Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) at UEI College-Fresno

UEI College-Fresno's HVAC program produces troubling outcomes that rank near the bottom statewide. Graduates earn just $23,433 in their first year—$14,700 less than the California median for HVAC programs and $12,300 below the national average. This places the program in the 10th percentile among California schools and 5th percentile nationally. To put this in perspective, graduates from comparable programs at DeHart Technical School or San Joaquin Valley College earn nearly double what UEI-Fresno graduates make.

The $9,500 in debt matches the California median, but paired with such low earnings, it creates a problematic 0.41 debt-to-earnings ratio. Graduates are borrowing nearly half their first-year salary for credentials that lead to earnings well below what the HVAC field typically provides. With 74% of students receiving Pell grants, this program serves a largely low-income population that can least afford underperforming outcomes.

HVAC work typically offers solid middle-class wages, but this program isn't delivering access to those opportunities. Parents should know that other California HVAC programs—even within the same for-profit sector—produce substantially better results. Given the wide availability of 44 HVAC programs across California, choosing one in the bottom 10% makes little financial sense.