2026 Best Value Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Schools in Wisconsin
[Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration](/majors/mechanical-repair-technologies/heating-air-conditioning-ventilation-refrigeration/) 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 students.
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2026 Best Value Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Schools in Wisconsin
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Schools
Gateway Technical College tops our 2026 list of the best value heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration schools in Wisconsin. Located in the city of Kenosha, Gateway Technical College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $4,956 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,199 for out-of-state students. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration graduates carry a median of $14,829 in student loans. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration graduates of Gateway Technical College earn a median of $42,410 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration, landing the #2 spot this year. Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Rice Lake. In-state tuition and fees average $4,926, compared with $7,169 for out-of-state students. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration graduates carry a median of $11,384 in student loans. Soon after graduation, heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration degree recipients from Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College generally make around $35,981. Set against $11,384 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration will find it at Waukesha County Technical College, which ranked #3. Waukesha County Technical College is a large public school located in the suburb of Pewaukee. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,803, compared with $7,046 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates is $16,595. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration graduates of Waukesha County Technical College earn a median of $46,398 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,595 median debt.
Milwaukee Area Technical College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration, landing the #4 spot this year. 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, compared with $7,427 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates is $18,296. Soon after graduation, heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration degree recipients from Milwaukee Area Technical College generally make around $38,325. Set against $18,296 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration schools. Located in the city of Green Bay, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,960, with out-of-state students paying around $7,203. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates is $14,997. Soon after graduation, heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration degree recipients from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College generally make around $42,016. That is a strong return on a $14,997 median debt.
Mid State Technical College placed #6 among the best values for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration. Located in the town of Wisconsin Rapids, Mid State Technical College is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,002, with out-of-state students paying around $7,171. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates is $11,626. Early-career heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates make about $41,678. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Chippewa Valley Technical College came in at #7 for value in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration this year. Set in the city of Eau Claire, Chippewa Valley Technical College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,844, compared with $7,087 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $5,500 to complete the heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration program here. Early-career heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates make about $42,963. Set against $5,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Western Technical College La Cross earned the #8 position for value in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration this year. Western Technical College La Cross is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of La Crosse. In-state tuition and fees average $4,820, while out-of-state students pay about $7,078. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates is $13,669. Soon after graduation, heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration degree recipients from Western Technical College La Cross generally make around $52,820. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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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.
