The 2 best mechatronics AAS programs in North Carolina, ranked
Both NC AAS programs use the NCCCS A40350 Mechatronics Engineering Technology curriculum. Same coursework, same credit requirements, same alignment to PMMI mechatronics certification exams. What differs is location and apprenticeship infrastructure.
Flat Rock, NC
AAS in Mechatronics Engineering Technology
Blue Ridge Community College
Blue Ridge Community College's Mechatronics Engineering Technology AAS is part of the NCCCS A40350 curriculum standard, which keeps tuition among the lowest in the country (around $2,432/year in-state). Coursework moves through industrial electricity, PLCs, robotics, hydraulics, pneumatics, instrumentation, and process control — students split time between classroom and state-of-the-art labs that mirror plant-floor environments. The curriculum aligns to the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI) Mechatronics certification exams, and a dedicated NC Mechatronics Apprenticeship pathway places students into paid industrial-technician roles with western North Carolina manufacturers.
Tuition
$2,432/yr
Duration
24 mo
Format
On-campus
Accred.
Regionally accredited (SACSCOC)
Apprenticeship partners
Overall
73
of 100
Click any factor for details
Graham, NC
AAS in Mechatronics Engineering Technology
Alamance Community College
Alamance Community College's 69-70 credit Mechatronics Engineering Technology AAS is built around extensive hands-on lab time with mechanical-electrical training stations covering pneumatics, hydraulics, sensors, conveyor systems, and robotic arms. NCCCS tuition keeps this among the most affordable mechatronics AAS programs in the country (around $2,432/year in-state). Reported entry-level salaries for graduates run around $50,000, with placement into Honda Aero (the GE-Honda aircraft engine joint venture) and LabCorp leading the local outcomes. A transfer track moves 64 credits into East Carolina University's BS in Industrial Technology for students who want to continue.
Tuition
$2,432/yr
Duration
24 mo
Format
On-campus
Accred.
Regionally accredited (SACSCOC)
Hiring employers
Overall
70
of 100
Click any factor for details
Why North Carolina is one of the top US states for a mechatronics career
NC has three things going for it on mechatronics: the lowest community-college tuition in the country, a fast-growing manufacturing base, and a clean transfer pathway into an EAC-accredited bachelor's degree if you want to ladder up later.
The manufacturing growth is real. Honda Aero (the GE-Honda jet engine joint venture) in Burlington. Toyota Battery NC at Liberty bringing 5,000+ jobs by 2027. Volvo Trucks New River Valley near Greensboro. Caterpillar in Sanford. Mack Trucks in Hagerstown. Add an established furniture-manufacturing base, food processing, and Research Triangle pharmaceutical manufacturing. NC has more manufacturing job growth than any other Southeast state since 2020.
The NCCCS A40350 curriculum standard is the unifying piece. 58 community colleges statewide use the same mechatronics curriculum, so transfer between NCCCS schools is seamless, and articulation into NC State, ECU, UNC Charlotte, and other state universities is well-defined.
Top North Carolina employers hiring mechatronics technicians
Honda Aero (Burlington)
The GE-Honda aircraft engine joint venture. Produces the HF120 turbofan engine for the HondaJet plus engine components for GE Honda Aero programs. Alamance Community College feeds graduates into Honda Aero technician roles directly. Aerospace mechatronics work, lower throughput than automotive but high-precision.
Toyota Battery NC (Liberty)
Toyota's $13.9 billion EV battery manufacturing plant in Liberty, NC. Expected to employ 5,000+ by 2027, with first production starting 2025. The largest new manufacturing project in NC history. Hiring will continue ramping through the end of the decade. Toyota's apprenticeship program (Toyota T-TEN) is expected to integrate with NCCCS mechatronics programs as the plant ramps.
Volvo Trucks North America (Greensboro)
Volvo Trucks' New River Valley assembly plant produces Class 8 trucks. Heavy automation across body-in-white welding and final assembly. Mechatronics technicians work across robotic welding cells and conveyor automation.
Caterpillar (Sanford, Clayton)
Caterpillar manufactures hydraulic excavators and other heavy equipment at the Sanford facility. Hydraulics-heavy mechatronics work. ThinkBIG apprenticeship program available at participating NCCCS schools.
Mack Trucks / Volvo Group (multiple NC locations)
Mack Trucks (a Volvo Group brand) has assembly and parts operations across NC. Volvo Group also runs powertrain manufacturing in NC.
LabCorp (Burlington)
Laboratory Corporation of America has its corporate headquarters and major laboratory operations in Burlington. Heavy automation across high-throughput lab processing. Different mechatronics application than automotive, but the technician fundamentals transfer.
Research Triangle pharma manufacturing
Pfizer, Merck, GSK, Biogen, and numerous smaller biotech companies operate pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturing facilities in the Research Triangle area. Continuous-process mechatronics work, highly regulated, often higher-pay than discrete manufacturing.
Mechatronics technician salary in North Carolina
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists (SOC 17-3027) in NC: median around $58,000 to $63,000.
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists (SOC 17-3024) in NC: median around $60,000 to $67,000.
- Entry-level wages: $42,000 to $50,000 for new AAS graduates.
- Research Triangle pharma manufacturing wages run 10 to 20 percent above general NC manufacturing wages due to regulatory and clean-room requirements.
- Toyota Battery NC and Honda Aero wages will set the high end of the NC mechatronics market as those plants ramp through 2027.
North Carolina mechatronics apprenticeships
The NC Mechatronics Apprenticeship is a state-level program aligned to the NCCCS A40350 curriculum standard. Blue Ridge Community College and several other NCCCS schools place students directly into sponsoring manufacturers across western and central NC. The structure mirrors South Carolina's Apprenticeship Carolina (employer pays tuition and wages) but the NC program is newer and smaller.
Specific apprenticeship-track partnerships in NC:
- Blue Ridge Community College NC Mechatronics Apprenticeship: primary western NC pipeline
- Toyota T-TEN (expected expansion as Toyota Battery NC ramps)
- Caterpillar ThinkBIG (available at participating NCCCS schools)
- Honda Manufacturing Apprenticeship (Honda Aero technician pipeline)
How to pay for a mechatronics AAS in North Carolina
- NCCCS in-state tuition: around $2,432 per year. Cheapest community college tuition in the country.
- Federal Pell Grants: up to $7,395/year for eligible students. Covers tuition entirely plus contributes to living expenses for most NC residents.
- NC Forgivable Education Loans for Service (FELS): targeted aid for high-demand workforce sectors including manufacturing.
- NC ApprenticeshipNC: covers tuition for apprentices placed with sponsoring employers.
- Longleaf Commitment Grant: NC state grant covering tuition and fees for eligible community college students with family income under $80,000.
Practical out-of-pocket cost for most NC residents: zero tuition. With Pell + Longleaf Commitment + apprenticeship sponsorship stacking, most students finish the AAS with no debt and modest living-expense costs absorbed by part-time work or apprenticeship wages.
Transferring a North Carolina mechatronics AAS to a bachelor's degree
- NC State / UNC Asheville joint Mechatronics Engineering BS: EAC-accredited, in-state public tuition under $7,500/year. The strongest in-state engineer-track laddering option. Geographically convenient if you are in western NC.
- East Carolina University BS in Industrial Technology: accepts 64 credits from the Alamance AAS. Solid technologist-track laddering.
- UNC Charlotte BS in Engineering Technology: accepts NCCCS AAS transfers cleanly.
- NC A&T BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering: HBCU option, accepts technical college transfers with bridge coursework.
- ECPI University BS in Electronic Systems Engineering Technology (online): ABET-ETAC accredited, fully online, accepts AAS transfers. Designed for working technicians.
Best North Carolina cities for mechatronics careers
Burlington / Greensboro / Winston-Salem (Piedmont Triad)
Home to Alamance Community College, Honda Aero, LabCorp, Volvo Trucks. The densest concentration of mechatronics employment in NC.
Liberty / Greensboro
Toyota Battery NC's $13.9B EV plant is the largest new NC manufacturing project in history. Hiring through 2027 and beyond.
Asheville / Hendersonville / Flat Rock
Home to Blue Ridge Community College. Smaller western NC manufacturing base. GE Aviation has facilities in Asheville (Composites of Asheville).
Charlotte / Concord
Banking and finance dominate, but Charlotte has growing aerospace, racing, and energy-equipment manufacturing. Siemens Charlotte energy operations are a major employer.
Research Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill)
Pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturing dominates. Higher pay, more regulatory complexity, less discrete-manufacturing work.
How we ranked North Carolina mechatronics programs
Every program scored on our standard 7-factor methodology: accreditation (25 percent), program leadership (15 percent), pathways and laddering (15 percent), delivery format (15 percent), employer signal (15 percent), cost and affordability (10 percent), reputation (5 percent). See the full methodology breakdown. The two NC AAS programs score close to each other. Picking between them comes down to geography and apprenticeship preference.
North Carolina mechatronics AAS: frequently asked questions
Which North Carolina community college has the best mechatronics program?
How much does a North Carolina mechatronics AAS cost?
What does a mechatronics technician earn in North Carolina?
Can I transfer an NC mechatronics AAS to a bachelor's degree?
What is the NC Mechatronics Apprenticeship?
Sources
- BLS OEWS for SOC 17-3024 and 17-3027 in NC, May 2024 release.
- NCCCS A40350 Mechatronics Engineering Technology curriculum standard.
- Economic Development Partnership of NC manufacturing investment data, including Toyota Battery NC.
- GE Honda Aero Engines: HF120 turbofan engine production and Burlington, NC employment.
- NC Department of Commerce: state manufacturing workforce data.
- ABET Accredited Program Search for NC mechatronics programs.
- SACSCOC: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission institutional accreditation for both schools.
- Alamance CC Mechatronics Engineering Technology program page.
- Blue Ridge CC Mechatronics Engineering Technology program page.