How fast does each Mississippi program pay for itself?
Pick a program. Cost and length are pre-filled from its listing below where the school publishes a total, and every field is yours to change.
Gross pay, before tax and living costs, so the real payback is longer. Pay figure defaults to the Mississippi median for experienced technicians ($45,500, an industry estimate pending confirmation against the BLS state release); entry pay is lower, so adjust it down for a realistic first year. Full method on our methodology page.
Hinds Community College
Raymond and Jackson, MSHinds publishes a clean three-rung ladder, 30, 45, and 60-plus credits, from first employable credential to full degree, serving the Jackson metro from the state's largest community college.
- Credential
- Career certificate (30 credits), technical certificate (45), and AAS (60 to 61)
- Length
- One to five semesters by award
- Cost
- Mississippi community college rates, among the lowest in the country
- Format
- In person
- EPA 608 prep
- Prepared for during the program
- Accreditation
- SACSCOC
Worth knowing: The 30-credit career certificate is the fastest honest entry in central Mississippi; earn it, get hired, and climb the ladder on an employer's clock.
Itawamba Community College
Fulton, Tupelo and Belden, MSICC stacks Universal EPA, NCCER, and NATE credentials inside its degree program at about $1,450 a semester, with scheduling flexibility, day, night, weekend, online, that working students rarely find at this price.
- Credential
- AAS in heating and air conditioning (60 to 61 credits) with a 30-hour career certificate exit
- Length
- One to five semesters
- Cost
- About $1,450 per semester in-district full time, $140 per credit part time, per published figures
- Format
- Day, night, weekend and online scheduling
- EPA 608 prep
- Universal EPA certification built in, plus NCCER and NATE credentials
- Accreditation
- SACSCOC
Worth knowing: Three national credentials plus a degree for under $6,000 total is one of the best certification-per-dollar deals in this entire guide.
Northwest Mississippi Community College
Senatobia, MSNorthwest serves the eleven-county region south of Memphis, where the DeSoto County boom keeps residential and light commercial work hiring across the state line in both directions.
- Credential
- HVAC certificate and technical coursework
- Length
- One to three semesters
- Cost
- Mississippi community college rates
- Format
- In person
- EPA 608 prep
- Prepared for during the program
- Accreditation
- SACSCOC
Worth knowing: North Mississippi technicians routinely work the Memphis metro; our Tennessee licensing guide covers what crossing that line requires.
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Gulf Coast campuses, MSMGCCC covers the casino-and-port coastal economy, where hospitality plant and salt-air service work run year round.
- Credential
- HVAC technical program
- Length
- One to three semesters
- Cost
- Mississippi community college rates
- Format
- In person
- EPA 608 prep
- Prepared for during the program
- Accreditation
- SACSCOC
Worth knowing: Confirm the current HVAC award structure with MGCCC directly; this entry carries a stronger verification flag than most on this page.
Registered HVAC apprenticeships, statewide
Statewide, MSWith no technician license in Mississippi, registered apprenticeship is purely about training quality and documented experience, the record that later qualifies you for the certificate of responsibility if you go the contractor route.
- Credential
- US DOL registered apprenticeships with Mississippi contractors
- Length
- 2 to 4 years, paid
- Cost
- No tuition in most sponsorships; paid throughout
- Format
- On the job plus related instruction
- EPA 608 prep
- Earned during the apprenticeship
- Accreditation
- US DOL registered apprenticeship
Worth knowing: Ask sponsors how they document experience; the Board reviews it when you eventually apply for the contractor credential.
Mississippi HVAC schools compared
| # | Program | Credential | Length | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hinds Community College | Career certificate | One to five semesters by award | Mississippi community college rates, among the lowest in the country |
| 2 | Itawamba Community College | AAS in heating and air conditioning | One to five semesters | About $1,450 per semester in-district full time, $140 per credit part time, per published figures |
| 3 | Northwest Mississippi Community College | HVAC certificate and technical coursework | One to three semesters | Mississippi community college rates |
| 4 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College | HVAC technical program | One to three semesters | Mississippi community college rates |
| 5 | Registered HVAC apprenticeships, statewide | US DOL registered apprenticeships with Mississippi contractors | 2 to 4 years, paid | No tuition in most sponsorships |
What do HVAC techs earn in Mississippi?
Mississippi HVAC technicians average about $45,500 per year, with entry-level graduates typically starting between $25 and $36 per hour and experienced techs in major metros pushing well beyond that. Licensing status moves the number more than anything else, which is why the Mississippi licensing guide should be read alongside this list.
Mississippi HVAC schools: frequently asked questions
Do you need a license to work in HVAC in Mississippi?
Not as a technician: EPA 608 plus a job makes you legal, and the state credential, the certificate of responsibility with an HVAC classification, applies to commercial projects above $10,000. Our Mississippi licensing guide covers the threshold and the municipal layer beneath it.
How much does HVAC school cost in Mississippi?
Very little: Itawamba publishes $1,450 a semester in-district full time, and the system's rates are among the lowest in the country, which puts a full AAS with three national credentials under $6,000 at the strongest programs.
Which credentials should a Mississippi program include?
Universal EPA at minimum, since federal law requires it for refrigerant work, and ideally NCCER and NATE on top, the stack Itawamba builds into its degree. Employers screening between graduates read the national credentials first.
Where do Mississippi graduates actually work?
The Jackson metro absorbs the most, the coast runs year-round hospitality plant, and north Mississippi feeds the Memphis market across the state line, where our Tennessee guide covers the licensing. The $10,000 threshold means most residential work needs no state credential at all, so hiring is fast.