| Fact | National Technical Institute |
|---|---|
| Type | Private, for-profit skilled-trades school owned by Service Education Holdings, Inc.; campus and hybrid (online lectures plus campus labs) courses |
| Campuses | 4 in 3 states: Las Vegas, NV; Phoenix, AZ; two in Houston, TX. A Sparks (Reno), NV campus is planned for November 2026 |
| Credentials | Certificate of completion only; no degree and no state licence |
| Program length | 100 to 192 clock hours (about 12 to 16 weeks) for the trade programs; 64 clock hours (8 weeks) for the two Phoenix programs |
| Accreditation | None; licensed in Arizona and Nevada and approved by the Texas Workforce Commission |
| Federal aid | No |
| Founded | 2003 |
| 2026-27 prices | $6,395 to $10,995 for HVAC, electrical and plumbing, by delivery format; $3,495 and $4,495 for the two 64-hour Phoenix programs |
| Facts checked | 12 October 2026 |
A short-course HVAC, electrical and plumbing school in three states
National Technical Institute is a private, for-profit trade school founded in 2003 and owned by Service Education Holdings, Inc. It teaches entry-level HVAC, electrical and plumbing courses at campuses in Las Vegas, Phoenix and Houston (two), and in Texas it operates under the legal name Texas School of Continuing Education and Recruitment dba National Technical Institute. It is not connected with the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at RIT. The courses are short (100 to 192 clock hours) and each comes in three formats: Traditional in person, Fusion with online lectures and a weekly lab day, or Immersion with 40 lab hours. NTI says it has trained over 5,000 students in total. In 2026 the Nevada campus moved from Henderson to Las Vegas, and in July 2026 NTI announced a campus in Sparks with first classes planned for November 2026.
NTI programs and where each is taught
| Program | Hours (Traditional / Fusion / Immersion) | Length | Formats | Campuses | Exam or licence | 2026-27 catalog total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC | 192 / 144 / 100 clock hours (Nevada Fusion: 192) | 12 weeks / 16 weeks / about 12 weeks or less | Traditional, Fusion, Immersion | All four campuses | EPA Section 608 exam included | $10,995 / $8,895 / $6,395 |
| Electrical | 192 / 144 / 100 clock hours | 12 weeks / 16 weeks | Traditional, Fusion; Immersion in the Arizona catalog | All four campuses | None; no state licence | $10,995 / $8,895 / $6,395 (Arizona) |
| Plumbing | 192 / 144 / 100 clock hours | 12 weeks / 16 weeks / weekend Immersion | Traditional, Fusion, Immersion | All four campuses | None; no state licence | $10,995 / $8,895 / $6,395 |
| Commercial Refrigeration | 64 clock hours | 8 weeks, two evening sessions a week | Campus | Phoenix | Requires an EPA 608 card to enroll | $3,495 |
| Data Center Technician | 64 clock hours | 8 weeks | Campus | Phoenix | None named | $4,495 |
Every program ends in an NTI certificate of completion and is non-credit. None is fully online: Fusion students come to campus for one lab day a week, and Immersion students complete 40 lab hours on Friday and Saturday lab days. Classes are capped at 20 students. No program includes an externship. The Nevada catalog also lists an 88-hour HVAC Install Technician course.
What the main programs cover
HVAC
The Arizona catalog lists seven HVAC courses plus Electrical I and II, nine in all: AC and refrigeration fundamentals, advanced air conditioning, gas heating, heat pumps, installation basics (commercial refrigeration in Nevada), troubleshooting and an EPA certification seminar ending in the ESCO Universal Section 608 exam. In Texas, passing that exam is a graduation requirement. Traditional students attend Monday to Thursday, four hours a day, in a morning, afternoon or evening block for 12 weeks; Fusion takes 16 weeks with one lab day a week.
Electrical
The electrical course has 14 units, ELET101 to ELET114: the trade and career paths, OSHA-based safety, math, electrical theory, an introduction to the National Electrical Code, grounding, tools, wiring devices, methods and calculations, green technology, and job search and soft skills. The textbook is Modern Residential Wiring, 12th edition, so the focus is residential work. Traditional runs 12 weeks and Fusion 16. NTI’s FAQ says no certification is required “within the states that we have schools”; the catalogs name no licence or apprenticeship registration for the course.
Plumbing
Plumbing has nine courses, P101 to P109: plumbing history, first aid and safety, tools and math, water, waste and sewage systems, piping materials and joining, fixtures and faucets, water heaters, building plans, and drawing and sketching. The textbook is Modern Plumbing, 9th edition. Traditional students finish in 12 weeks and Fusion students in 16; the 100-hour Immersion runs as a weekend hybrid. Like the other courses, it names no licence exam, and NTI calls the course entry level.
Commercial Refrigeration and Data Center Technician (Phoenix)
Commercial Refrigeration is an 8-week, 64-hour add-on for students who already hold an EPA 608 card. It meets in two four-hour evening sessions a week across three courses: evaporators, condensers and compressors; metering devices and controls; and walk-in coolers, freezers and ice machines. Data Center Technician, added in the 2026-27 Arizona catalog, is also 64 hours, in eight courses, DC101 to DC108, over 8 weeks (the catalog introduction says 10). Neither names a licence exam.
Cost: one price per delivery format
NTI prices each program by delivery format, with no in-state or out-of-state rates, and the Traditional and Fusion totals for HVAC, electrical and plumbing are the same in its Arizona, Nevada and Texas catalogs. The 2026-27 Arizona catalog (revised 28 July 2026) lists $10,995 for Traditional (192 hours), $8,895 for Fusion (144 hours) and $6,395 for Immersion (100 hours). Those totals combine tuition of $9,995, $7,995 or $5,895 with $130 to $175 for textbooks or lecture videos, $345 to $845 for lab materials and tools, and the $25 EPA exam fee for HVAC. In Phoenix, Commercial Refrigeration costs $3,495 and Data Center Technician $4,495. An EPA exam retake costs $25.
NTI does not take federal student aid; its catalogs say third-party financing is available instead, and its financing page points to Ascent Funding loans and suggests asking your employer. We found no named scholarships, discounts or in-house payment plans in the current catalogs. In Arizona, NTI’s programs on the state’s training-provider list are marked as approved for WIOA workforce funding; Electrical is not on that list. The Arizona and Texas catalogs include VA refund policies and a policy for Chapter 31 and 33 students, so ask your campus whether your program is approved for your benefit.
Refund rules
- Arizona and Nevada: a full refund within three business days of signing, then a $150 administration fee and prorated refunds until 50% (Arizona) or 60% (Nevada) of the program is complete, and no refund after that.
- Texas: the January 2026 Texas catalog gives a full refund within 72 hours or the first three class days, an administrative fee of up to $100, and pro rata refunds until 75% of the program is complete.
Admissions and class times
- Minimum age 17 in all three catalogs; Texas may require a guardian’s permission at 17, and the Las Vegas campus page says students must be 18 by the end of the course.
- A high school diploma, GED or equivalent, or a passing score on an Ability to Benefit test (Texas uses the Wonderlic test).
- An admissions interview; there is no other entrance exam.
Classes run in cohorts; the Nevada catalog requires orientation before the second scheduled day and has no add/drop period. Traditional classes meet Monday to Thursday in morning (8 to 12), mid-day (12:30 to 4:30 or 1 to 5) or evening (5 to 9 or 6 to 10) blocks. Both Houston campuses offer Saturday classes. Students must attend 80% of classes, and the Texas catalog withdraws Traditional students on the 10th missed day and Fusion students on the 4th.
No accreditation: state licences and approval
NTI is not accredited by any institutional accreditor: none of its three catalogs or its website names one, and its record on Arizona’s training-provider list shows no accreditation and “No Financial Aid Offered”. It is licensed to operate by the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education and the Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education, and holds a Texas Workforce Commission Certificate of Approval (school no. S60214), under which the Texas catalog says it has operated since 26 March 2016. Its programs are non-credit and lead to an NTI certificate of completion.
No published graduation or placement rates
We found no published completion, job-placement or exam pass rates for NTI, and it is not in the federal College Scorecard or IPEDS data because it does not take federal aid. The Nevada catalog says the school makes no guarantee of employment. NTI’s 2026 press releases give graduation counts, not rates: 232 graduates at the two Houston campuses in August 2026, 103 at Phoenix in July and 180 at Las Vegas in September.
Before you enroll
- These are short entry-level courses (100 to 192 clock hours). They end in an NTI certificate of completion, not a state licence, and the catalogs name no apprentice registration. Ask how the course fits your state’s licensing route.
- NTI is not accredited and offers no federal aid, so Pell Grants and federal loans are not available, and the programs are non-credit.
- No completion or placement rates are published. Ask your campus how many students who started your program finished it and found trade work.
- The tool bag is given only on the last day to students who meet the academic, attendance, financial and document requirements; HVAC students must also pass the EPA 608 exam.
- Refunds stop once half of an Arizona program (60% in Nevada, 75% in Texas) is complete. The Nevada catalog still shows the old Henderson address, so confirm where your classes meet.
NTI’s four campuses
- Las Vegas, NV: 3915 E Patrick Ln, Las Vegas, NV 89120
- Phoenix, AZ: 4645 36th St., Phoenix, AZ 85040
- Houston, TX: 9001 Jameel Rd, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77040
- Houston, TX: 13027 Gulf Commerce Dr, Suite A, Houston, TX 77034
All four campuses teach HVAC, Electrical and Plumbing. Phoenix also teaches Commercial Refrigeration and Data Center Technician, and its plumbing and electrical classes use a second building at 3660 E. Wier Ave. The Las Vegas campus moved from 1870 Whitney Mesa Drive in Henderson in 2026. A fifth campus, at 2450 Oddie Blvd in Sparks, Nevada, with 8,000 square feet and room for 400 students a year, plans first classes in November 2026 and will teach HVAC, plumbing and electrical. The online lectures in the Fusion and Immersion formats are not a separate campus.
Career help
NTI does not mention student housing. In March 2025 it set up a central career-services department that runs mock interviews, employer outreach, career workshops and graduate tracking, and the catalogs describe job-lead referrals, with no guarantee of a job. NTI’s August 2026 Houston release said more than 40 of the graduates had jobs before finishing.
What students say
We found no review site with 25 or more reviews of NTI, the minimum we need for a summary, when we checked in October 2026. We found no Niche page for NTI, so we give no rating or review themes here.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Skilled Trades
- Electrical
- HVAC
- Plumbing
- Commercial Refrigeration (Phoenix)
- Data Center Technician (Phoenix)
Campus Locations
Las Vegas, NV 3915 E Patrick Ln, Las Vegas, NV 89120
Phoenix, AZ 4645 36th St., Phoenix, AZ 85040
Houston, TX 9001 Jameel Rd, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77040
Houston, TX 13027 Gulf Commerce Dr, Suite A, Houston, TX 77034