38 schools in Texas offer hvac-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 82 registered apprenticeship sponsors in Texas train hvac apprentices — see apprenticeships.
Texas licenses HVAC at the state level through TDLR. Contractors need a Class A or Class B Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License, which requires 48 months of hands-on experience under a licensed contractor in the past 72 months plus a state exam; anyone assisting on maintenance or repair must hold a $20 TDLR technician registration. There is no schooling requirement — supervised field experience (including registered apprenticeship time) is the qualifying path.
Official source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) · Exam: TDLR ACR contractor licensing exam (specific to license class and endorsement); certified technicians also test. Registered technicians take no exam. EPA Section 608 required federally for refrigerant work. · Typical requirement: Contractor: 48 months practical ACR experience under a licensed contractor within the past 72 months (or 36 months plus 12 months holding TDLR technician certification); age 18+; $115 application; liability insurance. Technician registration: age 16+, $20 fee, no exam, must work under a licensed contractor.
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Texas College | McAllen | public | $1,751 | 32.7% | $36,788 |
| Texas Southmost College | Brownsville | public | $3,085 | 32.9% | $41,900 |
| Lamar State College-Port Arthur | Port Arthur | public | $2,846 | 32.5% | $37,120 |
| Dallas College | Dallas | public | $3,214 | 22.8% | $41,714 |
| Del Mar College | Corpus Christi | public | $3,399 | 23.7% | $38,656 |
| El Paso Community College | El Paso | public | $3,206 | 24.1% | $35,212 |
| Brazosport College | Lake Jackson | public | $4,732 | 35.9% | $45,910 |
| Wharton County Junior College | Wharton | public | $4,666 | 24.6% | $44,960 |
| Trinity Valley Community College | Athens | public | $4,092 | 29.1% | $38,567 |
| Kilgore College | Kilgore | public | $5,364 | 33.1% | $37,975 |
| North Central Texas College | Gainesville | public | $6,587 | 24.2% | $45,809 |
| Houston City College | Houston | public | $5,737 | 20.5% | $39,254 |
| Lee College | Baytown | public | $6,879 | 54.5% | $42,178 |
| South Plains College | Levelland | public | $6,791 | 24.2% | $41,276 |
| Hill College | Hillsboro | public | $7,577 | 24% | $39,572 |
| Southwest Texas College | Uvalde | public | $7,372 | 38.9% | $35,563 |
| Paris Junior College | Paris | public | $7,690 | 28.8% | $36,515 |
| Galveston College | Galveston | public | $8,412 | 35.2% | $37,233 |
| Cisco College | Cisco | public | $9,624 | 26.1% | $39,092 |
| Central Texas College | Killeen | public | $10,265 | 17% | $40,995 |
| Texarkana College | Texarkana | public | $8,812 | 44.6% | $34,647 |
| Lone Star College System | The Woodlands | public | $11,252 | 20.2% | $42,466 |
| Tyler Junior College | Tyler | public | $10,206 | 26.2% | $38,140 |
| San Jacinto Community College | Pasadena | public | $12,143 | 32.2% | $43,062 |
| Texas State Technical College | Waco | public | $13,508 | 40.4% | $38,916 |
| Interactive College of Technology | Pasadena | private for-profit | $12,629 | 25.5% | $27,182 |
| Universal Technical Institute-West Texas | Austin | private for-profit | $26,117 | 74.7% | $51,222 |
| Fortis Institute | Houston | private for-profit | $18,332 | 63.9% | $33,193 |
| Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Dallas | Irving | private for-profit | $27,139 | 54.4% | $42,375 |
| Arlington Career Institute | Arlington | private for-profit | $24,633 | 75.2% | $36,674 |
| Lamson Institute | San Antonio | private for-profit | $26,587 | 76% | $38,015 |
| Miller-Motte College-STVT-Arlington | Arlington | private for-profit | $22,520 | 75.8% | $31,102 |
| Remington College-Fort Worth Campus | North Richland Hills | private nonprofit | $25,913 | 51.2% | $31,349 |
| Tulsa Welding School-Dallas Campus | Irving | private for-profit | $34,533 | not reported | $41,067 |
| Fortis College | Houston | private for-profit | $27,964 | 67.4% | $33,193 |
| Tulsa Welding School-Houston | Houston | private for-profit | $35,101 | 68.4% | $41,067 |
| Remington College-Dallas Campus | Dallas | private nonprofit | $29,805 | 56.1% | $31,349 |
| Austin Career Institute LLC | Austin | private for-profit | $17,145 | 84.1% | not reported |
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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