Universal Technical Institute Reviews

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My name is Luis Castillo and was a UTI student from Jan. 8, 2007 to July 11, 2009. I took the time to enroll in this school because I wanted to better my education in the Automotive field. i had been an Automotive technition for 12 years before I went to UTI and had the edvantige of already having experiance. I took the Auto and Diesel and Industrial course and graduated with a 3.79, I was'nt even done with school yet and I already had a job lined up for a Seismic company named RXT. Ive been working offshore for the last 2 years and have made twice as much as I would of in the Automotive field and i also get half a year off. I work 5 weeks on and 5 weeks off. last year i made 65000 dollars and this year i got promoted to operator and wil make 75000 a year. I want to thank all the great instructors like Mr. Putnam, Mr. Miller, Mr. Molk, Mr. Garcia, and all the employment staff working hard to help us students of UTI have an opertunity when we graduated. The Diesel classes that I took where fantastic, my Electrical classes where fantastic, basicly all my classes where great and yes, I will have my son go to UTI when he is ready to be a real Technitian. When I left UTI I had all 8 ASE for Master Technitian and that was the pried I took with me when I left UTI.

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As a current student it is safe to say that this school has itʻs ups and downs. Just like every other school in America. Nothing is perfect people. On the first note I will say that waking up at 5 A.M. is a little tiresome but if you take care of your body and get some sleep then it will make the next day go through smoothly. Iʻm not joking when I say, "Youʻll get a good dose of energy drinks." I really think they should do placement tests at this school though (For basic math and reading skills, not automotive skills). Motivation is the key to success in this field. If youʻre not ready to perform as a professional in the shop then Iʻll be the one replacing you, and your ex-employer will be glad to do so. You must build your self-discipline and train your mind to think like a technician. The students complaining about how UTI is a waste of money are the same ones in my classes now that think they know it all before we even start lecture and complain when the school re-instates its dress code policy. IF YOUʻRE NOT READY TO FOLLOW THE RULES YOUʻRE IN THE WRONG FIELD. Itʻs not hard to pull up your pants and tuck your shirt in. Who are you trying to impress by acting like a hard a**? The other 29 guys in the classroom? I must say though that the teachers do get a little cocky and the tend to be more friend biased to the older students with more experience. Overall a great school if youʻre serious about your future.

The money comes later, you must work for it first.

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As a UTI grad, I can tell you that it's worth the cash - ONLY if you *truly* intend to apply yourself.

The school is designed to make success easy for students. Even the most mediocre student can "get by" with a decent enough grade to pass. However, please realize that simply "passing" does not a technician make. Understanding the material is critical to truly taking home what you've paid for. Sadly, this is where the average UTI student is lacking. They "go through the motions", scrape by with a half-way decent grade, and they move on to become Master Lube Technicians because they didn't apply themselves in school. Most don't have the basic math or physics skills to understand the inner workings of today's advanced automobiles.

The negative reviews on this website exposes the low entrance requirement standards. Thanks to Bush and the "No Child Left Behind Law", many unqualified students attend UTI. No child left behind? They're just being "dragged along", if you ask me. Unruly students are ever-present and are dealt with quickly, but they can be a constant irritant and a distraction to students who are actually trying to learn something.

It is definitely a worthwhile school for serious automotive enthusiasts. Don't expect miracles, but you will get out what you put in.

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The admissions people take the time to see if you're really serious about making this a career. All of these comments that are negative on here scream out one thing, "I'll pay you money, you give me stuff automatically." These are the people who won't do anything with their lives no matter what. You get what you give. I graduated from the auto and FACT programs and then went on to Porsche. Now I am, a 27 year old black man living in Georgia for the last 3 years making nearly 6 figures. BECAUSE I WORKED FOR IT. I had a few classmates I knew who were "entitled" to be given something. It's all there to be gotten; you just need to work for it. Some days sucked and I didn't want to go. Some instructors weren't my favorites and I pointed out a couple of things that made us take a second look. That's what they want!!!!! Don't bash UTI because you didn't take what you wanted. If you were having a hard time, you should have been in education demanding help. I did it a couple of times. And guess what, The big universities.....they're out to make money too. Just like you are.

P.S. For the guys who said they went to division 1 schools...go back and learn how to spell.

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my son went to mmi in orlando. it was a tough 14 mths, but for a kid that wasn't a "motor head" growing up he did great. he learned alot and made some great friends from all over the country. He now works full time as a marine tech. he also is able to sell boats just by talking about the motors in them. I agree it was expensive but i feel that it was the best thing to do, go away from home and live on his own for that year. I would do it all over again. He still keeps in contact with the teachers when he has a problem...

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i graduated from the houston campus this past july in the collision program. i graduated will all the certifications, 26 ICAR points, 99.6% attendance, 4.0, honors, etc, etc. it was pretty easy getting a job when i got out but dont expect to make much money. $9-12 an hour in a body shop to start out. if your really good you can get commision and make $18/hr. and with how much your paying for student loans your better off without going to this school. a good shop will give you ICAR training for free. the only good part for me was that my mother paid off my student loan for me and while i was in school i had to become very independent and built up my credit enough to buy a house when i got back home. i dont regret going to the school too much because im able to make ends meet and theres always gonna be a job for me because i have skills now but if i were to do it again i would probably choose a different career path. working in a body shop is a lot of work for little money. i make $10 an hour doing body filler work, tearing down cars and rebuilding them, detailing, driving a tow truck, etc. i have well over $15k in tools and still dont have all the ones i need lol. my suggestion is to do this work in a shop before you consider paying for all theses certifications. i would not recommend this school if you are not very well off financially.

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I am going to give UTI the benefit of the doubt and go with 3 of those orange hats because my son hasn't graduated yet. The reason I am here is to raise concern/awareness as to the manner in which the FINANCIAL AID Department distributes LOANS taken out (IN THE STUDENT AND PARENTS NAME!). The school is paid! With my son's $20,000 scholarship as well as a grant and a small student loan. The problem is that the is a major breakdown, bordering on FRAUD between the recruiters, the academic adviser's, and the accounting/financial aid department.
Our son is owed the sum total of $271 (not much but NOT UTI's money) and they are screwing around with cutting the check.
Moving out of state to go to school is tough - emotionally, mentally and especially FINANCIALY! It's a real kick in the face when money (loan money solely in my son and his fathers name) is, for lack of a more 'fitting' term, being withheld...in fact, I believe it's nothing less than stealing.
I will be contacting the Dean of Students, the Director of Financial Aid and if need be, the Senior Vice President of Admissions, KEN CRANSTON to have this issue PROPERLY resolved. If it is taken care of I will report back to this forum.

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