2026 Best Value Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician Schools in Wisconsin
[Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician](/majors/mechanical-repair-technologies/heating-air-conditioning-ventilation-refrigeration/heating-air-conditioning-ventilation-and-refrigeration-maintenance-technology-technician/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician students.
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2026 Best Value Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician Schools in Wisconsin
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician Schools
Gateway Technical College earned the #1 spot for value among heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician schools in Wisconsin. Gateway Technical College is a large public school located in the city of Kenosha. Students from in state pay about $4,956 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $7,199. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician graduates is $14,829. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/technician graduates of Gateway Technical College earn a median of $42,410 early in their careers. Set against $14,829 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician, landing the #2 spot this year. Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Rice Lake. Students from in state pay about $4,926 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,169 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician graduates is $11,384. Early-career heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician graduates make about $35,981. Set against $11,384 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #3 makes Waukesha County Technical College one of the best values for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician. Located in the suburb of Pewaukee, Waukesha County Technical College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $4,803 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,046 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $16,595 to complete the heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician program here. Early-career heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician graduates make about $46,398. That is a strong return on a $16,595 median debt.
A rank of #4 makes Milwaukee Area Technical College one of the best values for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician. Located in the city of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,184, while out-of-state students pay about $7,427. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician graduates is $18,296. Soon after graduation, heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician degree recipients from Milwaukee Area Technical College generally make around $38,325. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #5 makes Northeast Wisconsin Technical College one of the best values for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician. Located in the city of Green Bay, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,960, with out-of-state students paying around $7,203. Students borrow a median of $14,997 to complete the heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician program here. Soon after graduation, heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician degree recipients from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College generally make around $42,016. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Mid State Technical College placed #6 among the best values for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician. Mid State Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Wisconsin Rapids. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,002, while out-of-state students pay about $7,171. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician graduates is $11,626. Early-career heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician graduates make about $41,678. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Chippewa Valley Technical College earned the #7 position for value in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician this year. Located in the city of Eau Claire, Chippewa Valley Technical College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,844, while out-of-state students pay about $7,087. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $5,500 in student loans. Early-career heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician graduates make about $42,963. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Western Technical College La Cross came in at #8 for value in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician this year. Located in the city of La Crosse, Western Technical College La Cross is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,820, with out-of-state students paying around $7,078. Students borrow a median of $13,669 to complete the heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician program here. Early-career heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician graduates make about $52,820. Set against $13,669 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
