Veteran Trade Schools

VA-approved diesel mechanic programs in California

Quick answer

Diesel mechanic training in California is spread across 29 cities, with Fresno the largest at 2 locations.

VA's GI Bill® Comparison Tool lists 34 diesel mechanic training locations in California with 49 approved programs: 26 with school programs and 8 with apprenticeship or on-the-job training.

Before you enroll, open the VA profile to confirm the exact program, and ask the School Certifying Official to confirm your start date. [VA: Choosing a GI Bill approved school]

34 locations, by city

Show all 34 locations

American River College

Sacramento, CA
VA profile for American River College (opens VA Comparison Tool)
VA-approved School program Public
  • Clean Diesel Hybrid Technology
  • Clean Diesel Industrial
  • Clean Diesel Management Systems
  • Clean Diesel Technology
  • Diesel Engine Technology
  • Diesel Technology
  • +1 more

GI Bill students (all programs): 562Accredited

Source: VA GI Bill Comparison Tool program data, retrieved October 24, 2026. School details come from VA's data file dated October 8, 2026. The list is sorted by city, then name. It isn't a ranking.

Common questions

How many GI Bill-approved diesel mechanic programs are in California?

VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool lists 49 approved programs at 34 locations in California as of October 24, 2026. That's about 6% of the 612 diesel mechanic locations in VA's data nationally. By type: 23 public colleges and technical schools, 8 employers and apprenticeship sponsors, 3 for-profit schools.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]

Which cities in California have diesel mechanic programs?

By number of locations: Fresno (2), Oakland (2), Sacramento (2), Stockton (2), Whittier (2), Alameda (1) and 23 more cities.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool]

Are there paid diesel mechanic apprenticeships in California that take the GI Bill?

Yes. 8 locations offer VA-approved on-the-job training in California (8 programs); 8 of them are registered apprenticeships. With the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you're paid wages plus a monthly housing payment that steps down every six months.

[VA: GI Bill Comparison Tool] [VA: On-the-job training and apprenticeships]

Other trades in California

← All Diesel Mechanic programs · Does the GI Bill cover diesel mechanic school?

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “GI Bill Comparison Tool”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
  2. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “GI Bill Comparison Tool data (ComparisonToolData.xlsx)”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
  3. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Choosing a GI Bill approved school”. Retrieved October 23, 2026.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.