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 Suffolk County Community College, Bronx Community College, Monroe Community College, and Rockland 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
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Farmingdale State College, Morrisville State, SUNY Canton, and SUNY Delhi.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Bronx Community College, Rockland Community College, Westchester Community College, and Farmingdale State College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Westchester Community College, Onondaga Community College, Monroe Community College, and Columbia-Greene Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Fulton-Montgomery Community College, Alfred State, Morrisville State, and Herkimer County Community College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Alfred State, SUNY Delhi, Morrisville State, and SUNY Canton.
Excellence
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Farmingdale State College and SUNY Delhi.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Alfred State, Morrisville State, SUNY Delhi, and Bronx Community College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Wilson Technical Center • Deer Park, NY
Studying Automotive Technology (completion in 1999)
• 9/2/2011
"I am very satisfied. I have no complaints about this school at all. I was able to find a great job right away."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would definitely recommend this school, and in fact, I have already. One of my friends is actually taking classes at Wilson Tech right now and he loves it. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | I know a lot of people that also went to school for the same thing as me. They are all very happy. Also, the reputation online and in magazines is positive. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I rated this a 10 because Wilson Tech is a great school. I learned a lot there and it was a very friendly and hands on environment. |
| Instruction | 10 | The instruction was great. It was very hands on and I learned a lot. The staff there is all very nice. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I think that the difficulty was average. Sometimes it got a little hard for me and other times it was easy. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | This school was very hands on. Small classrooms meant more 1 on 1 time with the teacher. There was some book learning but it was more hands on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | They are pretty flexible. They will work with your schedule to make sure you can fit in the classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | They have great facilities. The classrooms have plenty of space. The library is filled with great study materials. |
| Social Life | 3 | This school is basically just for learning. They don't have athletics or really any social activities. I made a lot of friends at this school, though. |
| Placement Services | 5 | They helped me a little to get on my feet after school. I ended up not needing job placement anyway as I got a job on my own. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | This is definitely a 10. The whole school and program was a very good experience for me. |
College Of Staten Island • Staten Island, NY
Studying Liberal Arts (completion in 2010)
• 10/18/2011
"Although it hasn't gotten me to where I want to be in the long run yet, it has provided me with an affordable education and a schedule that allows me to make a living and pay for my house while still continuing my education."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It doesn't have a mechanic specialty, so there is no garage or welding materials. If you want to major in engineering, CSI is better for you. I learned my mechanic skills through my family trade and got a job at a good friend's shop. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | It is an affordable public school. The campus is beautiful and the academic standards are manageable. |
| Program Quality | 6 | The liberal arts program was nothing special. It was good considering how affordable my school is, however. |
| Instruction | 5 | You have the good and the bad teachers. I think in this school you need to be willing to take your education into your own hands a little bit. |
| How Difficult | 2 | Liberal Arts, I felt, was sort of an extension of high school. It did not require me to take very challenging classes in my opinion. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A lot of people come to this school because they work and can't devote a lot of time to hands on learning, such as scouting out great photography spots. However, the science department is extremely hands on and requires a lot of lab hours for its students declaring it a major, or just taking the class for needed credits. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I have never had trouble working out a suitable schedule here. They have online classes plus options in the morning, afternoon, evening, and on the weekends all year long. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The science labs are modern and the library is large and has a great selection of reading and text books. Also they offer you all of the assigned text books in the library for free use if a student needs help. Tutors are available at all times for all subjects in their respective offices. |
| Social Life | 6 | I have never gotten along well with the Staten Island crowd. You also have a large crowd from Brooklyn, who often fight over what borough is better. I didn't find many friends, but I did find love. So I rate it slightly above average. |
| Placement Services | 3 | |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I am still attending and attempting my BS. I have many friends who still come back for the use of the library and they say that it's inexpensive and worth it. |
Hudson Valley Community College • Troy, NY
Studying Tool Technology (completion in 2008)
• 10/31/2011
"I feel I got a great education for a great price. The instructors were always very helpful, as was the rest of the staff, and I graduated with a ticket to work almost anywhere I wanted."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Its a great education at an amazing price. The reputation is great and will only benefit you after you graduate. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Very good. It is very easy to land a job with a degree form HVCC in your hand. Also, you are much more confident to tackle a job put in front of you after coming through this program. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The program was very in depth and prepared me well. It also prepared me for the world of dealing with people. |
| Instruction | 9 | I learned a lot about cars and the new CPU-driven cars of today. I feel the courses I took left me absolutely ready for my career. |
| How Difficult | 6 | It was a very technical program which drilled home tons of knowledge. I didn't find it that difficult because I have been working on cars with my uncle since I was little. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | They have an amazing job shop which allows for great troubleshooting. They also have a machine shop which is great for learning repair work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | Very flexible. I was able to attend at night over 4 years to earn my degree while working full time. They offer night and weekend classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Extremely good library and up to date study materials. Large computer labs with instructors always close by to help. |
| Social Life | 9 | HVCC has great school spirit - everyone that attends takes pride in the school. Sports are very popular. One week we're all cheering the football team the next it's the very, very good women's basketball team. |
| Placement Services | 9 | HVCC is always having career builder days at the campus, which allow you to get great exposure. They also do a great job of letting businesses know about the talent that's graduating each year. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | The alumni are often brought back as aides, teachers, or guest speakers and they are well respected. The school does a good job of tracking its alumni and recognizing them for their life accomplishments. |
L.A. Wilson Technological Center • Northport, NY
Studying Automotive Technology (completion in 2010)
• 12/25/2011
"I was very satisfied with the school. There weren't many events; there were no sports or parties, but it didn't matter. I went to school to learn. I left with a certificate and a vast amount of knowledge that I didn't have when I first walked in. This knowledge allowed me to get a job I still hold today."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend it. I'll agree that when you go to school, you expect to make many friends, go to many events, have parties, or join a sports team. This school doesn't offer that. It offers you hands-on training to become part of a trade. This trade is a backup plan in life; if you go to college for something else and can't find a job, you resort to a trade to help get by or pay bills. Also, technicians are always wanted in the automotive field, due to the increase in technology between electric and soon-to-be hydrogen-powered vehicles. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Many people I know have gone to this school. Some decided not to become technicians and some have. A lot of them got jobs at big-name dealers like BMW, Mercedes and Audi. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The program was great. I learned a lot of things, due to the amount of hands-on learning that was done. |
| Instruction | 10 | Everything I have learned in the school, I have already used in the field. I am still learning as time goes on, but all of the basics to become an entry-level C-Tech were taught here. |
| How Difficult | 7 | It was fairly challenging, starting in the school not knowing much. The workload wasn't too high, but just enough to where I could split my workload and occupation at the time comfortably. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Being that it was a trade school, academics weren't the main subject. It was 25% classroom theory/book learning and 75% hands-on shop work. Cars from dealerships were donated to the school over the years, for students to practice and work on. Having new technology taught to us with hybrid vehicles requires a lot more hands-on work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | Not flexible at all; it was either you take a daytime or a nighttime class, 8am-2pm or 3pm-10pm. |
| Social Life | 1 | Since it is a trade school, not many people went there. When you went there, it was to learn. No parties or athletics. |
| Placement Services | 10 | Job placement is very good, considering the fact that they offer a work-study program. Many dealerships send representatives to the school to offer jobs to graduating students. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | The alumni network wasn't too good. It is a small school with small classes. |
Orange Ulster Boces Career And Technical Center • Goshen, NY
Studying Automotive Technology (completion in 2011)
• 2/18/2012
"I was very satisfied with my school. I feel that I have graduated with a bit of knowledge that helps me succeed in my field. After completing two years of the program I had the option to take a test for my NYSI (New York State Inspections) License. If it weren't for that course it would have been a bit difficult to obtain it on my own. Just having that card has made me more employable."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | If you are looking to get into the automotive field then this school is perfect. It follows the same schedule as regular high schools. The knowledge you will gain is nothing that you could get just tinkering around in your back yard or looking up online. The teachers make sure you learn what is needed to perform most tasks on current automobiles. I highly recommend it. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The program's reputation is very good. Currently the school has won challenges at the New York Auto Show. The teaching staff there is very knowledgeable as stated in previous questions. Students going in there would only not succeed if they didn't want to succeed. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The teachers at the school are very knowledgeable. The availability of tools and vehicles to learn on was more than enough to teach this career path. |
| Instruction | 8 | I learned a lot about what it takes to be in this field through the instruction. I wish I could have learned more but there's only so much they can teach in 2 years. |
| How Difficult | 8 | You must have a hands-on kind of attitude. This program is a bit challenging, especially when you start to get into the more electrical side of automobiles. If you pay attention and perform the required tasks along with practice it is not too bad. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The class was broken into two sections: hands-on and notes. The notes portion of the class was based on getting ready to do the actual hands-on portion of tasks. The notes contained a lot of key information on certain systems of the automobile. The teacher would instruct you to complete a task based on notes. If there were any problems you could call over the teacher for help and guidance on what you were working on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Classes had no flexibility as it was based on the same days of regular school; approximately 180 days and each day was two hours. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The school was very well equipped to teach. The department had its own computer lab set up with an Alldata subscription on every computer. Classroom space was more than adequate; there were at least two lifts in each class along with a projector for viewing informational Power Points. One-on-one help was available and very useful. |
| Social Life | 9 | Everyone in the class got along with one another very well. There were parties for the classes who won events by fixing certain cars or diagnosing certain problems within an allotted time. At the end of the year all the automotive classes had a barbecue and car show. |
| Placement Services | 5 | The career assistance is pretty average. Teachers would help out by putting a good word in for you to some local shops where they know people. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | The alumni really didn't bother much with visiting to tell us what it is like when they left the school. Some visits from past students were to say a quick hello to the teachers. |
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