Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) at Clover Park Technical College

With nine HVAC programs in Washington, graduates typically face significantly different outcomes depending on where they train. The top performers in the state—Wenatchee Valley and Spokane Community College—report first-year earnings around $51,000 and $43,000 respectively. For Clover Park, comparable programs nationally suggest earnings around $41,400, which would place this program near the bottom of Washington's range, despite the state's median sitting at $46,700.

The estimated $12,000 in debt makes the financial picture more manageable than many trade programs. That's substantially lower than Washington's typical $17,200 for HVAC degrees and creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.29—meaning the entire loan could theoretically be paid off in about three months of gross income. However, even with modest debt, starting $5,000 below what other Washington HVAC grads typically earn matters when you're building a career in skilled trades.

The key question is whether Clover Park's outcomes actually lag behind state peers or if these estimates just don't capture the program's true performance. Given that Washington HVAC technicians generally command strong wages and the debt load appears reasonable, the program could work—but parents should directly ask the school why their graduate outcomes aren't publicly reported and request job placement data before committing.