2026 Best Value Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Schools in Virginia
[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. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 28 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 Virginia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration Schools
For return on investment in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration, no school beat Virginia Highlands Community College this year. Set in the suburb of Abingdon, Virginia Highlands Community College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,022, with out-of-state students paying around $11,460. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates is $7,490. Soon after graduation, heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration degree recipients from Virginia Highlands Community College generally make around $33,529. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Wytheville Community College earned it the #2 place for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration. Wytheville Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Wytheville. Students from in state pay about $5,007 in tuition and fees, compared with $11,445 for out-of-state students. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration graduates carry a median of $9,542 in student loans. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration graduates of Wytheville Community College earn a median of $40,973 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration will find it at Eastern Shore Community College, which ranked #3. Eastern Shore Community College is a small public school located in the rural area of Melfa. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,082, while out-of-state students pay about $11,520. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $32,418.
Central Virginia Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Lynchburg, Central Virginia Community College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,157, with out-of-state students paying around $11,595. Students borrow a median of $10,384 to complete the heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration program here. Soon after graduation, heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration degree recipients from Central Virginia Community College generally make around $32,309. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Virginia Western Community College earned it the #5 place for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration. Virginia Western Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Roanoke. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,400, with out-of-state students paying around $11,838. Students borrow a median of $13,715 to complete the heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration program here. Soon after graduation, heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration degree recipients from Virginia Western Community College generally make around $40,629. Set against $13,715 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
John Tyler Community College came in at #6 for value in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration this year. Located in the suburb of Chester, John Tyler Community College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,082, with out-of-state students paying around $11,520. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates is $11,262. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration graduates of John Tyler Community College earn a median of $36,623 early in their careers. Set against $11,262 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
New River Community College came in at #7 for value in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration this year. Located in the town of Dublin, New River Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,979, with out-of-state students paying around $11,417. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration graduates carry a median of $13,132 in student loans. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration graduates of New River Community College earn a median of $46,892 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Southside Virginia Community College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration schools. Southside Virginia Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Alberta. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,007, while out-of-state students pay about $11,445. Students borrow a median of $7,467 to complete the heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration program here. Early-career heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates make about $29,666. That is a strong return on a $7,467 median debt.
Mountain Empire Community College placed #9 among the best values for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration. Mountain Empire Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Big Stone Gap. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,007, with out-of-state students paying around $11,445. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates is $9,036. Early-career heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates make about $36,988. That is a strong return on a $9,036 median debt.
Danville Community College landed the #10 spot for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration value this year. Located in the town of Danville, Danville Community College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $4,992 in tuition and fees, compared with $11,430 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates is $9,494. Early-career heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates make about $44,922. Set against $9,494 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Tidewater Community College ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration schools. Tidewater Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Norfolk. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,858, compared with $12,296 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates is $14,001. Soon after graduation, heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration degree recipients from Tidewater Community College generally make around $35,627. That is a strong return on a $14,001 median debt.
Northern Virginia Community College placed #12 among the best values for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration. Set in the suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,891, while out-of-state students pay about $12,410. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates is $14,413. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration graduates of Northern Virginia Community College earn a median of $40,126 early in their careers. Set against $14,413 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Advanced Technology Institute landed the #13 spot for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration value this year. Located in the city of Virginia Beach, Advanced Technology Institute is a small private for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,568. Students borrow a median of $15,905 to complete the heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration program here. Soon after graduation, heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration degree recipients from Advanced Technology Institute generally make around $38,243. That is a strong return on a $15,905 median debt. Advanced Technology Institute admits about 54% of applicants.
Fortis College Richmond came in at #14 for value in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration this year. Set in the suburb of Richmond, Fortis College Richmond is a small private for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,688. Students borrow a median of $10,649 to complete the heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration program here. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration graduates of Fortis College Richmond earn a median of $32,955 early in their careers. Set against $10,649 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Cet Alexandria ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the best value heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration schools. Located in the suburb of Alexandria, Cet Alexandria is a small private not-for-profit university. Students borrow a median of $6,160 to complete the heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration program here. Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation & Refrigeration graduates of Cet Alexandria earn a median of $35,970 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $6,160 median debt.
Tidewater Tech Trades came in at #16 for value in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration this year. Tidewater Tech Trades is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Norfolk. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,337. Students borrow a median of $14,750 to complete the heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration program here. Early-career heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates make about $30,448. Set against $14,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Centura College Newport News came in at #17 for value in heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration this year. Located in the city of Newport News, Centura College Newport News is a small private for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,637. Typical student debt for heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates is $14,750. Early-career heating, air conditioning, ventilation & refrigeration graduates make about $29,395. Set against $14,750 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 · 28 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.
