2027 Best Value Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician](/majors/engineering-technologies/environmental-control-technology/heating-ventilation-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-engineering-technology-technician/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician students.
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2027 Best Value Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician Schools
For return on investment in heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician, no school beat Macomb Community College this year. Set in the city of Warren, Macomb Community College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $3,660 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $8,370. Typical student debt for heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician graduates is $9,862. Soon after graduation, heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician degree recipients from Macomb Community College generally make around $38,758. Set against $9,862 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Kalamazoo Valley Community College earned it the #2 place for heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician. Kalamazoo Valley Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Kalamazoo. Students from in state pay about $4,144 in tuition and fees, compared with $9,094 for out-of-state students. Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Engineering Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $15,525 in student loans. Soon after graduation, heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician degree recipients from Kalamazoo Valley Community College generally make around $44,198. That is a strong return on a $15,525 median debt.
Stark State College came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician schools. Located in the suburb of North Canton, Stark State College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,790, while out-of-state students pay about $7,886. Students borrow a median of $17,349 to complete the heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician program here. Soon after graduation, heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician degree recipients from Stark State College generally make around $42,724. Set against $17,349 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Ferris State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the town of Big Rapids, Ferris State University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $14,778 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $11,000 to complete the heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician program here. Early-career heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician graduates make about $48,795. That is a strong return on a $11,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 91%.
Columbus State Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Columbus, Columbus State Community College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,488, with out-of-state students paying around $11,224. Typical student debt for heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician graduates is $9,041. Graduates go on to earn a median of $39,435 ten years after entry. That is a strong return on a $9,041 median debt.
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician schools. 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, while out-of-state students pay about $7,203. Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Engineering Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $14,997 in student loans. Soon after graduation, heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering 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.
Clark State Community College landed the #7 spot for heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician value this year. Located in the city of Springfield, Clark State Community College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,393, compared with $8,049 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician graduates is $20,740. Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Engineering Technology/technician graduates of Clark State Community College earn a median of $39,734 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Polaris Career Center landed the #8 spot for heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician value this year. Polaris Career Center is a small public school located in the suburb of Middleburg Heights. Typical student debt for heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician graduates is $6,365. Early-career heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician graduates make about $37,480. Set against $6,365 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Terra State Community College placed #9 among the best values for heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician. Set in the rural area of Fremont, Terra State Community College is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,748, while out-of-state students pay about $8,544. Students borrow a median of $24,070 to complete the heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician program here. Soon after graduation, heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician degree recipients from Terra State Community College generally make around $63,495. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Portage Lakes Career Center placed #10 among the best values for heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician. Portage Lakes Career Center is a small public school located in the suburb of Uniontown. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $38,316.
Midwest Technical Institute Springfield Il placed #11 among the best values for heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician. Located in the city of Springfield, Midwest Technical Institute Springfield Il is a mid-sized private for-profit university. Typical student debt for heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician graduates is $9,500. Soon after graduation, heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician degree recipients from Midwest Technical Institute Springfield Il generally make around $31,905. Set against $9,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Northwestern Technological Institute ranked #12 on our 2027 list of the best value heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician schools. Northwestern Technological Institute is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Southfield. Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Engineering Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $9,500 in student loans. Early-career heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician graduates make about $36,015. 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), 2027 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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 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.
