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

The four-year earnings figure tells the real story here: graduates reach $46,678, a substantial jump from the estimated $35,749 starting point. That trajectory suggests HVAC technicians develop valuable skills quickly, and with peer programs typically requiring around $10,500 in debt, the return accelerates fast. A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.29 means graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in under four months of first-year income—though actual repayment takes longer, this benchmark signals manageable debt relative to immediate earning power.

The challenge is that nearly all the specifics come from national estimates rather than Institute of Technology's own outcomes. The school serves a meaningful population of Pell grant recipients (31%), but without reported data for Oregon's two HVAC programs, you're flying blind on how this particular program stacks up locally. The $46,678 four-year figure is actual, which provides one solid data point, but the gap between estimated starting pay and that number leaves questions about whether Institute of Technology's graduates follow the typical trajectory or outperform it.

For parents, this looks like a practical investment in a skilled trade with strong wage growth—but you're betting on Institute of Technology matching what comparable programs deliver nationally. If your student can verify job placement rates and talk to recent graduates directly, that would fill critical gaps the limited data leaves open.