Accredited HVAC Schools in Eugene, OR
Workers seeking formal training should select an accredited school. Accreditation means that an independent agency has evaluated the school’s program, including the curriculum and the instructors. Two industry organizations accredit HVAC programs: HVAC Excellence and the Partnership for Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Accreditation (PAHRA). As of January 2025, neither organization has accredited an Oregon institution. Other reputable agencies have accredited the schools profiled below.
Lane Community College
Lane Community College offers apprenticeship programs for construction trades, including an HVAC technician/installer program, which results in journey-level status and an AAS degree for graduates.
To begin, students must be sponsored by individual employers, accepted by a Joint Apprentice Training Committee, and registered with the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries. They must also be at least 18 years old, have graduated from high school or have a GED, and have taken at least one term of college algebra or math with a grade of ‘C’ or better. The program includes 144 hours of classroom instruction and 8,000 hours of on-the-job training. Their coursework includes electrical system installation, limited voltage electrical circuits, devices, testing equipment and codes, electrical theory, and HVAC systems 1 – 4.
Students who complete the apprenticeship are qualified to take the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries licensing exam. They may also apply their credit hours to the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) program. The AAS program, which requires a total of 90 credit hours, adds general education coursework to the technical curriculum.
- Location: Eugene, OR
- Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
- Estimated Time To Completion: Apprenticeship, four years; degree, two years
Chemeketa Community College
Chemeketa Community College offers an HVAC/R apprenticeship program “in partnership with Mid-Valley HVAC/R Committee, MA #2026, and under the guidance of the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI).” Prior to admission to the program, students must be at least 18 years old, have earned a high school diploma or GED, and have completed an algebra or college math course with a grade of ‘C’ or higher.
Enrollees in the apprenticeship program must be employed to complete their 8,000 hours of on-the-job training. They complete their required technical coursework in evening classes. Coursework includes safety, power tools, heating and cooling piping, soldering and brazing, AC power, compressors, and HVAC controls, among others. Graduates may test for limited electrical licensing and are qualified to seek journey-level status.
They may also apply their credits to Chemeketa’s Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in construction trades with a specialization in Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning, and Refrigeration (HVAC/R). The AAS program curriculum includes six general education and 12 additional technical courses.
- Location: Salem, OR
- Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
- Estimated Time To Completion: Apprenticeship, four years; degree, two years
Portland Community College
Portland Community College embeds the HVAC programs in the Facilities Management program. Students may choose a 14-credit HVAC/R certificate, a 44-credit facilities maintenance certificate, or a 90-credit facilities maintenance AAS degree.
Coursework for all three options includes refrigeration l, ll, lll; refrigeration electrical l, ll, lll; and basic HVAC/R installation and techniques. The facilities maintenance certificate adds programmable logic controllers, direct digital control technology, natural gas equipment, and chiller systems, among other coursework. The degree program continues with calculations for trade, commercial print reading, electrical motor controls, boilers, pneumatic controls, technical electives, and general education required courses.
Students learn how to install, maintain, and repair HVAC/R and other equipment and systems. Graduates are qualified to work on equipment and systems in large commercial, medical, institutional, and industrial buildings.
- Location: Portland, OR
- Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
- Estimated Time To Completion: Degree two years; certificates vary
Eugene students who cannot attend an apprenticeship or on-campus program may find that an online institution may meet their needs. Information on accredited programs is available at the online HVAC programs page.