Texas HVAC Training
When Davey Crockett, who would become a legend at the Battle of the Alamo, lost his Tennessee seat in the House of Representatives in 1835, he famously said his constituents could go to hell and he would go to Texas. Hell is almost as hot as a West Texas summer, and the HVAC Schools of Texas have their work cut out for them.
More than 150 years later, the quote feels as much like a statement about Texas’ hot-as-Hades climate as a reflection of its natives’ rugged individualism. Chronic drought is a fact of life in Texas, as in most of the Southwest. But contrary to The Lone Star State’s rustic image, this is an urban state with most of its 26 million residents living in cities.
With a scorching hot climate for the vast majority of the year and the fastest-growing population in the country, Texas is an ideal place to launch a career in an industry that never lacks for demand in a state this close to the equator: air conditioning.
The state’s size and population is reflected by the more than 50 schools that offer certification programs in heating, venting and air conditioning (HVAC). Nearly any part of this sprawling state has a school that produces many graduates every year.
There are various levels of certification for those interested in this potentially lucrative career. Three basic levels of certification authorize graduates to perform most HVAC work in the state where they received their certification. However, there is also an EPA certification that is universal and allows graduates to work in all 50 states and even other countries.
All certification programs typically last two weeks for those capable of participating in full-time classes 5-6 days a week, but part-time courses are also available. Those courses often last 12 weeks but allow the student to split their time for other responsibilities.
As a state with a large Hispanic population, many schools also offer courses in Spanish.
Course Costs
The cost of an HVAC certification course can vary widely depending on the length of the program and how many of the related costs (textbooks and other fees) are actually included in the total tuition.
A typical HVAC certification course costs around $2,000, though even community colleges offer a cost range depending on how many levels of certification a student wants to pass.
Tuition at Austin Community College in Austin, for example, ranges from $2,144 to $4,355, according to the college’s website. At Cedar Valley College in Lancaster, the range is even wider, from $884 to $3,224.
Most major metropolitan areas will have more than program, however. See what schools are available in that area and compare their pricing, but don’t forget to double check how many levels of HVAC certification are covered in each course.
Sorry, we could not find any matching schools
Once you’re done with school, you’ll have to pay the state’s license application fee of $115 for the final test.
Employment and wages
Across the country, more than 300,000 people work HVAC-related jobs, most making more than $40,000 a year. About half of those 300,000 people worked for contractors specializing in plumbing, heating and air conditioning.
The average hourly wage national is about $19 an hour. Salaries for HVAC technicians in Texas are about 6 percent lower than the average salary nationwide, though there are also many more job opportunities in Texas.
HVAC Schools:
Anthem College
70 FM 1960 West
Houston, TX 77090
(281) 943-6260
hvaccareernow.com/school/18/Anthem-College-Houston/19
Programs: Air Conditioning, EPA Certification, Heating, Refrigeration
Lincoln College of Technology
2501 East Arkansas Lane
Grand Prairie, TX 75052
(972) 660-5701
hvaccareernow.com/school/39/Lincoln-College-Of-Technology-Grand-Prairie/35
Programs: Air Conditioning, EPA Certification, Heating, Refrigeration
Amarillo College-Industrial Maintenance Technology
1502 B. Avenue
Amarillo, TX 79111
Phone: (806) 335-4390
www.actx.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration, Welding
Angelina Community College
PO Box 1768
Lufkin, TX 75902
(936) 633-5246
www.angelina.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Heating; Refrigeration
Austin Community College
5930 Middle Fiskville
Austin, TX 78752
(512) 223-7000
www.austincc.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Heating
Brazosport College
500 College Drive
Lake Jackson, TX 77566
(979) 230-3020
www.brazosport.edu/Pages/index.aspx
Programs: Air Conditioning; Construction – Building Trades; Electrical; Heating; Refrigeration
Capital City Trade & Tech
205 E. Riverside Drive
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 444-3257
www.capcitytradetech.com
Programs: Air Conditioning; Heating; Refrigeration
Career Centers of TX-Brownsville
1900 N. Expressway
Brownsville, TX 78521
(956) 547-8200
www.careercenters.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; EPA Certification; Heating; Refrigeration
Central Texas College
PO Box 1800
Killeen, TX 76540
(254) 526-1115
www.ctcd.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Carpentry; Construction – Building Trades; Heating; Refrigeration; Welding
Cisco Junior College
717 E Industrial Blvd.
Abilene, TX 79602
(325) 794-4400
www.cisco.cc.tx.us
Programs: Air Conditioning; Building Maintenance; EPA Certification; Heating; Refrigeration
Coastal Bend College
1411 Bensdale
Pleasanton, TX 78102
(830) 569-4222
www.coastalbend.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Heating; Refrigeration
College of the Mainland
1200 Amburn
Texas City, TX 77591
(888) 258-8859
www.com.edu
Programs: Refrigeration; Welding
Construction Education Foundation
1401-A Royal Lane
DFW Airport, TX 75261
(972) 574-5200
www.ntcef.org
Programs: Air Conditioning; Building Maintenance; Carpentry; Construction – Building Trades; Electrical; EPA Certification; Heating; Plumbing; Refrigeration; Welding
Del Mar College
401 Old Brownsville Road
Corpus Christi, TX 78404
(361) 698-1200
www.delmar.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Building Maintenance; Heating; Refrigeration; Welding
Eastfield College/DCCCD
3737 Motley Drive
Mesquite, TX 75150
(972) 860-7100 www.eastcollege.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Heating
El Paso Community College
PO Box 20500
El Paso, TX 79998
(915) 831-2000
www.epcc.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Electrical; Heating
Everest College
300 Six Flags Dr #100
Arlington, Austin, Houston and San Antonio
(866) 694-5402
hvac.everestcollege.edu/hvac-schools/
Programs: Air Conditioning; EPA Certification; Heating; Refrigeration
Fortis Institute
450 N. Sam Houston Parkway E, Suite 200
Houston, TX 77060
(855) 367-8471
hvac.fortis.edu?csrc=hvacagent.com
Programs: Air Conditioning; EPA Certification; Heating; Refrigeration
Frank Phillips College
1301 W. Roosevelt, Broger, TX 79008
Phone : (806) 457-4200
www.fpc.cc.tx.us
Programs : Air Conditioning; Electrical; Heating; Welding
Galveston College
4102 Avenue Q
Galveston, TX 77550
(409) 944-4242
www.gc.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Heating; Refrigeration; Welding
Grayson County College-West Campus
6101 Grayson Drive
Denison, TX 75020
(903) 465-6030
www.grayson.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Heating; Refrigeration
Hill College
PO Box 1899, Cleburne, TX 76033
(817) 641-9887
www.hillcollege.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Carpentry; Electrical; Heating; Refrigeration; Welding
Houston Community College-Central College
1300 Holman
Houston, TX 77004
(713) 718-6000
www.hccs.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Carpentry; Construction – Building Trades; Electrical; Heating; Plumbing; Refrigeration; Welding
HVAC Training Center
15424 Mound
Hockley, TX 77447
(936) 931-2120
www.hvactc.com
Programs: Air Conditioning; EPA Certification; Heating; Refrigeration
Kilgore College
1100 Broadway
Longview, TX 75662
(903) 753-2642
www.kilgore.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Heating; Refrigeration; Welding
Lamar Institute of Technology
855 East Lavaca
Beaumont, TX 77705
(409) 839-2068
www.theinstitute.lamar.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Heating; Refrigeration; Welding
Lamar State College/PA
1500 Procter Street
Port Arthur, TX 77640
(409) 983-4921
www.lamarpa.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Heating; Refrigeration
Laredo Community College
West End Washington St.
Laredo, TX 78040
(956) 727-5147
www.laredo.cc.tx.us
Programs: Air Conditioning; Building Maintenance; Electrical; Heating; Refrigeration; Welding
Lee College
PO Box 818
Baytown, TX 77522
(281) 427-5611
www.lee.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Electrical; Heating; Refrigeration
Lindsey-Cooper Refrigeration School
815 S. Beltline Road
Irving, TX 75060
(972) 790-7404 www.lindseycooperschool.com
Air Conditioning; Electrical; EPA Certification; Heating; Refrigeration
Midland College
3600 North Garfield
Midland, TX 79705
(432) 685-4687
www.midland.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Heating; Refrigeration; Welding
National Institute of Technology
9100 US Hwy 290 East, Bldg 1 #100
Austin, TX 78754
(512) 928-1933
www.nitschools.com
Programs: Air Conditioning; Electrical; Heating; Refrigeration
National Institute of Technology
6550 First Park Ten Blvd.
San Antonio, TX 78213
(210) 732-7800
www.nitschools.com
Programs: Air Conditioning; Electrical; Heating; Refrigeration
North Central Texas College
1525 W. California Street
Gainesville, TX 76240
(940) 668-7731
www.nctcgainesville@nctc.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Electrical; Heating; Refrigeration
North Harris County College
2700 W Thorne Road
Houston, TX 77073
(281) 618-5675
www.nhmccd.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Electrical; Heating; Refrigeration
North Lake College-DCCCD
5001 N Macarthur Blvd.
Irving, TX 75038
(972) 273-3000
www.northlakecollege.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Carpentry; Construction – Building Trades; Electrical; Heating; Plumbing; Refrigeration
Odessa College
201 W. University
Odessa, TX 79764
(432) 335-6494
www.odessa.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Electrical; EPA Certification; Heating; Plumbing; Refrigeration
Paris Junior College
2400 Clarksville Street
Paris, TX 75460
(903) 785-7661
www.parisjc.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Heating; Refrigeration; Welding
Professional Career Training Institute
227 W. Airtex Drive
Houston, TX 77090
(832) 484-9100
Programs: Air Conditioning; Building Maintenance; Electrical; Heating
San Antonio College of Medical & Dental Assistants
7142 San Pedro Avenue #100
San Antonio, TX 78216
(210) 733-0777
www.sacmda.com
Programs: Air Conditioning; Electrical; Heating; Refrigeration
San Jacinto College
13735 Beamer Road
Houston, TX 77346
(281) 922-3455
www.sjcd.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Electrical; Heating; Refrigeration; Welding
South Plains College
1401 College Avenue
Levelland, TX 79336
(806) 894-9611
www.southplainscollege.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Electrical; Heating; Refrigeration; Welding
South Texas College
PO Box 9701
McAllen, TX 78502
(800) 742-7822
www.southtexascollege.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Construction – Building Trades; Electrical; EPA Certification; Heating; Plumbing; Refrigeration; Welding
Southwest Texas Junior College
2401 Garner Field Road
Uvalde, TX 78801
(830) 591-7255
www.swtjc.net
Programs: Air Conditioning; Heating; Refrigeration; Welding
St. Phillips College-Southwest Campus
800 Quintana Road
San Antonio, TX 78211
(210) 921-4843
www.accd.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Building Maintenance; Construction – Building Trades; Electrical; Heating; Plumbing; Refrigeration
Tarrant County College-South Campus
5301 Campus Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76119
(817) 515-4794
www.tccd.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Construction – Building Trades; Heating; Refrigeration; Welding
Texas State Technical College
300 College Drive
Sweetwater, TX 79556
(325) 235-7360
www.sweetwater.tstc.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Construction – Building Trades; EPA Certification; Heating; Refrigeration; Welding
Texas State Technical College/Waco
3801 Campus Drive
Waco, TX 76705
(254) 867-4850
www.tstc.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Electrical; Heating; Refrigeration
Tyler Junior College
1327 S. Baxter Street
Tyler, TX 75701
(903) 510-2923
www.tyler.cc.tx.us
Programs: Air Conditioning; Heating; Refrigeration
Vernon College-Skills Training Center
2813 Central Expressway E
Wichita Falls, TX 76302
(940) 766-3369
www.vernoncollege.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Electrical; Heating
Victoria College
2200 E. Red River
Victoria, TX 77901
(361) 573-3291
www.victoriacollege.com
Programs: Air Conditioning; Construction – Building Trades; Electrical; EPA Certification; Heating; Refrigeration; Welding
Western Technical Institute
1000 Texas Avenue
El Paso, TX 79901
(915) 532-3737
www.wti-ep.com
Programs: Air Conditioning; EPA Certification; Heating; Refrigeration; Welding
Wharton County Junior College
911 Boling Hwy
Wharton, TX 77488
(979) 532-4560 www.wcjc.edu
Programs: Air Conditioning; Heating; Refrigeration
