The 5 Best Automotive Schools in the Southwest

Aspiring auto mechanics all over the country need a great place to study automotive technology. This is true for every region. So, we put together the 5 best automotive schools in the Southwest!

Best Automotive Schools by Region: Southwest

We are glad you made it to week two of the Best Automotive Schools by Region! This week we look at a region very special to our hearts, the Southwest. As Arizona natives, we know all the details about the region and cannot wait to share with you the 5 best automotive schools in the Southwest. The states we will be looking at consist of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. If you are in one of these states or want to be in the Southwest, these five schools will be a great place to start your search to gain the best automotive training. Auto mechanics in this region can expect to work on a wide range of vehicles as the region has a large amount of diesel, classic, and regular consumer vehicles. Before you check them out, take a look at how we picked these five schools.

Criteria for the Best Automotive Schools

To determine which schools were in fact the best automotive schools in the Southwest, we had to come up with a few parameters. To start, we looked at graduation rate. We decided that this was an important first step as it gives a glimpse into the student body’s view of the school. If students enjoy the school, they should have a higher graduation rate. With smaller community colleges, this isn’t as important because one of their main goals is to get students to transfer to larger universities. Next, we examined the median salary of former students 10 years after they attended the school. Third, we found the average annual cost to attend each school before finally ending with the average debt a student graduates with.

Although these aren’t all the factors that go into making a college great, they can help us get a glimpse into the caliber of certain schools. Before we made our final picks, we then went through and made sure that each school was a certified program by the ASE Education Foundation. Although we cannot guarantee your financial situation will match any of the numbers we have presented, we can guarantee that each of the 5 best automotive schools in the Southwest offer something great. In order to find all of this information, we utilized the amazing tools from College Scorecard.

Graduation Rate
Salary After Graduation
Annual Cost
Debt Upon Graduation

Best Automotive Schools in the Southwest

1. Clovis Community College

Clovis, NM
Graduation Rate: 38%
Salary After Attending: $25,800
Annual Cost: $6,925
Debt upon Graduation: $4,500

In 1969, Eastern New Mexico University partnered with Clovis Municipal Schools to start offering college level classes in the evening. This was the beginning of the best automotive school in the Southwest. Since then, Clovis Community College and its community has invested millions of dollars to ensure the best learning experience possible. Most recently, the school has finished immense upgrades to its health and fitness center.

2. Universal Technical Institute – Avondale

Avondale, AZ
Graduation Rate: 59%
Salary After Attending: $45,200
Annual Cost: $20,016
Debt upon Graduation: $17,365

UTI can prepare you for an exciting career as an auto mechanic in many different specializations. The school has heavily invested in their facilities and programs to ensure students receive up-to-date training and gain experience in a setting that is very close to the real world. Also, they have partnered with a plethora of manufacturers to ensure that students gain the training necessary for whatever type of vehicle they desire to work on. Although UTI is one of the best automotive schools in the Southwest, you can find a location in most regions!

3. Midland College

Midland, TX
Graduation Rate: 19%
Salary After Attending: $38,300
Annual Cost: $8,049
Debt upon Graduation: $6,500

Although they offer 2 different bachelor’s degrees, Midland College is dedicated to creating programs and courses that are easily transferrable to universities. This is why the school only has a 19% graduation rate, they have made a great experience for students seeking higher learning. On top of that, they have achieved an incredible 17:1 student to instructor ratio making a great and personal college experience. All of this makes it one of the best automotive schools in the Southwest.

4. San Jacinto College

Pasadena, TX
Graduation Rate: 20%
Salary After Attending: $37,700
Annual Cost: $8,300
Debt upon Graduation: $8,495

With 186 degrees and certificates in 46 technical and university transfer programs, San Jacinto College is in a great place to push you to your next step. Whether that be your career or continued higher education. The college has over 50 years of experience serving the surrounding communities which provides students great opportunities for their future!

5. Wharton County Junior College

Wharton, TX
Graduation Rate: 16%
Salary After Attending: $37,300
Annual Cost: $5,620
Debt upon Graduation: $7,495

Wharton County Junior College has roots tracing all the way back to 1945 when a 20 cent tax was introduced to fund the school. Now, the school has four campuses and over 6,000 undergrad students. To better serve these students, Wharton continues to invest as they just completed a multi-million dollar renovation/addition to one of their program’s buildings. Therefore, you are in good hands at the fifth best automotive school in the southwest.

Locations of Southwest Best Schools

1. Clovis Community College

417 Schepps Blvd.
Clovis, New Mexico 88101
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2. Universal Technical Institute - Avondale

10695 West Pierce Street
Avondale, AZ 85323
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3. Midland College

3600 N. Garfield
Midland, TX 79705
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4. San Jacinto Community College

8060 Spencer Hwy.
Pasadena, TX 77505
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5. Wharton County Junior College

911 Boling Highway
Wharton, Texas 77488
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Choose Your School Wisely

As always, we encourage you to do your own research into these 5 best automotive schools in the Southwest and many more! Just because we have identified these, that does not mean they will provide you the best learning experience. Each student is different and each student needs a different learning experience. So, be sure to explore any opportunity you find as you never know when a school will be perfect for you.

Of course, we can help you! We have a multitude of resources to help aspiring auto mechanics find the right school and be successful when training. One major resource we provide is our scholarship, so be sure you check that out! Along with that, if you know exactly what state you want to study in, we have a list of each automotive school by state you can search. Lastly, maybe you need some extra help or just want to talk to someone about this process, we are here for that! Fill out our contact form so we can get in touch.

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