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Hvac/r instructor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a hvac/r instructor. Hvac/r instructors usually study heating and air conditioning, environmental control technologies/technicians, or business. 41% of hvac/r instructors hold a associate degree, and 20% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 435 real hvac/r instructor resumes to see exactly what hvac/r instructor education sections show.

The most common colleges for hvac/r instructors are the Ferris State University and the Ferris State University.

There are also many online hvac/r instructor courses to help get the education required to be a hvac/r instructor.

There are certain hvac/r instructor certifications that you should consider. These hvac/r instructor certifications include EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA) and OSHA Safety Certificate .

What education do you need to become a hvac/r instructor?

What degree do you need to be a hvac/r instructor?

The most common degree for hvac/r instructors is associate degree, with 41% of hvac/r instructors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 20% and bachelor's degree degree at 13%.
  • Associate, 41%
  • Bachelor's, 20%
  • Diploma, 13%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 18%

What should I major in to become a hvac/r instructor?

You should major in heating and air conditioning to become a hvac/r instructor. 24% of hvac/r instructors major in heating and air conditioning. Other common majors for a hvac/r instructor include environmental control technologies/technicians and business.

Most common colleges for hvac/r instructors

Hvac/r instructors often get their degrees at Ferris State University, University of Phoenix, and New England Institute of Technology. Here are the most common colleges for hvac/r instructors in the US based on their resumes.
Hvac/r instructor common collegePercentages
Ferris State University8.33%
University of Phoenix8.33%
New England Institute of Technology8.33%
Troy University5.56%
San Joaquin Valley College5.56%

Best majors for hvac/r instructors

Best colleges for hvac/r instructors

The best colleges for hvac/r instructors are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A hvac/r instructor 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/r instructors. 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/r instructors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

4. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

5. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

6. University of Alaska Anchorage

Anchorage, AK • Private

In-state tuition

$8,580

Enrollment

10,482

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. Eastern New Mexico University

Portales, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,326

Enrollment

3,347

10. Baker College

Owosso, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$9,800

Enrollment

8,319

20 best online courses for hvac/r instructors

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For beginners or interested as a hobby, everything for basic electricity and electronics is in this course...

7. Refrigeration & Air conditioning - Design and calculation

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Top 10 most affordable universities for hvac/r instructors

The most affordable schools for hvac/r instructors are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for hvac/r instructors 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/r instructors.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

10. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for hvac/r instructors

The hardest universities for hvac/r instructors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for hvac/r instructors 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/r instructors 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

Admissions rate

30%

SAT average

1,339

8. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for hvac/r instructors

The easiest schools for hvac/r instructors to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, holy names university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a hvac/r instructor 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/r instructors.

1. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

6. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Lewis-Clark State College

Lewiston, ID • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,009

9. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

10. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

Average hvac/r instructor salary by education level

According to our data, hvac/r instructors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $58,124 annually. Hvac/r instructors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $48,748.
Hvac/r instructor education levelHvac/r instructor salary
Master's Degree$48,748
Doctorate Degree$58,124

Hvac/r instructor education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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