Auto body repair classes in Minnesota

31 auto body programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

10 schools offer these auto body repair programs, and Minnesota has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Automotive body repairers restore, refinish and replace vehicle bodies and frames; glass repairers replace windshields and window glass. Most employers prefer workers who have finished a collision repair program, which trade and technical schools usually run as a 6-month to 1-year certificate and some community colleges as a 2-year program; new workers still need 2 or 3 years on the job to work independently, and certification is recommended though not required.¹ Body shops covered by a federal air rule must train and certify everyone who spray-paints vehicles within 180 days of hiring, in spray gun setup and technique and spray booth upkeep, with refresher training every five years.²

In Minnesota, all 31 programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent.

By kind, the 31 programs here are auto body certificate or diploma (11 programs), structural or non-structural repair certificate (7 programs), painting and refinishing course (5 programs), estimating course (3 programs), and 5 more of 2 other kinds.

See the 31 programs

How much do auto body repair classes cost in Minnesota?

$2,662 to $10,126 is what most auto body programs in Minnesota cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 31 programs with a price. All of them: $1,452 to $52,199

In the typical program

Finished the program: 64%
Working 6 months later: 80%
Earned a year, estimated: about $35,600
Length: 30 to 120 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Minnesota may also offer auto body repair classes. How these figures are made

Are there free auto body repair classes in Minnesota?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.³⁴⁵In program year 2024 it paid toward the training of at least 3 people at 1 of the 31 programs here.
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁶ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁵
Or pay yourself. Most auto body repair programs in Minnesota cost $2,662 to $10,126. Prices on this page run from $1,452 to $52,199.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

How to pay for auto body repair classes in Minnesota

WIOA funding can pay for auto body repair classes in Minnesota

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for auto body repair classes

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁷⁸

GI Bill for auto body repair classes

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁹

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Quick facts: Auto body repair classes in Minnesota

lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare: 6th of 17
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less: 7 of 9
auto body programs of any state: no state has more than Minnesota: Most

State comparisons use the same figures as the auto body repair classes by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Auto body repair classes in Minneapolis, St. Cloud, Winona and other Minnesota cities

Minneapolis area19

Areas with 10 or more programs have a page of their own. Choosing another area filters the program list above. 3 in smaller cities and towns.

Other training in Minnesota

How auto body repair classes compare with the rest of skilled trades: Trade school programs in Minnesota

Where the Minnesota auto body repair program numbers come from

Which Minnesota auto body repair programs are on this list?

These are the auto body repair programs Minnesota approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).¹⁰ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Minnesota offers.

How the prices and results of Minnesota auto body repair programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about auto body repair classes in Minnesota

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Auto body repair classes in Minnesota

How much do auto body repair classes cost in Minnesota?

Are there free auto body repair classes in Minnesota?

All 31 auto body programs in Minnesota approved for WIOA funding

Autobody Estimator

Autobody Estimator

Non-Structural Repair Technician Assistant

Non-Structural Repair Technician Assistant

Structural Repair Technician Assistant

Structural Repair Technician Assistant

Refinishing Technician Assistant

Refinishing Technician Assistant

Custom Fabrication and Finishing

Custom Fabrication and Finishing

Auto Body Technician

Auto Body Technician

Auto Body Technician

Auto Body Collision Technology

Auto Body and Collision Technology

Auto Body Technology

Automotive Collision Repair & Refinishing

Auto Body Collision Technology

Sheet Metal Technician

Collision and Refinishing Technician

Auto Body Collision Technology

Auto Body Technology

Refinish Assistant

Non-Structural Auto Body

Auto Body Collision Technician

Estimator

Paint Preparation

Body Technician

Auto Body Refinishing

Auto Body Sheet Metal Repair and Replacement

Auto Body Collision Technology

How to pay for auto body repair classes in Minnesota

WIOA funding can pay for auto body repair classes in Minnesota

Financial aid and grants for auto body repair classes

GI Bill for auto body repair classes

Quick facts: Auto body repair classes in Minnesota

Auto body repair classes in Minneapolis, St. Cloud, Winona and other Minnesota cities

Other training in Minnesota

Where the Minnesota auto body repair program numbers come from

Which Minnesota auto body repair programs are on this list?

How the prices and results of Minnesota auto body repair programs are measured

Sources for the facts about auto body repair classes in Minnesota