Most Affordable Aviation Maintenance Schools of 2026: FAA-Approved Programs by Total Cost

The most affordable aviation maintenance schools by program cost are College of Alameda ($2,208), Chaffey College ($2,208), and West Los Angeles College ($2,292). All three are public community colleges, priced at resident rates.

Costs on this list run from $2,208 to $61,800, with a median of $9,693. 13 of the 62 schools come in under $5,000 for the whole program at resident rates.

For each of these affordable aviation maintenance schools, the card shows the comparable cost, the arithmetic behind it, and where the school lands in our best aviation maintenance schools ranking, which weighs cost alongside graduation rate, program size, and access.

1. #1

   College of Alameda

   Alameda, California, Community College

   $2,208 IPEDS

   Basis

   $1,104 in-state tuition a year x 2 academic years = $2,208. Two years full-time Length source: alameda.edu

   Graduation Rate

   33% (IPEDS)

   Overall

   #15 overall, score 61.3 of 100

2. #2

   Chaffey College

   Rancho Cucamonga, California, Community College

   $2,208 IPEDS

   Basis

   $1,104 in-state tuition a year x 2 academic years = $2,208. 2-year curriculum Length source: chaffey.edu

   Graduation Rate

   36% (IPEDS)

   Overall

   #20 overall, score 60.5 of 100

3. #3

   West Los Angeles College

   Culver City, California, Community College

   $2,292 IPEDS

   Basis

   $1,196 in-state tuition a year x 1.92 academic years = $2,292. twenty-three-month Length source: wlac.edu

   Graduation Rate

   28% (IPEDS)

   Overall

   #28 overall, score 58.2 of 100

4. #4

   San Diego Miramar College

   San Diego, California, Community College

   $2,760 IPEDS

   Basis

   $1,104 in-state tuition a year x 2.5 academic years = $2,760. 2.5 years to complete Length source: sdmiramar.edu

   Graduation Rate

   48% (IPEDS)

   Overall

   #6 overall, score 66.7 of 100

5. #5

   Mt. San Antonio College

   Walnut, California, Community College

   $2,760 School price

   Basis

   The school's own price, total program, in-state (A.S. degree, 60 units). Source: mtsac.edu

   Includes

   does not include books or other additional materials

   Graduation Rate

   45% (IPEDS)

   Overall

   #7 overall, score 66.3 of 100

6. #6

   Gavilan College

   San Martin, California, Community College

   $2,888 IPEDS

   Basis

   $1,444 in-state tuition a year x 2 academic years = $2,888. over two years Length source: gavilan.edu

   Graduation Rate

   42% (IPEDS)

   Overall

   #23 overall, score 59.5 of 100

7. #7

   Broward College

   Pembroke Pines, Florida, Community College

   $3,116 IPEDS

   Basis

   $1,968 in-state tuition a year x 1.58 academic years = $3,116. Traditional track: 18-19 months Length source: broward.edu

   Graduation Rate

   39% (IPEDS)

   Overall

   #8 overall, score 65.9 of 100

8. #8

   Pima Community College

   Tucson, Arizona, Community College

   $3,216 IPEDS

   Basis

   $2,412 in-state tuition a year x 1.33 academic years = $3,216. Airframe and Powerplant: 16 months full-time Length source: pima.edu

   Graduation Rate

   28% (IPEDS)

   Overall

   #24 overall, score 59.2 of 100

9. #9

   Sacramento City College

   McClellan, California, Community College

   $3,220 School price

   Basis

   The school's own price, total program, California resident (as of Fall 2022). Source: scc.losrios.edu

   Includes

   17 units per semester for 4 semesters

   Graduation Rate

   33% (IPEDS)

   Overall

   #12 overall, score 62.4 of 100

10. #10

    Forsyth Technical Community College

    Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Community College

    $3,648 IPEDS

    Basis

    $1,824 in-state tuition a year x 2 academic years = $3,648. Associate degree: two years Length source: forsythtech.edu

    Graduation Rate

    34% (IPEDS)

    Overall

    #50 overall, score 50.8 of 100

A school's own price counts when it covers the whole program for both the Airframe and Powerplant ratings. Per-credit rates, annual rates, low estimates, and prices for a single rating are not used, because they are not whole-program figures.

For the other schools, we multiply IPEDS in-state tuition for one academic year by the program length the school publishes. Months are divided by 12, semesters by 2, and quarters by 3. When a school gives a range, we use the longer end. The quote on each card is the school's own wording of that length.

These 15 schools post a whole-program price on their own websites. It is the most direct comparison on this page, but the prices still cover different things.

All 62 schools, cheapest first. The last column is each school's overall score in our overall school ranking.

The scoring rules match our ranking methodology. Schools without a comparable cost still appear in the overall ranking of FAA-approved schools; they earn no affordability points there.