2026 Best Value Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician Schools in South Carolina
[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. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 14 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 South Carolina
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
Trident Technical College earned the #1 spot for value among heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician schools in South Carolina. Set in the city of Charleston, Trident Technical College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,546 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $8,620. Students borrow a median of $18,116 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 $50,166. Set against $18,116 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Horry Georgetown Technical College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician schools. Set in the city of Conway, Horry Georgetown Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,518, with out-of-state students paying around $10,978. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician graduates is $9,500. Early-career heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician graduates make about $40,480. Set against $9,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Florence Darlington Technical College earned it the #3 place for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician. Florence Darlington Technical College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Florence. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,636, with out-of-state students paying around $6,772. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician graduates is $7,230. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/technician graduates of Florence Darlington Technical College earn a median of $34,948 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #4 makes York Technical College one of the best values for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician. Set in the city of Rock Hill, York Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,036, compared with $13,340 for out-of-state students. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $10,907 in student loans. Early-career heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician graduates make about $37,626. That is a strong return on a $10,907 median debt.
Midlands Technical College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician schools. Located in the suburb of West Columbia, Midlands Technical College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,100, with out-of-state students paying around $14,700. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $17,611 in student loans. Early-career heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician graduates make about $46,803. That is a strong return on a $17,611 median debt.
Tri County Technical College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician schools. Tri County Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Pendleton. In-state tuition and fees average $4,448, with out-of-state students paying around $12,007. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician graduates is $15,787. Soon after graduation, heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician degree recipients from Tri County Technical College generally make around $43,438. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Technical College Of The Lowcountry came in at #7 for value in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician this year. Located in the city of Beaufort, Technical College Of The Lowcountry is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,156, with out-of-state students paying around $11,916. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $17,110 in student loans. Soon after graduation, heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician degree recipients from Technical College Of The Lowcountry generally make around $44,556. That is a strong return on a $17,110 median debt.
Williamsburg Technical College earned the #8 position for value in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician this year. Williamsburg Technical College is a small public school located in the town of Kingstree. In-state tuition and fees average $4,488, compared with $8,592 for out-of-state students. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $29,935.
Greenville Technical College placed #9 among the best values for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician. Set in the city of Greenville, Greenville Technical College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,495, while out-of-state students pay about $10,775. Students borrow a median of $12,546 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 Greenville Technical College generally make around $50,802. That is a strong return on a $12,546 median debt.
Spartanburg Community College landed the #10 spot for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician value this year. Located in the suburb of Spartanburg, Spartanburg Community College is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,071, compared with $10,135 for out-of-state students. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $10,148 in student loans. Early-career heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician graduates make about $41,598. That is a strong return on a $10,148 median debt.
Piedmont Technical College ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician schools. Set in the town of Greenwood, Piedmont Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,775 in tuition and fees, compared with $6,923 for out-of-state students. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $17,652 in student loans. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/technician graduates of Piedmont Technical College earn a median of $36,577 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $17,652 median debt.
Fortis College Columbia placed #12 among the best values for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician. Located in the city of Columbia, Fortis College Columbia is a small private for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $14,777 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration maintenance technology/technician graduates is $13,000. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/technician graduates of Fortis College Columbia earn a median of $35,785 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 14 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
