50 W. Fall Creek Parkway N. Drive, Indianapolis, IN · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 432 HVAC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $5,154
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $48,661 undergraduate certificate
HVAC Schools
HVAC/R technicians install and repair heating, air conditioning, ventilation and refrigeration systems in homes, offices, stores and plants. Training covers electrical controls, airflow, refrigeration cycles, brazing and diagnostics, and most programs prepare you for the federal refrigerant certification.
597schools with grads
23,251awards 2023-24
$17,695median program tuition
10 momedian length
$61,010BLS median pay
By state
- Alabama7 schools
- Alaska3 schools
- Arizona14 schools
- Arkansas16 schools
- California38 schools
- Colorado7 schools
- Connecticut3 schools
- Delaware3 schools
- Florida21 schools
- Georgia27 schools
- Hawaii1 school: Honolulu Community College
- Idaho3 schools
- Illinois30 schools
- Indiana2 schools
- Iowa11 schools
- Kansas12 schools
- Kentucky16 schools
- Louisiana16 schools
- Maine6 schools
- Maryland3 schools
- Massachusetts7 schools
- Michigan16 schools
- Micronesia1 school: College of Micronesia-FSM
- Minnesota11 schools
- Mississippi13 schools
- Missouri12 schools
- Montana2 schools
- Nebraska5 schools
- Nevada3 schools
- New Hampshire1 school: Manchester Community College
- New Jersey7 schools
- New Mexico3 schools
- New York13 schools
- North Carolina36 schools
- North Dakota2 schools
- Ohio29 schools
- Oklahoma23 schools
- Oregon1 school: Portland Community College
- Pennsylvania27 schools
- Puerto Rico6 schools
- Rhode Island1 school: New England Tractor Trailer Training Sch
- South Carolina14 schools
- South Dakota3 schools
- Tennessee25 schools
- Texas38 schools
- Utah7 schools
- Virginia24 schools
- Washington10 schools
- West Virginia7 schools
- Wisconsin11 schools
Largest HVAC programs by graduates
615 N. Stadium Ave., Thatcher, AZ · Public, 4-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 359 HVAC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $2,352
- Median pay 10 yrs, all
- $43,220
5375 Ingram Rd, Deatsville, AL · Public, under 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 338 HVAC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $6,084
1485 Florida Mall Avenue, Orlando, FL · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 318 HVAC
- Largest program 2025-26
- $20,380
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $41,247 undergraduate certificate
1860 University Avenue, Riverside, CA · Private for-profit, under 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 269 HVAC
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $21,500 9 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $40,234 undergraduate certificate
5000 Research Forest Drive, The Woodlands, TX · Public, 4-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 216 HVAC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $3,330
- Median pay 10 yrs, all
- $44,187
19351 W Washington St., Grayslake, IL · Public, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 215 HVAC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $4,901
- Median pay 10 yrs, all
- $47,162
3602 N. Blackstone, Suite 0268, Fresno, CA · Private for-profit, under 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 210 HVAC
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $21,500 9 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $36,787 undergraduate certificate
243A Greens Road, Houston, TX · Private for-profit, under 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 203 HVAC
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $19,500 7 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $41,120 undergraduate certificate
2221 East Norhtern Lights Boulevard, Suite 120, Anchorage, AK · Private for-profit, 4-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 201 HVAC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $18,367
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $48,517 undergraduate certificate
1110 Technology Cir Ste D, Anaheim, CA · Private for-profit, under 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 197 HVAC
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $16,295 10 mo
- Median pay 10 yrs, all
- $74,023
11-05 44th Drive, Long Island City, NY · Private nonprofit, under 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 196 HVAC
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $18,379 8 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $43,596 undergraduate certificate
2955 S Haggerty, Canton, MI · Private for-profit, 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 194 HVAC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $18,081
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $40,744 undergraduate certificate
500 Joliet Road, Suite#100, Willowbrook, IL · Private for-profit, under 2-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 182 HVAC
- Program tuition 2023-24
- $14,685 13 mo
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $43,983 undergraduate certificate
Carr. #2 Edificio National College Plaza, Bayamon, PR · Private for-profit, 4-year
- Grads 2023-24
- 181 HVAC
- In-state tuition/yr 2025-26
- $15,898
- Median pay 1 yr out
- $39,343 undergraduate certificate
Becoming a HVAC technician: licenses and credentials
- Every technician who services equipment that could release refrigerant must hold EPA Section 608 certification. It is a federal requirement, and the test is given by EPA-approved certifying organizations, often at the school. EPA Section 608
- Contractor and mechanical licenses are set by states and some cities, and they differ a lot. Some states license individual technicians, others only the business. Check yours on CareerOneStop's License Finder.
- Many technicians learn through a registered apprenticeship instead of, or after, a certificate. Find an apprenticeship.
BLS puts the median annual wage for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers nationally at $61,010 (middle 80% from $40,050 to $95,210), May 2025. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Questions, answered from the data
How many hvac schools are there?
597 schools reported HVAC graduates to the Department of Education for 2023-24, 23,251 awards in all (20,997 undergraduate certificates, 2,254 associate degrees).
How long is HVAC school?
Among the 129 HVAC programs that reported a length to IPEDS for 2023-24, the median took 10 months to finish. Community college associate degrees usually take two years full time.
How much does HVAC school cost?
At schools that price by program, the median published tuition and fees for a whole HVAC program was $17,695 in 2023-24 (137 programs reporting, from $1,135 to $45,556); public two-year colleges teaching it charge a median $4,620 a year in-state (2025-26). Grants and aid lower what most students pay.
How much does a HVAC technician make?
The BLS median annual wage for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers was $61,010 in May 2025; the lowest-paid 10% earned under $40,050 and the top 10% over $95,210.
What do HVAC graduates earn right after school?
Across 183 schools with College Scorecard data, the median of their graduates' median earnings one year after a certificate was $41,868. Scorecard reports this for the broader program family and only for federally aided graduates.
Sources: IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024_A) and Directory (HD2024), NCES; College Scorecard institution data (2025-26 charges, released Nov 2, 2026) and field-of-study data (Oct 15, 2026); FMCSA Training Provider Registry (as of 2026-11-02); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked 2026-11-02. How we build this list.