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38 schools in North Carolina offer hvac-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data.
North Carolina licenses HVAC at the state level: contracting heating or cooling work requires a Heating Group 1, 2, or 3 license (Class I for all buildings, Class II for limited scope) from the State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors. Exam eligibility takes 2 years (4,000 hours) of on-site experience, with up to 2,000 hours substitutable by related academic or technical training; expect a $100 exam fee and a $150 annual license fee. Apprenticeship hours count in full toward the experience requirement.
Official source: North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors · Exam: Board contractor examination for the specific Heating Group and Class (must be taken within the eligibility window after approval). · Typical requirement: 2 years (4,000 hours) of on-site, full-time experience installing, maintaining, servicing, or repairing systems in the category applied for — up to half (2,000 hours) may be replaced by directly related academic or technical training (45 quarter / 30 semester hours). Background check; $100 non-refundable examination fee per exam; $150 annual license fee. (A $30 application fee applies only to licensure without examination, such as reciprocity or military-equivalency applicants.)
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Community College | Shelby | public | $995 | 30.6% | $33,755 |
| Johnston Community College | Smithfield | public | $1,776 | 40.5% | $37,310 |
| Rockingham Community College | Wentworth | public | $2,060 | 32.3% | $32,480 |
| Wayne Community College | Goldsboro | public | $2,245 | 39.8% | $34,148 |
| College of the Albemarle | Elizabeth City | public | $2,253 | 34% | $33,234 |
| Central Piedmont Community College | Charlotte | public | $3,345 | 24% | $37,865 |
| Wilson Community College | Wilson | public | $3,064 | 29.5% | $32,973 |
| Sampson Community College | Clinton | public | $3,108 | 36.5% | $33,409 |
| Vance-Granville Community College | Henderson | public | $3,286 | 31.9% | $34,304 |
| Robeson Community College | Lumberton | public | $2,892 | 37% | $29,036 |
| Martin Community College | Williamston | public | $2,676 | 36% | $26,016 |
| Fayetteville Technical Community College | Fayetteville | public | $3,589 | 28.2% | $31,861 |
| Surry Community College | Dobson | public | $4,961 | 47% | $36,012 |
| Southwestern Community College | Sylva | public | $5,207 | 41.4% | $34,145 |
| Stanly Community College | Albemarle | public | $5,721 | 37.7% | $36,686 |
| Central Carolina Community College | Sanford | public | $5,446 | 41.6% | $33,525 |
| Richmond Community College | Hamlet | public | $5,071 | 36.7% | $29,951 |
| Alamance Community College | Graham | public | $6,109 | 33.1% | $34,241 |
| South Piedmont Community College | Polkton | public | $6,675 | 26.9% | $37,308 |
| Gaston College | Dallas | public | $6,592 | 44.1% | $35,386 |
| Roanoke-Chowan Community College | Ahoskie | public | $5,570 | 20.4% | $29,324 |
| Mitchell Community College | Statesville | public | $6,481 | 34.9% | $33,298 |
| Pitt Community College | Winterville | public | $7,337 | 29.3% | $37,259 |
| Wake Technical Community College | Raleigh | public | $8,759 | 31.8% | $41,769 |
| Forsyth Technical Community College | Winston-Salem | public | $7,200 | 32.9% | $34,139 |
| Rowan-Cabarrus Community College | Salisbury | public | $7,981 | 32% | $34,936 |
| McDowell Technical Community College | Marion | public | $7,784 | 34.4% | $33,035 |
| Davidson-Davie Community College | Thomasville | public | $8,753 | 38.3% | $36,337 |
| Tri-County Community College | Murphy | public | $7,799 | 34% | $32,232 |
| Cape Fear Community College | Wilmington | public | $9,610 | 39.7% | $38,654 |
| Coastal Carolina Community College | Jacksonville | public | $9,461 | 32.7% | $36,444 |
| Catawba Valley Community College | Hickory | public | $10,528 | 34% | $36,977 |
| Southeastern Community College | Whiteville | public | $9,148 | 37.7% | $30,284 |
| Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College | Asheville | public | $11,602 | 33.6% | $36,048 |
| Montgomery Community College | Troy | public | $13,832 | 66.7% | $32,742 |
| Guilford Technical Community College | Jamestown | public | $15,002 | 27.4% | $33,934 |
| Universal Technical Institute-Mooresville | Mooresville | private for-profit | $28,915 | 62.4% | $52,873 |
| Southeastern College-Charlotte | Charlotte | private for-profit | $30,611 | 68.3% | $31,548 |
Ranking = median earnings 10 years after entry per $1,000 of average yearly net price (methodology). Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.
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