Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR): is this associate's degree worth it?
National picture across 42 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Positive payoff
+$13,457 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
This is a positive modeled result. Price, time to finish and future earnings can still change the outcome.
9.0 yrsModeled economic break-even
+11%Modeled 10-year ROI
$58,608Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$58,608Median reported earnings · year 4
$53,925Average reported earnings · year 5
$17,366Median federal debt
71thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
42Reporting programs
42With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$49,445National median$58,60875th percentile$63,337
42 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Minneapolis Community and Technical College$87,7862Hennepin Technical College$86,7333Century College$76,9724Dunwoody College of Technology$75,4995Northern Virginia Community College$75,3186Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology$68,0727Pikes Peak State College$67,3088Southeast Community College Area$65,4629Hudson Valley Community College$64,51510Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology$64,183Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and InstallersSOC 49-9021 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis Community and Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $87,786 | $20,000 | +264% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Hennepin Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Brooklyn Park, MN | $86,733 | $20,000 | +278% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | Century CollegeAssociate's Degree | White Bear Lake, MN | $76,972 | $11,500 | +186% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | Dunwoody College of TechnologyAssociate's Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $75,499 | $17,500 | +112% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | Northern Virginia Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Annandale, VA | $75,318 | Not available | +176% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | Oklahoma State University Institute of TechnologyAssociate's Degree | Okmulgee, OK | $68,072 | $11,500 | +106% | Strong payoff |
| 7 | Pikes Peak State CollegeAssociate's Degree | Colorado Springs, CO | $67,308 | Not available | +119% | Strong payoff |
| 8 | Southeast Community College AreaAssociate's Degree | Lincoln, NE | $65,462 | Not available | +89% | Positive payoff |
| 9 | Hudson Valley Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Troy, NY | $64,515 | $12,000 | +82% | Positive payoff |
| 10 | Spartan College of Aeronautics and TechnologyAssociate's Degree | Broomfield, CO | $64,183 | Not available | +28% | Positive payoff |
| 11 | Southeast Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Sioux Falls, SD | $63,423 | Not available | +48% | Positive payoff |
| 12 | Ivy Tech Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Indianapolis, IN | $63,337 | $7,250 | +75% | Positive payoff |
| 13 | Harrisburg Area Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Harrisburg, PA | $63,249 | Not available | +53% | Positive payoff |
| 14 | Wake Technical Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Raleigh, NC | $63,100 | Not available | +68% | Positive payoff |
| 15 | SUNY College of Technology at AlfredAssociate's Degree | Alfred, NY | $62,447 | $12,000 | +45% | Positive payoff |
| 16 | Pennsylvania College of TechnologyAssociate's Degree | Williamsport, PA | $61,925 | $13,975 | +21% | Positive payoff |
| 17 | Thaddeus Stevens College of TechnologyAssociate's Degree | Lancaster, PA | $61,610 | $10,096 | +41% | Positive payoff |
| 18 | Spokane Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Spokane, WA | $60,443 | $17,231 | +53% | Positive payoff |
| 19 | Intellitec College-Grand JunctionAssociate's Degree | Grand Junction, CO | $60,311 | Not available | +19% | Positive payoff |
| 20 | University of Northwestern OhioAssociate's Degree | Lima, OH | $59,801 | $13,084 | +11% | Positive payoff |
| 21 | Gwinnett Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Lawrenceville, GA | $59,306 | Not available | +38% | Positive payoff |
| 22 | University of Arkansas Community College-MorriltonAssociate's Degree | Morrilton, AR | $57,910 | Not available | +20% | Positive payoff |
| 23 | Monroe Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Rochester, NY | $57,305 | Not available | +20% | Positive payoff |
| 24 | Rosedale Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Pittsburgh, PA | $55,380 | $12,000 | -20% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | State Technical College of MissouriAssociate's Degree | Linn, MO | $54,641 | Not available | -20% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | New Castle School of TradesAssociate's Degree | New Castle, PA | $53,648 | $9,219 | -19% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | Intellitec College-Colorado SpringsAssociate's Degree | Colorado Springs, CO | $50,904 | $19,000 | -61% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | San Joaquin Valley College-VisaliaAssociate's Degree | Visalia, CA | $49,445 | $19,635 | -69% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | San Joaquin Valley College-BakersfieldAssociate's Degree | Bakersfield, CA | $49,445 | $19,635 | -67% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | San Joaquin Valley College-Trades Education CenterAssociate's Degree | Fresno, CA | $49,445 | $19,635 | -70% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | San Joaquin Valley College-OntarioAssociate's Degree | Ontario, CA | $49,445 | $19,635 | -69% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | San Joaquin Valley College-HesperiaAssociate's Degree | Hesperia, CA | $49,445 | $19,635 | -68% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | San Joaquin Valley College-TemeculaAssociate's Degree | Temecula, CA | $49,445 | $19,635 | -69% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | San Joaquin Valley College-LancasterAssociate's Degree | Lancaster, CA | $49,445 | $19,635 | -69% | Negative payoff |
| 35 | San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho MirageAssociate's Degree | Rancho Mirage, CA | $49,445 | $19,635 | -70% | Negative payoff |
| 36 | Guilford Technical Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Jamestown, NC | $46,305 | Not available | -89% | Negative payoff |
| 37 | Penn Commercial Business/Technical SchoolAssociate's Degree | Washington, PA | $45,920 | Not available | -93% | Negative payoff |
| 38 | South Texas CollegeAssociate's Degree | McAllen, TX | $41,483 | Not available | -138% | Negative payoff |
| 39 | Paris Junior CollegeAssociate's Degree | Paris, TX | $32,045 | Not available | -223% | Negative payoff |
| 40 | Pittsburgh Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | , | $53,840 | $14,499 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 41 | Triangle Tech Inc-GreensburgAssociate's Degree | , | $49,280 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 42 | Triangle Tech Inc-PittsburghAssociate's Degree | , | $37,343 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.