Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) at Apex Technical School

Apex Technical School's HVAC program performs slightly above the middle of the pack nationally, but its value proposition hinges entirely on whether $9,500 in debt feels manageable for starting earnings of $36,136. Among New York's HVAC programs, this ranks at the 60th percentile—solidly above the state median but nowhere near the top performer at Onondaga Cortland Madison BOCES, where graduates earn $42,145.

The concerning detail here is debt. At $9,500, graduates carry 27% more debt than the typical New York HVAC student ($7,422), placing this program in the 75th percentile nationally for debt load. That's not catastrophic—the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.26 means most graduates could realistically pay this off within a year or two of aggressive saving—but you're paying more for middle-tier results. The 16% earnings growth to $41,805 by year four is encouraging and suggests stable career progression in the trades.

For a family comfortable with $9,500 in debt, this program delivers predictable, working-class employment with room for growth. The 59% Pell grant population suggests the school serves students who need accessible training, and the robust sample size means these numbers are reliable. But if minimizing debt is the priority, there are cheaper paths to similar earnings in New York's HVAC market.