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Automotive instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an automotive instructor. Automotive instructors usually study automotive technology, business, or education. 50% of automotive instructors hold a associate degree, and 26% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 562 real automotive instructor resumes to see exactly what automotive instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for automotive instructors are the Weber State University and the Weber State University.
There are also many online automotive instructor courses to help get the education required to be an automotive instructor.
What education do you need to become an automotive instructor?
What degree do you need to be an automotive instructor?
- Associate, 50%
- Bachelor's, 26%
- Diploma, 9%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become an automotive instructor?
Most common colleges for automotive instructors
| Automotive instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Weber State University | 9.09% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 7.27% |
| New England Institute of Technology | 7.27% |
| Northwood University | 5.45% |
| Wayne State University | 5.45% |
Best majors for automotive instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automotive Technology | 62.7% |
| 2 | Business | 8.3% |
| 3 | Education | 6.9% |
| 4 | Elementary Education | 3.0% |
| 5 | Educational Technology | 2.6% |
Best colleges for automotive instructors
The best colleges for automotive instructors are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
An automotive instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for automotive instructors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become automotive instructors.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
Delhi, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,360
Enrollment
3,142
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
7. University of Alaska Southeast
Juneau, AK • Private
In-state tuition
$7,092
Enrollment
1,216
8. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
10. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
20 best online courses for automotive instructors
Advertising disclosure
1. Introduction to Automotive engineering - Performance
Learn the Basics of Vehicle Performance and take your Automotive knowledge to next level...
2. Automotive 101: A Beginners Guide To Automotive Repair
A Basic Introduction to The Automotive Repair Industry...
3. Automotive Engineering: Automobile Fundamentals and Advanced
Automotive & Vehicle Engineering: Master the Mechanics of Cars including Engine, Dynamics, Transmission, Chassis & More...
4. Introduction to Automotive Product Design & development
Learn about the process, milestones and activities from idea to complete design of cars for Automotive engineers...
5. Do it Yourself - Automotive Electrical Diagnosis - Beginner
Learn to Eliminate the Possible Causes of Basic Automotive Electrical Faults oftentimes without even Touching the Car...
6. Do it Yourself-Automotive Electrical Diagnosis-Intermediate
Introduction to Modules and Information Circuits...
7. Automotive Radar
FMCW Radar, Signal Processing, Applications in ADAS and Autonomous Driving...
8. Automotive Cyber Security
A learners Guide: Covers Automotive Security, Concepts of Security and many more...
9. Introduction to Automotive Design
Professional Techniques, Tips, Tricks and Secrets for the Aspiring Car Designer...
10. Cybersecurity - Automotive
Covers Automotive security concepts: AUTOSAR Crypto stack,ISO21434,TARA, Key Mgmt & Cyber Attacks with Clear Animations...
11. Diesel Engine Fundamentals (Mechanical Engineering)
Learn about the diesel engine! Ideal for Automotive Engineering and Automobile Engineering!...
12. Automotive product design using CATIA V5
Automotive domain design using CATIA, interior and exterior trims on CATIA, Plastic product design in Automotive sector...
13. Catia V5 Beginner to Advanced - Automotive and Industrial
Learn Catia V5 from a design engineer with more than 18 years experience in automotive, racing and industrial design...
14. Catia V5 Electrical Harness Design - Automotive & Industrial
Learn Catia V5 from a design engineer with more la 18 years experience in automotive, racing and industrial design...
15. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)
20+ ADAS systems with examples, ADAS to Autonomous Driving, ADAS sensors - Radar, Camera, Lidar Ultrasonic, ADAS Testing...
16. Electric Motor Design for Electric Vehicle's - Advanced
Advanced Level - Case studies on electric powertrain technology of automotive OEM's...
17. Controller Area Network-Indepth analysis of CAN BUS/Protocol
Automotive Communication Protocol - CAN - Covering both Theory and Practicals...
18. Técnico en Mecánica Automotriz
Aprende como funciona, diagnostica y repara un Automóvil Diésel o Gasolina...
19. Model Based Development -MBD- For Automotive using Simulink
To be Model Based Design Engineer...
20. Internal Combustion Engine Basics (Mechanical Engineering)
Learn how internal combustion engines work! Learn all of a combustion engine's main components and how they work!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for automotive instructors
The most affordable schools for automotive instructors are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for automotive instructors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for automotive instructors.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for automotive instructors
The hardest universities for automotive instructors to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for automotive instructors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for automotive instructors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Brandeis University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
31%
SAT average
1,398
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for automotive instructors
The easiest schools for automotive instructors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an automotive instructor without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for automotive instructors.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
6. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
7. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
8. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
9. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average automotive instructor salary by education level
| Automotive instructor education level | Automotive instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,788 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $48,983 |
| Doctorate Degree | $62,786 |
Automotive instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025