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Home / Trade schools / Illinois
Trade schools in Illinois
College Scorecard lists 45 schools in Illinois that graduated students in electrical, HVAC, plumbing or construction programs in the latest year: 20 electrical, 31 HVAC, 4 plumbing, 14 construction trades, 14 construction management.1
$4,710median public tuition a year
| School | City | Programs | Credential | Type | Completers | Tuition | Cost a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College | Chicago | Electrical | Associate, Certificate | Public | 557 | $4,710 | $13,805 |
| Lincoln College of Technology-Melrose Park | Melrose Park | Electrical | Associate, Certificate | For-profit | 266 | $34,195 | $33,026 |
| Chicago Professional Center | Prospect Heights | HVAC | Certificate | For-profit | 255 | ||
| College of Lake County | Grayslake | Electrical, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 227 | $4,901 | $13,130 |
| ETI School of Skilled Trades | Willowbrook | HVAC | Certificate | For-profit | 203 | $14,980 | $26,674 |
| HVAC Technical Institute | Chicago | Electrical, HVAC | Certificate | For-profit | 171 | $15,000 | $25,699 |
| Moraine Valley Community College | Palos Hills | HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 168 | $3,942 | $13,415 |
| Lake Land College | Mattoon | Electrical, Construction trades, HVAC | Certificate | Public | 162 | $4,620 | $13,373 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College | Chicago | Electrical, Construction trades, Plumbing, HVAC, Construction management | Certificate, Associate | Public | 123 | $4,710 | $14,434 |
| Southwestern Illinois College | Belleville | Electrical, Construction trades, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 94 | $4,590 | $14,502 |
| Elgin Community College | Elgin | HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 82 | $3,324 | $9,196 |
| Joliet Junior College | Joliet | Electrical, HVAC, Construction management | Certificate, Associate | Public | 55 | $4,530 | $10,031 |
| Illinois State University | Normal | Construction management | Bachelor's | Public | 52 | $16,152 | $34,602 |
| Lincoln Land Community College | Springfield | Construction trades, HVAC | Certificate, Associate | Public | 50 | $3,828 | $12,227 |
| College of DuPage | Glen Ellyn | Electrical, Construction trades, HVAC, Construction management | Associate, Certificate | Public | 42 | $4,680 | $13,693 |
| William Rainey Harper College | Palatine | Construction trades, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 41 | $4,038 | $17,978 |
| Illinois Central College | East Peoria | HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 40 | $4,800 | $17,400 |
| Kaskaskia College | Centralia | Electrical, HVAC, Construction management | Associate, Certificate | Public | 36 | $4,980 | $12,920 |
| Illinois Valley Community College | Oglesby | Electrical, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 34 | $4,380 | $11,582 |
| Prairie State College | Chicago Heights | Electrical, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 30 | $4,176 | $14,149 |
| John A Logan College | Carterville | Electrical, HVAC, Construction management | Associate, Certificate | Public | 26 | $4,630 | $13,833 |
| John Wood Community College | Quincy | Electrical, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 25 | $5,700 | $15,829 |
| Parkland College | Champaign | Electrical, Construction trades, Plumbing, HVAC, Construction management | Certificate, Associate | Public | 25 | $4,464 | $13,194 |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville | Construction management | Bachelor's | Public | 25 | $13,299 | $27,314 |
| Rock Valley College | Rockford | Electrical | Associate, Certificate | Public | 22 | $4,324 | $11,421 |
| Richland Community College | Decatur | Construction trades, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 22 | $4,770 | $11,144 |
| Stautzenberger College-Rockford Career College | Rockford | HVAC | Certificate | For-profit | 21 | $16,849 | $30,193 |
| Kankakee Community College | Kankakee | HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 20 | $5,220 | $11,159 |
| Waubonsee Community College | Sugar Grove | HVAC, Construction management | Associate, Certificate | Public | 20 | $3,576 | $11,765 |
| Bradley University | Peoria | Construction management | Bachelor's | Nonprofit | 19 | $43,850 | $57,751 |
| Oakton College | Des Plaines | Construction trades, HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 17 | $3,985 | $10,129 |
| Western Illinois University | Macomb | Construction management | Bachelor's | Public | 12 | $15,466 | $28,915 |
| McHenry County College | Crystal Lake | Construction trades, Construction management | Associate, Certificate | Public | 9 | $4,162 | $17,339 |
| Morton College | Cicero | HVAC | Associate, Certificate | Public | 8 | $5,662 | $14,096 |
| Sauk Valley Community College | Dixon | HVAC | Certificate | Public | 8 | $5,520 | $13,115 |
| Eastern Illinois University | Charleston | Construction management | Bachelor's | Public | 6 | $14,654 | $26,962 |
| Illinois Eastern Community Colleges | Olney | Electrical, HVAC | Certificate | Public | 4 | $5,260 | $17,733 |
| Triton College | River Grove | Construction trades, Plumbing, HVAC | Certificate, Associate | Public | 4 | $5,340 | $11,897 |
| Kishwaukee College | Malta | Electrical, Construction trades | Certificate | Public | 3 | $4,800 | $13,074 |
| Heartland Community College | Normal | Construction trades | Certificate | Public | 2 | $5,610 | $20,671 |
| Shawnee Community College | Ullin | HVAC | Certificate | Public | 1 | $4,800 | $13,458 |
| Lewis and Clark Community College | Godfrey | Electrical, Plumbing | Associate, Certificate | Public | 0 | $4,536 | $9,344 |
| Midwest Technical Institute-Illinois | Springfield | Electrical | Certificate | For-profit | 0 | $16,292 | $33,407 |
| Danville Area Community College | Danville | HVAC | Certificate | Public | 0 | $4,680 | $10,556 |
| South Suburban College | South Holland | Construction trades, Construction management | Associate, Certificate | Public | 0 | $5,393 | $11,079 |
Construction trades (CIP 46.04) covers carpentry, masonry, roofing and other building trades together. Tuition: in-state tuition for a year, or program tuition at schools that bill by program. Cost a year: average cost of attendance at the school.
Which trade schools in Illinois graduate the most students?
City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College in Chicago had the most completers in these programs in the latest year, 557, then Lincoln College of Technology-Melrose Park with 266.1
How much does trade school cost in Illinois?
Public schools on the list charge a median $4,710 a year in in-state tuition; for-profit schools charge a median $16,292 in program tuition.1
Certificate or associate degree?
40 of the 45 schools offer a certificate in these trades and 28 offer an associate degree.1 A certificate is the shorter credential; an associate degree adds general education courses.
What is the highest-paying trade in Illinois?
Of the five trades on this site, general contractors have the highest median pay in Illinois, $50.84 an hour.2
| Trade | Median hourly | Schools | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Contractors | $50.84 | 23 | Schools · Salary · Apprenticeships |
| Plumbers | $48.05 | 4 | Schools · Salary · Apprenticeships |
| Electricians | $47.87 | 20 | Schools · Salary · Apprenticeships |
| Roofers | $37.45 | 14 | Salary · Apprenticeships |
| HVAC Technicians | $37.21 | 31 | Schools · Salary · Apprenticeships |
Pick a trade in Illinois
Sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (field of study and institution data) (collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Illinois, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)