3 Best HVAC Schools in Tucson, AZ

About the School

Pima Community College is the primary trade school in the Tucson area and provides an HVAC repair technician program for people interested in this career.

Their downtown campus is easy to find, and they offer multiple other programs for people interested in trade school education.

Courses Offered

Pima Community College focuses on training for an HVAC-R technician certificate.

This means you earn a certificate after you’re finished and can then apply to the national test.

During your program, you’ll learn about diagnostic techniques, mechanics, electronics, and electricity programs.

Focus studies include installation, repair, service, and maintenance, as well as the theory behind refrigeration and much more.

You’ll also get hands-on experience working with real refrigeration and cooling systems to help prepare you for this unique career path.

After completing your short course, you are eligible for all HVAC-R careers, including mechanics and installation experts.

You can also earn an associate degree in building and construction if you like or transition to other career paths if you’re interested in them.

These may include refrigeration tech positions and more.

About the School

Tucson Electrical Joint Apprenticeship & Training Program is a unique hands-on apprenticeship program that earns you a certificate and a job in four years.

It’s unique among Tucson training options in that you will make money as an apprentice while you learn HVAC skills.

Courses Offered

This four-year training program is designed to transition you from knowing nothing about HVAC to earning your certification and a job.

You will work 40 hours per week for electrical contractors for a total of 8,000 hours to gain experience and learn more about this career path.

Typically, you take a total of 900 hours of classroom instruction, including two three-hour classes throughout the week.

These nightly classes occur either on Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday after your apprenticeship hours.

They include HVAC theory and safety courses.

Though there is no tuition for these courses, you must pay for your books at $950 per year.

You will earn wages during your apprenticeship hours, starting at 50% of a standard salary.

These earnings increase as your training progresses until you’re working a job with full wages.

About the School

Arizona Western College is an academic institution that provides multiple career training options, including an air conditioning and HVAC program.

Their training focuses not just on a theoretical understanding of HVAC but on handling the hands-on skills necessary for this career.

Courses Offered

Located in nearby Yuma, Arizona, Arizona Western College provides three training options for people interested in an HVAC career.

These include a CERT occupational certificate in air conditioning and refrigeration, a CERT occupational certification as a service technician, and an associate’s degree in air conditioning.

During each course, you’ll learn about things like refrigerants, HVAC electrical controls, installing and maintaining air supply systems, operating natural gas furnaces, working on heat pumps, estimating heating and cooling loads, commercial refrigeration systems, and architecture and programming.

Class loads and training time vary from 1-2 years, depending on your certification option.

You can then transition to a career after completing the national certification test, which makes it legal for you to work in Arizona and throughout the rest of the nation in your specific HVAC field.