Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) at Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology

At $29,266 in first-year earnings, this HVAC program underperforms both the Massachusetts median ($36,950) and national average ($35,749) by roughly $6,500-$7,700 annually. That's a significant gap in a field where graduates should be earning decent money right out of the gate—top HVAC programs in Massachusetts like Motoring Technical Training Institute see graduates earning over $51,000. The 25th percentile ranking among Massachusetts programs means three-quarters of comparable in-state options deliver better outcomes, which matters particularly since these are typically local employment markets.

The modest debt load of $9,500 keeps this program from being a disaster—the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.32 means graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in about four months of gross income. However, that's cold comfort when the earnings themselves fall short of what HVAC technicians should be making. With 40% of students receiving Pell grants, many families here are counting on solid career outcomes to justify even this relatively small investment.

The bottom line: Your child could enter the HVAC field more affordably elsewhere in Massachusetts while earning $7,000+ more per year. Before committing, compare this program's job placement support and employer connections to community colleges like Springfield Technical, which charges less and delivers higher earnings.