Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) at Holmes Community College

The estimated $12,000 debt load for Holmes' HVAC program sits well below the national median of $17,500 for similar programs, creating a favorable 0.29 debt-to-earnings ratio that trades students can typically handle. With first-year earnings estimated around $41,400 based on peer programs nationwide, graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in just a few months of dedicated effort—though the concerning four-year figure of $31,390 suggests either reporting anomalies or challenges in the Mississippi HVAC market that bear investigation.

That earnings drop four years out is unusual for skilled trades, where experience typically commands higher pay. This could reflect measurement issues with suppressed data, or it might signal something about Mississippi's HVAC job market—perhaps limited commercial/industrial opportunities that push experienced technicians into lower-paying residential work, or an oversupply of credentialed workers competing for positions. The state has 11 programs feeding this market, which could create wage pressure.

For families comparing options: the debt burden here looks manageable by community college standards, especially with 42% of students qualifying for Pell grants getting affordable access to training. But the backward earnings trajectory deserves a hard conversation with the program about graduate outcomes and local employment patterns. If Holmes can't provide clearer placement data showing graduates actually achieving those $40,000+ entry wages in Mississippi—not just nationally—consider whether crossing state lines for work or choosing a different trade might be necessary.