2026 Best Value Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician Schools in Michigan

[Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician](/majors/engineering-technologies/environmental-control-technology/heating-ventilation-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-engineering-technology-technician/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician students.
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2026 Best Value Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician Schools in Michigan
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician Schools
Oakland Community College tops our 2026 list of the best value heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician schools in Michigan. Set in the suburb of Auburn Hills, Oakland Community College is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $3,120, with out-of-state students paying around $5,560. Typical student debt for heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician graduates is $15,865. Early-career heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician graduates make about $43,205. That is a strong return on a $15,865 median debt.
A rank of #2 makes Macomb Community College one of the best values for heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician. Located in the city of Warren, Macomb Community College is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $3,660 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $8,370. Students borrow a median of $9,862 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 Macomb Community College generally make around $38,758. Set against $9,862 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Ferris State University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician schools. Located in the town of Big Rapids, Ferris State University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $14,778 in tuition and fees. Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Engineering Technology/technician graduates carry a median of $11,000 in student loans. 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%.
Mott Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Flint, Mott Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $6,845 in tuition and fees, compared with $11,460 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician graduates is $20,645. Early-career heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician graduates make about $37,989. That is a strong return on a $20,645 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in heating, ventilation, air conditioning & refrigeration engineering technology/technician will find it at Northwestern Technological Institute, which ranked #5. Northwestern Technological Institute is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Southfield. Students borrow a median of $9,500 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 Northwestern Technological Institute generally make around $36,015. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 10 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.