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Hvac engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a hvac engineer. Hvac engineers usually study mechanical engineering, heating and air conditioning, or engineering. 62% of hvac engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 705 real hvac engineer resumes to see exactly what hvac engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for hvac engineers are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online hvac engineer courses to help get the education required to be a hvac engineer.
There are certain hvac engineer certifications that you should consider. These hvac engineer certifications include EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA) and Engineer In Training Certification (EIT).
What education do you need to become a hvac engineer?
What degree do you need to be a hvac engineer?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Associate, 10%
- Master's, 9%
- Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 12%
What should I major in to become a hvac engineer?
- Engineering, 8%
- Other Majors, 24%
Most common colleges for hvac engineers
| Hvac engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 9.52% |
| Ferris State University | 9.52% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.94% |
| Wentworth Institute of Technology | 6.35% |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | 6.35% |
Best majors for hvac engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 50.6% |
| 2 | Heating And Air Conditioning | 12.3% |
| 3 | Engineering | 7.5% |
| 4 | Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians | 4.7% |
| 5 | Mechanical Engineering Technology | 3.9% |
Best colleges for hvac engineers
The best colleges for hvac engineers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Duke University.
A hvac engineer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for hvac engineers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become hvac engineers.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. Iowa State University of Science and Technology
Ames, IA • Private
In-state tuition
$8,988
Enrollment
29,248
3. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$53,880
Enrollment
6,590
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
20 best online courses for hvac engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for hvac engineers
The most affordable schools for hvac engineers are Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon, brigham young university, and inter american university of puerto rico san german.
If the best universities for hvac engineers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for hvac engineers.
1. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
13,508
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German
San German, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
14,322
4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$6,686
Cost of attendance
17,885
7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo
Arecibo, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,872
Cost of attendance
13,476
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for hvac engineers
The hardest universities for hvac engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Duke University.
Some great schools for hvac engineers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for hvac engineers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
4. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for hvac engineers
The easiest schools for hvac engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, saint martin's university, and cleveland state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a hvac engineer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for hvac engineers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
3. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
4. Montana Technological University
Butte, MT • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,199
5. University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,113
6. SUNY College of Technology at Canton
Canton, NY • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
997
7. Iowa State University of Science and Technology
Ames, IA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,219
8. University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,050
9. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
10. Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg
Middletown, PA • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,177
Average hvac engineer salary by education level
| Hvac engineer education level | Hvac engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $79,007 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $69,611 |
| Doctorate Degree | $85,777 |
Hvac engineer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025