| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private career school (proprietary); campus-based, with hybrid versions of some programs |
| Campuses | 1: Shreveport, Louisiana |
| Credentials | Diplomas (the new Electrical Technician program’s page does not state its credential) |
| Typical length | 36 weeks in day classes; 60 weeks for evening HVAC |
| Accreditation | Council on Occupational Education since 1995; next review 2031 |
| Federal aid | Yes (Pell Grants, Direct Loans and other federal aid) |
| Founded | 1953 in Shreveport; legal entity Ayers Institute, Inc. |
| Students | 256 in fall 2024, all full-time |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Ayers Career College: a small diploma school in Shreveport
Ayers Career College is a private career school in Shreveport, Louisiana, whose catalog is issued by Ayers Institute, Inc. It was founded in 1953 as Ayers School of Business and now trains students for two trades, heating and air conditioning and electrical work, and two healthcare jobs, medical assistant and pharmacy technician. The three established programs are diplomas of about nine months in day classes; only HVAC also runs in the evening.
The school is small: 256 students in fall 2024, all full-time. There are no semesters. New classes start every 6 weeks in the day programs and every 10 weeks in the HVAC evening program. The 2026 catalog lists hybrid versions of the three established programs, and the school lists a new Electrical Technician program.
Four programs, three of them established diplomas
| Program | Credential | Length | Delivery | Prepares for | Tuition and fees, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heating/AC/Refrigeration (HVAC/R) | Diploma | 36 weeks day or 60 weeks evening | On campus; hybrid version in the 2026 catalog | EPA Section 608, NATE (voluntary) | $17,897 |
| Medical Assistant | Diploma | 36 weeks day | On campus or hybrid; in-person externship | NRCMA exam; First Aid/CPR | $17,656 |
| Pharmacy Technician | Diploma | 36 weeks day | On campus or hybrid; in-person externship | Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam | $16,961 |
| Electrical Technician (new) | Not stated on its program page | 36 weeks day, including a 120-hour externship | On campus | None named on its program page | No federal figure |
Tuition figures are whole-program federal figures for 2025-26; books and supplies add about $553 to $1,489. There is no standalone phlebotomy program: phlebotomy is taught as a module of the Medical Assistant diploma. The Healthcare Administration Assistant program is no longer in the catalog.
What the main programs cover
Heating/AC/Refrigeration
The HVAC/R program has three phases: fundamentals in weeks 1 to 10, electrical work and diagnostics in weeks 11 to 22, and installation, commercial refrigeration and EPA 608 preparation in weeks 23 to 36. Students prepare for EPA Section 608 certification (Types I, II, III and Universal) and the voluntary NATE exams. Day classes meet Monday to Thursday, 8:30 AM to 1:50 PM; the evening class meets Monday to Thursday, 5:30 to 8:45 PM, and takes 60 weeks. Both lead to the same diploma. Applicants need a driver’s licence and may face a background check and drug screen.
Medical Assistant
Medical assistant students learn vital signs, injections, patient histories, medical terminology, phlebotomy and administrative tasks, and cover First Aid and CPR. The program includes an externship at a local medical site; the school names Ochsner LSU, Willis-Knighton, Wee Care Pediatrics and Boyd Family Medicine among them. The program prepares students for the Nationally Registered Certified Medical Assistant (NRCMA) exam. Day classes meet Monday to Thursday, and a hybrid version is also offered. Students need a TB test from the past year and the hepatitis B vaccine series.
Pharmacy Technician
The Pharmacy Technician program covers pharmacy practice, pharmacy calculations, drug interactions, anatomy and physiology, and pharmacy law and ethics, and students train on PioneerRx pharmacy software. It includes an externship at sites such as CVS, Walgreens and Natchitoches Regional. Graduates prepare for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam. Students pass a background check and drug screen on entry and a second background check before applying for the Louisiana pharmacy technician candidate permit. Classes run in the day, Monday to Thursday, or in a hybrid version.
Electrical Technician
The school calls Electrical Technician new but gives no start date. It runs 36 weeks in day classes, Monday to Thursday, 8:30 AM to 1:50 PM, and includes a 120-hour externship. The course covers electrical systems, wiring and troubleshooting, motor controls, programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and industrial electronics, with practice in National Electrical Code and OSHA safety rules. Its program page names no credential or certification exam. Applicants need a driver’s licence.
Tuition and how students pay
Ayers charges one price per program, with no in-state or out-of-state rates. The 2026-27 prices are in the new catalog (Vol. 33, effective 12 October 2026); confirm current tuition there or with admissions.
The latest federal figures, for 2025-26, put whole-program tuition and fees at $16,961 for Pharmacy Technician, $17,656 for Medical Assistant and $17,897 for HVAC, plus about $553 to $1,489 for books and supplies, according to College Navigator. The catalog lists a $100 non-refundable registration fee.
Ayers takes federal aid (Pell Grants, FSEOG, Direct Loans and PLUS loans), the State Matching Funds Grant, TRA, WIOA and state vocational rehabilitation funds. Veterans can use VA education benefits under chapters 30, 31, 33, 35, 1606 and 1607. In 2023-24, 98% of full-time beginning students received a Pell Grant.
Admissions and start dates
Applicants must be 18 or older, have a high school diploma or equivalent (due within five school days of the start), interview with an admissions officer, score at least 15 on the Wonderlic SLE and sign an enrollment agreement. HVAC and Electrical students need a driver’s licence, Medical Assistant students a TB test and the hepatitis B series, and Pharmacy Technician students a background check and drug screen. Hybrid students need home internet and a computer (not a tablet).
Day classes start every 6 weeks and HVAC evening classes every 10 weeks. Day programs normally take 36 weeks (at most 54), and evening HVAC 60 weeks (at most 90).
Accreditation and results
Ayers has been accredited by the Council on Occupational Education since 23 June 1995, with its next review date given as 31 December 2031. The Pharmacy Technician program is accredited by ASHP and approved by the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy.
The school publishes completion, placement and licensure rates for calendar year 2025 in its consumer information, without definitions:
| Program | Completion | Placement | Licensure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating/AC/Refrigeration | 78% | 74% | – |
| Medical Assistant | 61% | 73% | – |
| Pharmacy Technician | 65% | 86% | 100% |
The Pharmacy Technician program page gives a lower licensure figure of 86%, with no year. Federal data show 68% of full-time, first-time students who started in 2021-22 graduated within 150% of normal time, retention was 84% from fall 2023 to fall 2024, and the three-year loan default rate was 0% for fiscal year 2021.
Before you enroll
- Federal figures put 2025-26 tuition and fees at $16,961 to $17,897 for a nine-month diploma, before books and supplies. Check the 2026-27 price in the catalog before you sign.
- Medical Assistant had the lowest completion rate the school reported for 2025: 61%.
- Only HVAC has evening classes. Medical Assistant, Pharmacy Technician and Electrical Technician meet Monday to Thursday, 8:30 AM to 1:50 PM; Medical Assistant and Pharmacy Technician also have hybrid versions.
- Hybrid does not mean fully online: externships are done in person at local sites the school assigns.
- Electrical Technician is new. Its program page names no credential or certification, there is no federal price figure for it, and the school has published no results for it yet.
Externships and job-search help
Medical Assistant, Pharmacy Technician and Electrical Technician include externships. All students take a required Career Development course covering résumés, interviewing and a portfolio, and the school runs mock interviews and invites employers to campus. It does not guarantee a job. There is no student housing.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Healthcare
- Medical Assistant (diploma): day or hybrid
- Pharmacy Technician (diploma, ASHP-accredited): day or hybrid
Skilled Trades
- Heating/AC/Refrigeration (diploma): day, evening or hybrid
- Electrical Technician (new)
Campus Locations
Shreveport, LA 8820 Jewella Avenue, Shreveport, LA 71108