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Auto mechanic classes in Iowa

19 auto mechanic programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

11 schools offer these automotive programs, and Iowa has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Automotive service technicians and mechanics inspect, maintain and repair cars and light trucks. Most complete a program in automotive service technology that leads to a certificate or an associate's degree, and employers may require or prefer certification.1 Federal rules require anyone paid to repair or service a car's air conditioning to be trained and certified by an EPA-approved program, which ends with a test.2

In Iowa, 6 of the 19 programs take students without a high school diploma, 10 ask for a diploma or equivalent, 2 ask for earlier courses first and 1 asks for an associate degree.

By kind, the 19 programs here are automotive technician (associate degree, 11 programs), automotive technician (3 programs), single-system course (2 programs), manufacturer program (associate degree, 2 programs), and 1 more of one other kind.

See the 19 programs

How much do auto mechanic classes cost in Iowa?

Two-year degrees (13 programs)
$13,875 to $17,628most of them, usually 72 to 80 weeks long
Other automotive programs (6 programs)
$4,012 to $8,429most of them, usually 20 to 43 weeks long

What you pay yourself for the whole program, as the schools report it. "Most" is the middle half of the programs with a price.

In the typical program

Finished the program
49%
Working 6 months later
84%
Earned a year, estimated
about $30,300
Length
46 to 76 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 Iowa may also offer auto mechanic classes. How these figures are made

Are there free auto mechanic classes in Iowa?

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

All 19 auto mechanic programs in Iowa approved for WIOA funding

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19 programs

How to pay for auto mechanic classes in Iowa

WIOA funding can pay for auto mechanic classes in Iowa

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 mechanic 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 mechanic 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 mechanic classes in Iowa

programs with a price cost under $10,000
5 of 19
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
34th of 34
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less
8 of 22
auto mechanic programs here, against the typical state's 10
19 vs 10

State comparisons use the same figures as the auto mechanic 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 mechanic classes in Sioux City, Des Moines, Burlington and other Iowa cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above. 3 more programs are in 3 other areas, 3 in smaller cities and towns.

Other training in Iowa

How auto mechanic classes compare with the rest of skilled trades: Trade school programs in Iowa

Where the Iowa automotive program numbers come from

Which Iowa automotive programs are on this list?

These are the automotive programs Iowa 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 Iowa offers.

How the prices and results of Iowa automotive 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 mechanic classes in Iowa

Show the 10 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
  2. US Environmental Protection Agency: Section 609 Technician Training and Certification Programs
  3. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  4. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  5. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  6. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  8. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  9. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  10. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List