Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Automotive Mechanics
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Rio Salado College, Pima Community College, Mesa Community College, and Glendale Community College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Arizona Western, Cochise, Pima Community College, and GateWay Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Yavapai College, Central Arizona, Mohave Community College, and Cochise.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Rio Salado College, Cochise, Yavapai College, and Pima Community College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Eastern Arizona College, Yavapai College, Central Arizona, and Arizona Western.
Spotlight Schools Search
Spotlight Arizona Schools Related to This Career
- Locations: Glendale
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Diploma
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Study from Anywhere at Online Schools Related to This Career
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Coursework, Diploma
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Pima Community College • Tucson, AZ
Studying Automotive Technology (completion in 2012)
• 8/13/2011
"I really enjoyed my time at Pima Community College. The automotive program was great. I gained a lot of knowledge and experience going there. I also liked how the classes were relatively small compared to the university."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would definitely recommend this school to anyone pursuing a career in automotive technology. I was satisfied with the learning style and the help you get from faculty when you encounter new challenges. The fact that there are over 20 different classes available in automotive technology is a big plus. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Pima Community College provides a thorough education on many elements of automotive technology. Our classes include everything from light line maintenance to diesel truck repair. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The training you get at Pima is very extensive and uses both a textbook and hands-on training approach. Although the program is self-paced, staff is always available to assist the students when they have any problems. Overall, I am satisfied with the faculty and the atmosphere of the classes. |
| Instruction | 10 | I believe that I utilize everything I learn in class everyday at work. Each day I get a new challenge, and each day I use the knowledge from my classes to help me with these challenges. |
| How Difficult | 8 | At times, the classes are very challenging. The program is entirely self-paced, so you have to dedicate a lot of time going to the car shop and staying there until you figure out how certain mechanical structures of cars operate. This is not always an easy task, and it can take hours before you actually truly get a hold of how something works. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I would say that the program is a mix of hands on and book learning, but tends to lean more towards a hands on approach. In the auto lab you definitely get a lot of practice actually working on cars, but you are required to also refer to your textbook. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Pima offers a very flexible class schedule. You can take classes in the early morning, evening, and on the weekends. This is the plus side to self-paced study programs. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | I am very satisfied with the auto lab currently at Pima. Although the class gets full sometimes, there is always equipment people can use and tools are always available. The library provides textbooks and manuals on automotive technology. |
| Social Life | 5 | I was never very social in any school I went to. I met a few people at Pima, but I never really went to any social events. But as far as I know, there aren't very many parties or organized events aside from occasional football games. |
| Placement Services | 4 | The school currently provides no job placement. However, my instructors did advise me about places to work, which is how I got the job I currently have. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | The faculty, as mentioned before, is very helpful. However, my school does not currently have an alumni network. |
Universal Technical Institute • Phoenix, AZ
Studying Auto Mechanics (completion in 2007)
• 10/5/2011
"I am very satisfied with UTI. They give the best training and career placement around."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | If you want to get a great career in auto mechanics, I suggest UTI. They are very sought after by Mechanic Shops all around the U.S. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | UTI has always had a great ratings among its competitors. It is more expensive, but well worth it. |
| Program Quality | 9 | There really is only a few programs to choose from at UTI. My program in particular was excellent. |
| Instruction | 9 | I never would have been able to achieve master mechanic career level without UTI. I would give UTI a very high rating in this regard. |
| How Difficult | 7 | It helps if you have some knowledge of auto mechanics before you go into the school. It can be relatively challenging to even the experienced. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | UTI urges hands on learning. You spend 80% of your time working on vehicles and motors. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | It does require flexibility because the school requires a majority of your attention. They are not very flexible with your schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | UTI has an excellent assortment of resources. It is all hands on and they provide everything you need. |
| Social Life | 7 | There really is not much of a social event structure at UTI. It is a school focused only on mechanics. |
| Placement Services | 9 | I was able to find a great career without any trouble. It was very quick placement without an extensive search. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | There really is not any alumni program. I have however, received a few calls for post graduate information. |
UTI • Avondale, AZ
Studying BMW (completion in 2006)
• 1/4/2012
"I learned and retained a vast amount of knowledge. The instructors were top notch."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | If you can get into the program it will give you a very sound foundation for the future. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | BMW STEP is well known even with non-BMW dealerships and shops. The rigorous tests and qualifications to get in ensure there is an elite group of students. |
| Program Quality | 7 | The instructors were knowledgeable, but often did not relate enough real world knowledge. |
| Instruction | 8 | Instructors were extremely prepared for the curriculum. The curriculum was laid out nicely. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I put in a moderate amount of effort. I was at the top of my class. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Much of the basis was book learning. Shop tasks were always by the book also, not very real world. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | We were expected to come early and stay late Monday through Friday. If any days or hours were missed, we were docked harshly. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Any instruction manual ever made was available to us. We had an extensive library both in class and online for use. |
| Social Life | 3 | We hung out on our own. We had no extra curriculars organized. |
| Placement Services | 10 | I was able to secure the job and location I wanted. I had three offers available. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I kept in touch with a few classmates on my own. There is no centralized database that I know of. |
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