2026-27 cost of attendance works out to roughly $106 per credit in-district.

Amarillo College

Amarillo College runs 8-week classes at its East Campus. The Airframe (1,168 hours) and Powerplant (1,152 hours) certificates take about 21 months together. New students take a free 4-hour introductory course before enrolling. Pass rate: 96.4%.

East Texas

Texarkana College

Texarkana College received FAA approval in November 2024 and trains in a 23,000-square-foot hangar at Texarkana Regional Airport. Classes are hybrid: 4-hour in-person blocks on weekdays plus recorded lectures.

Program: 45-credit certificate in three semesters (about 12 months), or a 60-credit AAS. Starts every semester.
Cost: $7,485 in-district, $10,185 out-of-district and $12,840 out-of-state, including $180 per aviation course.
Aid: Pell Grants, loans and GI Bill.

LeTourneau University (Longview)

LeTourneau is Texas’s only four-year A&P option. Its BS in Aviation Maintenance Science (125 credits) trains at the 55,500-square-foot Abbott Aviation Center at East Texas Regional Airport. Tuition is $38,744 per year plus $920 in required fees before aid.

Already have aviation experience?

With 30 months of documented aircraft maintenance experience, you can qualify for the FAA exams without a Part 147 school. TSTC Abilene’s FAST Trac ($4,500) and U.S. Aviation Academy’s 3-week prep course serve these candidates. You need a signed FAA Form 8610-2 first.

How to become an A&P mechanic in Texas

Choose a Part 147 program. Complete an FAA-certificated A&P program (8 months to 2 years in Texas) or document 30 months of hands-on experience.
Pass three written tests. General, Airframe and Powerplant knowledge tests at an FAA-approved testing center.
Pass the oral and practical exams with a Designated Mechanic Examiner.
Receive your certificate. The FAA issues a Mechanic Certificate with Airframe and/or Powerplant ratings. You must be at least 18.

Texas does not issue a separate state license. The FAA certificate is valid nationwide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest A&P school in Texas?

For local residents, Texarkana College ($7,485 in-district, including course fees), St. Philip’s College (about $8,000 at 2024 rates) and Del Mar College ($9,416) are the lowest published totals. Tarrant County College charges $74 per credit in-district but does not publish a combined A&P total.

What is the fastest A&P program in Texas?

U.S. Aviation Academy advertises 8 months full-time. Thrust Institute takes 10 months, Texarkana College about 12 and Dallas College 13.

Which Texas A&P schools have the best pass rates?

Among schools with at least 50 FAA tests, Midland College (100%), one TSTC campus (96.1%), AIM Houston (89.3%) and LeTourneau (89.2%) led for Aug 2023–Dec 2024. Small programs can swing widely on a few results.

Can I study A&P at night in Texas?

Yes. Tarrant County College, Dallas College, U.S. Aviation Academy, Thrust Institute, AIM and Hallmark all 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; ACCSC outcome disclosures for private schools; federal College Navigator data; and the FAA’s AMTS pass-rate report. Where a school does not publish a figure, we say so rather than estimate. Totals are tuition plus mandatory fees for the full A&P path and exclude books, tools, housing and FAA exam fees. Verified September 30, 2026.