Career Training Path › HVAC schools › California
HVAC schools in California
California has 40 accredited campuses awarding hvac credentials. If you finish and work as an HVAC technician in California, expect to start around $46,950–$58,280 and reach a median of $72,560 with experience; the top quarter earn $90,780 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, California). Graduates of these California programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $33,602 in their first year, against $32,848 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What hvac and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn in California
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 35,130 employed in California. National median: $61,010.
Campuses in California, ranked by what their graduates earned
Cities: AnaheimBakersfieldBaldwin ParkCathedral CityChula VistaCitrus HeightsClovisCoachellaColtonEl CajonFairfieldFresnoGarden GroveGardenaHesperiaHuntington ParkLa PuenteLakewoodLancasterModestoOceansideOntarioPasadenaRancho CordovaRancho MirageResedaRiversideSacramentoSan JoseSanta ClaraStocktonTemeculaVisaliaWest Covina
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brownson Technical School | Anaheim | for-profit career school | 189 | $46,101 | not reported | 89% | $36,240 |
| Capstone College | Pasadena | for-profit career college | 73 | $45,899 | $9,500 | 64% | $20,809 |
| Institute for Business and Technology | Santa Clara | for-profit career college | 142 | $41,306 | $9,238 | 84% | $30,501 |
| National Career Education | Citrus Heights | for-profit career school | 53 | $41,306 | $9,238 | 83% | $29,169 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia | Visalia | for-profit college | 60 | $36,355 | $13,000 | not reported | $33,136 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Temecula | Temecula | for-profit career college | 55 | $36,355 | $13,000 | 82% | $30,114 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario | Ontario | for-profit career college | 35 | $36,355 | $13,000 | 64% | $31,279 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield | Bakersfield | for-profit career college | 29 | $36,355 | $13,000 | 58% | $27,534 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Hesperia | Hesperia | for-profit career college | 15 | $36,355 | $13,000 | 63% | $30,880 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Trades Education Center | Fresno | for-profit career college | 11 | $36,355 | $13,000 | 80% | $32,406 |
| DeHart Technical School | Modesto | for-profit career school | 50 | $35,595 | $8,950 | 93% | $31,015 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Lancaster | Lancaster | for-profit career college | 45 | $33,602 | $13,000 | 57% | $32,032 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Mirage | Rancho Mirage | for-profit career college | 12 | $33,602 | $13,000 | 70% | $32,789 |
| CET-Coachella | Coachella | non-profit career school | 37 | $32,866 | $6,160 | 84% | $27,522 |
| CET-San Jose | San Jose | non-profit career school | 14 | $32,866 | $6,160 | 81% | $24,566 |
| CET-Colton | Colton | non-profit career school | 11 | $32,866 | $6,160 | 72% | $23,513 |
| InterCoast Colleges-West Covina | West Covina | for-profit college | 34 | $32,688 | $9,500 | not reported | $35,442 |
| InterCoast Colleges-Rancho Cordova | Rancho Cordova | for-profit career college | 25 | $32,688 | $9,500 | 67% | $30,682 |
| InterCoast Colleges-Fairfield | Fairfield | for-profit career college | 21 | $32,688 | $9,500 | 71% | $26,136 |
| Institute of Technology | Clovis | for-profit career college | 122 | $31,622 | $9,500 | 74% | $29,228 |
| Mayfield College | Cathedral City | for-profit career college | 39 | $30,514 | $9,500 | 82% | $30,596 |
| UEI College-Riverside | Riverside | for-profit career college | 161 | $30,359 | $9,500 | 71% | $33,956 |
| UEI College-Gardena | Gardena | for-profit career college | 91 | $30,359 | $9,500 | 60% | $34,105 |
| UEI College-Sacramento | Sacramento | for-profit career college | 36 | $30,359 | $9,500 | 60% | $33,919 |
| UEI College-Ontario | Ontario | for-profit career college | 198 | $30,225 | $9,500 | 66% | $31,514 |
| UEI College-Garden Grove | Garden Grove | for-profit career college | 123 | $30,225 | $9,500 | 63% | $33,738 |
| UEI College-Reseda | Reseda | for-profit career college | 117 | $30,225 | $9,500 | 74% | $32,929 |
| UEI College-Chula Vista | Chula Vista | for-profit career college | 107 | $30,225 | $9,500 | 71% | $34,257 |
| UEI College-Huntington Park | Huntington Park | for-profit career college | 92 | $30,225 | $9,500 | 70% | $34,673 |
| UEI College-Oceanside | Oceanside | for-profit career college | 81 | $30,225 | $9,500 | 69% | $34,243 |
| UEI College-Stockton | Stockton | for-profit career college | 58 | $30,225 | $9,500 | 71% | $33,047 |
| UEI College-West Covina | West Covina | for-profit career college | 56 | $30,225 | $9,500 | 67% | $32,425 |
| UEI College-Fresno | Fresno | for-profit career college | 173 | not reported | $9,500 | 61% | $33,551 |
| UEI College-Bakersfield | Bakersfield | for-profit career college | 91 | not reported | $9,500 | 69% | $32,499 |
| Baldwin Park Adult & Community Education | Baldwin Park | Public community college | 16 | not reported | not reported | 71% | $11,859 |
| Hacienda La Puente Adult Education | La Puente | Public community college | 11 | not reported | not reported | 77% | $9,138 |
| ATA College | El Cajon | for-profit career college | 10 | not reported | not reported | 90% | $26,134 |
| American College of Healthcare and Technology | Riverside | for-profit career college | 10 | not reported | not reported | 66% | $25,460 |
| National Polytechnic College | Lakewood | for-profit career college | 9 | not reported | not reported | 47% | $34,762 |
| American College of Healthcare and Technology | Huntington Park | for-profit career college | 8 | not reported | not reported | 76% | $23,967 |
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.