Best Aviation Maintenance Schools Near Riverside-San Bernardino, CA (2026)

Among the aviation maintenance schools near Riverside-San Bernardino, a pick appears only when one school clearly leads on its figure; ties produce none.

• Top Pick Near Riverside-San Bernardino

  San Diego Miramar College

  San Diego, California · #1, score 74.6

  Highest overall score of the 11 ranked schools, 74.6 out of 100.

• Most Affordable Near Riverside-San Bernardino

  Chaffey College

  Rancho Cucamonga, California · #5, score 67.0

  Lowest comparable program cost of the 5 ranked schools with one: $2,208, from IPEDS in-state tuition and the published length.

• Best Outcomes Near Riverside-San Bernardino

  Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology, Los Angeles Campus

  Inglewood, California · #2, score 74.1

  Highest IPEDS graduation rate of the 9 ranked schools that report one: 64%.

The ranked aviation maintenance schools within 100 miles of Riverside-San Bernardino, ordered by score. Scores are national, out of 100, and the table after the cards shows the points behind them, with every ranked school past the top 10.

Distances are straight-line miles from the center of Riverside-San Bernardino.

Score bars: Outcomes (30)Cost (25)Program Depth (20)Access (15)Scale (10)

1. • Top Pick Near Riverside-San Bernardino

   #1

   San Diego Miramar College

   San Diego, California · 73 miles from Riverside-San Bernardino

   74.6 of 100

   This program suits students who want to choose between day and night tracks and can use credit for prior learning, in a Part 147 certificated program at San Diego Miramar College.

   Type

   Community College

   Credentials

   Certificate of Achievement in Aviation Maintenance Technology Airframe; Certificate of Achievement in Aviation Maintenance Technology Powerplant; plus 2 more

   Length

   approximately 1900 hours, 5 semesters, 78 units, 2.5 years to complete

   Cost

   $46, per unit, California resident (78 units for the Certificate; non-resident $304 per unit; tools and equipment not included)

   GI Bill

   Approved

   Schedule

   Day or night track (students choose one, not a combination)
2. • Best Outcomes Near Riverside-San Bernardino

   #2

   Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology, Los Angeles Campus

   Inglewood, California · 56 miles from Riverside-San Bernardino

   74.1 of 100

   This program fits students who want a choice between an 18-month diploma or a 22-month associate degree, both covering the Airframe and Powerplant ratings, at Spartan's main campus in Inglewood, California.

   Type

   Private Aviation School

   Credentials

   Diploma; Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS)

   Length

   Diploma: 18 Months; Associate of Occupational Studies: 22 months

   GI Bill

   Approved

   Schedule

   Day Shift (Airframe & Powerplant Diploma, Mon-Fri 7:30am-1:45pm)

   Starts

   1/5/26; 3/16/26; 5/26/26; 8/3/26; 9/8/26; 11/16/26

3. #3

   Victor Valley College

   Victorville, California · 38 miles from Riverside-San Bernardino · #5 nationally

   71.1 of 100

   This fits budget-conscious California residents who want a low-cost, year-round associate degree combining airframe and powerplant training.

   Type

   Community College

   Credentials

   Associate in Science (AS) in Aviation Maintenance Technology

   Length

   18 months (per catalog)

   Cost

   $3,772, total program (8 required AVA courses, 82 units at $46/unit California resident rate)

   GI Bill

   Approved

4. #4

   Orange Coast College

   Costa Mesa, California · 35 miles from Riverside-San Bernardino · #7 nationally

   69.4 of 100

   This program fits a working adult in Orange County who needs evening, weekend, or online scheduling and wants airframe, powerplant, avionics, and helicopter maintenance training under one roof.

   Type

   Community College

   Credentials

   Certificate of Specialization; Certificate of Achievement; plus 1 more

   Length

   Certificate of Achievement: less than 2 years; Associate Degree: under 4 years

   Cost

   $46, per unit, in-state (CA resident)

   GI Bill

   Approved

   Schedule

   Evening, Weekend, and Online Courses

   Avionics

   Avionics track
5. • Most Affordable Near Riverside-San Bernardino

   #5

   Chaffey College

   Rancho Cucamonga, California · 18 miles from Riverside-San Bernardino · #9 nationally

   67.0 of 100

   This program fits students who want avionics training added to their airframe and powerplant coursework, on a two-year track toward an associate degree in Southern California's Inland Empire.

   Type

   Community College

   Credentials

   Associate degree (Airframe and Powerplant AS); Certificate - Airframe and Powerplant Technician; plus 2 more

   Length

   2-year curriculum

   GI Bill

   Approved

   Avionics

   Aircraft Electrical and Avionics Technician certificate

6. #6

   Mt. San Antonio College

   Walnut, California · 27 miles from Riverside-San Bernardino · #10 nationally

   66.5 of 100

   This program suits California residents who want a public two-year path to an AS degree or certificate in Aircraft Maintenance Technology, at a $2,760 total in-state cost with day or evening class options in Walnut, California.

   Type

   Community College

   Credentials

   AS; Certificate

   Length

   two years

   Cost

   $2,760, total program, in-state (A.S. degree, 60 units)

   Schedule

   day or evening

   Starts

   Next potential application period opens April 2027 for a fall 2027 start

7. #7

   West Los Angeles College

   Culver City, California · 57 miles from Riverside-San Bernardino · #36 nationally

   57.0 of 100

   This fits Los Angeles-area students who want a public college program offering airframe, powerplant, and avionics paths, including a bachelor's option.

   Type

   Community College

   Credentials

   Bachelor's Degree (Avionics); Associate Degree; plus 2 more

   Length

   twenty-three-month continuing program

   GI Bill

   Approved

   Schedule

   Morning, afternoon, or evening sections

8. #8

   Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology, Inland Empire Campus

   Riverside, California · 4 miles from Riverside-San Bernardino · #75 nationally

   49.7 of 100

   This program fits students who want a shorter, 15-month diploma covering both the Airframe and Powerplant ratings at a Spartan College affiliate campus in Riverside, California.

   Type

   Private Aviation School

   Credentials

   Diploma

   Length

   15 Months

   GI Bill

   Approved

   Starts

   1/5/26; 3/9/26; 5/11/26; 7/20/26; 9/21/26; 11/30/26

9. #9

   North Valley Occupational Center

   Van Nuys, California · 66 miles from Riverside-San Bernardino · #151 nationally

   39.7 of 100

   This program suits Los Angeles-area students who want a tuition-free, public path to General, Airframe, and Powerplant certificates through Los Angeles Unified School District's adult education division, though it currently carries a minimum two-year enrollment wait.

   Type

   Technical College

   Credentials

   Certificate in General; Certificate in Airframe; plus 1 more

   Cost

   Tuition-free

10. #10

    Antelope Valley College

    Lancaster, California · 72 miles from Riverside-San Bernardino · #161 nationally

    38.6 of 100

    This program fits students near Lancaster who want a public community college route into aerospace manufacturing, with composites fabrication training and direct partnerships with Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing.

    Type

    Community College

    Credentials

    Associate in Science degree

BLS counts 1,120 aircraft mechanic jobs in the Riverside-San Bernardino metro area as of May 2025, a location quotient of 0.74.

A location quotient above 1.00 means these jobs make up a larger share of local employment than they do nationally.

The Inland Empire runs on five airports, not one. Ontario International landed 4,825,318,232 pounds of cargo in 2024. John Wayne/Orange County handled 5,370,273 enplanements the same year, and Palm Springs International handled 1,617,586. San Bernardino International, home to the metro's MRO cluster, saw 20,147 enplanements and landed 1,364,169,548 pounds of cargo, and March Air Reserve Base landed 215,644,000 pounds of cargo.

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