Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) programs in California
52 schools in California teach this, at certificate or associate level. 28 of them report what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $53,108 at Institute for Business and Technology.
What this work pays in California
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in California earn a median of $72,560 a year across 35,130 jobs. That is what the occupation pays everyone in it — not what graduates of any one program below earned.
Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
Schools
| School | Credential | Median debt | Graduate earnings, 2 yrs | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institute for Business and Technology San Jose | Undergraduate certificate | $9,238 | $53,108 (36 grads) | 159 |
| National Career Education Citrus Heights | Undergraduate certificate | $9,238 | $53,108 (36 grads) | 115 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield Bakersfield | Undergraduate certificate | $13,000 | $39,009 (19 grads) | 18 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Hesperia Hesperia | Undergraduate certificate | $13,000 | $39,009 (19 grads) | 26 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Lancaster Lancaster | Undergraduate certificate | $13,000 | $39,009 (19 grads) | 23 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario Ontario | Undergraduate certificate | $13,000 | $39,009 (19 grads) | 24 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Mirage Rancho Mirage | Undergraduate certificate | $13,000 | $39,009 (19 grads) | 17 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Temecula Temecula | Undergraduate certificate | $13,000 | $39,009 (19 grads) | 31 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Trades Education Center Fresno | Undergraduate certificate | $13,000 | $39,009 (19 grads) | 14 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia Visalia | Undergraduate certificate | $13,000 | $39,009 (19 grads) | 64 |
| Capstone College Pasadena | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $37,424 (27 grads) | 67 |
| InterCoast Colleges-Fairfield Fairfield | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $37,291 (102 grads) | 32 |
| InterCoast Colleges-Rancho Cordova Rancho Cordova | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $37,291 (102 grads) | 44 |
| InterCoast Colleges-Riverside Riverside | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $37,291 (102 grads) | 8 |
| InterCoast Colleges-West Covina West Covina | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $37,291 (102 grads) | 16 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield Bakersfield | Associate's degree | $19,584 | $34,921 (190 grads) | 3 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Hesperia Hesperia | Associate's degree | $19,584 | $34,921 (190 grads) | 4 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Lancaster Lancaster | Associate's degree | $19,584 | $34,921 (190 grads) | 5 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario Ontario | Associate's degree | $19,584 | $34,921 (190 grads) | 8 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Mirage Rancho Mirage | Associate's degree | $19,584 | $34,921 (190 grads) | 0 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Temecula Temecula | Associate's degree | $19,584 | $34,921 (190 grads) | 8 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Trades Education Center Fresno | Associate's degree | $19,584 | $34,921 (190 grads) | 0 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia Visalia | Associate's degree | $19,584 | $34,921 (190 grads) | 10 |
| Institute of Technology Clovis | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $33,138 (191 grads) | 178 |
| CET-Coachella Coachella | Undergraduate certificate | $6,160 | $31,964 (281 grads) | 32 |
| CET-Colton Colton | Undergraduate certificate | $6,160 | $31,964 (281 grads) | 18 |
| CET-San Jose San Jose | Undergraduate certificate | $6,160 | $31,964 (281 grads) | 22 |
| Mayfield College Cathedral City | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $30,926 (155 grads) | 46 |
| Brownson Technical School Anaheim | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 161 |
| California Aeronautical University Bakersfield | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| Charles A Jones Career and Education Center Sacramento | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 10 |
| DeHart Technical School Modesto | Undergraduate certificate | $8,950 | not published | 62 |
| UEI College-Bakersfield Bakersfield | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | not published | 75 |
| UEI College-Chula Vista Chula Vista | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | not published | 125 |
| UEI College-Fresno Fresno | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | not published | 139 |
| UEI College-Garden Grove Garden Grove | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | not published | 160 |
| UEI College-Gardena Gardena | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | not published | 79 |
| UEI College-Huntington Park Huntington Park | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | not published | 93 |
| UEI College-Oceanside Oceanside | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | not published | 129 |
| UEI College-Ontario Ontario | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | not published | 166 |
| UEI College-Reseda Reseda | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | not published | 141 |
| UEI College-Riverside Riverside | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | not published | 120 |
| UEI College-Sacramento Sacramento | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | not published | 50 |
| UEI College-Stockton Stockton | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | not published | 104 |
| UEI College-West Covina West Covina | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | not published | 64 |
| ATA College El Cajon | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| American College of Healthcare and Technology Riverside | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 12 |
| American College of Healthcare and Technology Huntington Park | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 6 |
| Baldwin Park Adult & Community Education Baldwin Park | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 17 |
| Hacienda La Puente Adult Education La Puente | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 23 |
| Mayfield College Cathedral City | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| National Polytechnic College Lakewood | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 4 |
A dash under earnings or debt means the U.S. Department of Education has not published a figure for that program — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates, which covers about four of every five programs. It never means zero, and it says nothing about whether the program is any good. Where a figure is shown, the number of graduates behind it is shown with it.
Email me when these figures change
The U.S. Department of Education publishes new cost, debt and earnings figures once a year, and every number on this page changes at once. One email when that happens for Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) — nothing else, and nothing in between.
Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.