California Aeronautical University Aviation Maintenance Program

Program Overview

This is a for-profit certificate and degree program, so it fits someone in Bakersfield who wants year-round, fast-paced training with GI Bill benefits and direct employer networking.

California Aeronautical University's Aviation Maintenance Technology program offers a Diploma and an Associate of Science degree, the AS running 22 months on a year-round, fast-paced schedule. Training happens in a hangar at Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield. A tools partnership equips each graduate with a personalized toolkit, and the university covers first-attempt FAA written exam fees and hosts employer networking events.

This is a private for-profit university, with tuition of $15,030 and a total cost of attendance of $50,801. Its IPEDS graduation rate is 30%, among 350 enrolled students. GI Bill benefits apply here, and full-time status for this hands-on program is defined as 22 or more clock hours a week. The nearest other Part 147 school is 67.6 miles away.

• Located at Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield, California
• 32,000 square-foot hangar for hands-on training
• Sonic Tools partnership: each graduate receives a personalized 263-piece toolkit valued at $6,000
• CAU covers all three FAA written exam fees ($175 each, first attempt)
• Career networking events with employers including Northrop Grumman, SkyWest Airlines, and Piedmont Airlines

As stated on calaero.edu

Federal IPEDS figures for California Aeronautical University, a private for-profit institution. Aviation maintenance award levels: Associate's. Completions across these programs: 2 per year.

Tuition is the institution's published annual rate; the program's own published cost appears in the facts table when the school states one. See the record on College Navigator.

California Aeronautical University is at 1450 Boughton Dr., Bakersfield, CA 93308. Compare it with every aviation maintenance school in California. For schools within commuting distance, see aviation maintenance schools near Bakersfield.

Annual median wage for aircraft mechanics and service technicians (SOC 49-3011), BLS OEWS May 2025. See the California aircraft mechanic salary data.

The closest FAA-approved schools to California Aeronautical University, by straight-line distance.