Minnesota · Heating

Best colleges for Heating in Minnesota

Ranked by graduate earnings

Hennepin Technical College, St Cloud Technical and Community College and Century College are the top Heating programs in Minnesota by graduate earnings. Hennepin Technical College leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $65,592, College Scorecard. Century College, Hennepin Technical College and Minnesota State Community and Technical College award the most Heating degrees and certificates in Minnesota: 163, 142 and 38 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 11 Minnesota colleges offer Heating and award 536 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician program prepares students for careers in the mechanical and repair technologies field. This program focuses on the essential skills needed to…

Institutions
11
offering CIP 47.02
States offered
50
with a program page
Degrees / yr
536
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$52,870
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
7
College Scorecard
Median net price
$25,132
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
45%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
$73,990
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 7 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Hennepin Technical College
Brooklyn Park Public · Associate degree
$65,59214242%—$20,000
2St Cloud Technical and Community College
Saint Cloud Public · Certificate
$57,1783845%—$10,394
3Century College
White Bear Lake Public · Certificate
$52,87016331%—$13,000
4Dakota County Technical College
Rosemount Public · Certificate
$52,0792658%——
5Dunwoody College of Technology
Minneapolis Private not-for-profit · Associate degree
$47,0762866%$25,132$17,500
6Minnesota State Community and Technical College
Fergus Falls Public · Certificate
$46,2853847%—$7,500
7Minneapolis Community and Technical College
Minneapolis Public · Associate degree
$56,1914020%—$20,000

Colleges awarding the most Heating degrees in Minnesota

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1Century College
White Bear Lake Public
163$52,870
2Hennepin Technical College
Brooklyn Park Public
142$65,592
3Minnesota State Community and Technical College
Fergus Falls Public
38$46,285
4St Cloud Technical and Community College
Saint Cloud Public
38$57,178
5Dunwoody College of Technology
Minneapolis Private not-for-profit
28$47,076
6Dakota County Technical College
Rosemount Public
26$52,079
7South Central College
North Mankato Public
20Not reported
8Northwest Technical College
Bemidji Public
18Not reported
9Northland Community and Technical College
Thief River Falls Public
13Not reported
10Minnesota North College
Hibbing Public
10Not reported
Show the other 1 Minnesota colleges offering Heating
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Minneapolis Community and Technical CollegeMinneapolisPublic40

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+8.1%
Much faster than average
Openings / yr (US)
~40,100
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$59,810
typically Postsecondary nondegree award

Top skills

Critical ThinkingReading ComprehensionActive ListeningMonitoringSpeakingActive Learning

What Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers earn in Minnesota

Jobs in Minnesota
4,200
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$73,990
median $76,350
Best-paying metro
$76,270
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

Related careers

Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
$73,990 avg · 4,200 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Heating programs in Minnesota.

Which Minnesota colleges award the most Heating degrees?+

Century College (163 graduates a year), Hennepin Technical College (142 graduates a year) and Minnesota State Community and Technical College (38 graduates a year) award the most Heating degrees and certificates in Minnesota, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 11 Minnesota colleges offer Heating.

What is the best college for Heating in Minnesota?+

By graduate earnings, Hennepin Technical College leads among Heating programs in Minnesota, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $65,592, College Scorecard. St Cloud Technical and Community College and Century College follow. By degrees awarded, Century College is the largest, with 163 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which Heating program in Minnesota has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Hennepin Technical College tops the list at $65,592. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers earn in Minnesota?+

The average annual wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Minnesota is $73,990 (median $76,350), across about 4,200 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Heating program?+

The Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician program prepares students for careers in the mechanical and repair technologies field. This program focuses on the essential skills needed to…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop critical thinking, reading comprehension, active listening, monitoring, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers?+

The national job outlook is about +8.1% growth with around 40,100 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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