Illinois Trade Schools: Cost, Completion & Earnings (2026 stats)
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
Trade schools in Illinois: 124 trade and vocational campuses (113 trade schools, 11 community colleges) median net price $14,284 (+1.2% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $39,732 (-0.4% vs U.S.) median completion rate 61.6% employment-outcome proxy 87.0% working & not enrolled at 8 years.
Overview
Trade schools and vocational programs in Illinois include certificate-focused campuses and community colleges with career and technical education pathways. 124 campuses in this profile (113 trade schools, 11 community colleges), with about 209,523 students enrolled, and median net price near $14,284. Programs span healthcare, skilled trades, manufacturing, and other workforce credentials—tables below compare completion, earnings, and employment outcomes with U.S. and Great Lakes medians.
Illinois vs regional & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois (IL) | — | $14,284 | $8,713 | 61.6% | 209,523 |
| Great Lakes (region median) | — | $15,307 | $9,500 | 61.8% | 661,675 |
| United States | — | $14,111 | $9,500 | 66.8% | 5,468,406 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Illinois vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois (IL) | $39,732 | 87.0% | 64.9% | 10.3% | — | 56.3% | 0.22 |
| United States | $39,899 | 85.5% | 65.2% | 11.1% | — | 50.5% | 0.25 |
Illinois vs peer states (Great Lakes region)
Peer states are other campuses in the same Scorecard region, chosen by similar total enrollment.
| State | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois (IL) | N/A | $14,284 | $8,713 | 61.6% | 209,523 | $39,732 | 87.0% |
| Ohio (OH) | N/A | $15,307 | $9,833 | 74.0% | 140,423 | $41,579 | 87.9% |
| Michigan (MI) | N/A | $16,282 | $9,714 | 60.0% | 134,173 | $34,982 | 86.7% |
| Indiana (IN) | N/A | $19,247 | $9,500 | 68.3% | 105,562 | $34,907 | 85.6% |
| Wisconsin (WI) | N/A | $13,091 | $9,250 | 61.8% | 71,994 | $40,447 | 89.8% |
| United States | N/A | $14,111 | $9,500 | 66.8% | 5,468,406 | $39,899 | 85.5% |
Outcomes by sector in Illinois
Median campus-level metrics within each ownership type (public, private nonprofit, private for-profit).
| Sector | Campuses | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working share (8 yr) | Retention | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private for-profit | 61 | $33,419 | 84.5% | 64.9% | 7.4% | — | 47.1% |
| Public | 46 | $42,873 | 87.8% | N/A | 12.9% | — | 59.7% |
Top 10 trade schools in Illinois by completion rate (150% time, certificate programs)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate among trade schools and community colleges in this profile (enrollment ≥ 50). Source: College Scorecard.
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Rank 1, Completion Rate, 100.0%, Capital Area Career Center
Capital Area Career Center
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Rank 2, Completion Rate, 95.8%, Capri Beauty College
Capri Beauty College
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Rank 3, Completion Rate, 94.2%, Estelle Medical Academy
Estelle Medical Academy
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Rank 4, Completion Rate, 92.8%, Pivot Point Academy
Pivot Point Academy
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Rank 5, Completion Rate, 91.7%, Hair Professionals School of Cosmetology
Hair Professionals School of Cosmetology
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Rank 6, Completion Rate, 91.4%, HVAC Technical Institute
HVAC Technical Institute
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Rank 7, Completion Rate, 88.5%, Rosel School of Cosmetology
Rosel School of Cosmetology
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Rank 8, Completion Rate, 84.9%, Midwest Technical Institute-Illinois
Midwest Technical Institute-Illinois
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Rank 9, Completion Rate, 84.9%, Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Elgin
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Elgin
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Rank 10, Completion Rate, 84.4%, Stellar Career College
Stellar Career College
Top 10 trade schools in Illinois by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 97.3%, State Career College
State Career College
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 97.1%, University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology
University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology
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Rank 3, Employment Outcome, 95.8%, Capital Area Career Center
Capital Area Career Center
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Rank 4, Employment Outcome, 93.6%, Verve College
Verve College
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Rank 5, Employment Outcome, 92.6%, Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Peru
Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Peru
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Rank 6, Employment Outcome, 91.4%, MDT College of Health Sciences
MDT College of Health Sciences
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Rank 7, Employment Outcome, 91.3%, Universal Technical Institute of Illinois Inc
Universal Technical Institute of Illinois Inc
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Rank 8, Employment Outcome, 90.8%, Sauk Valley Community College
Sauk Valley Community College
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Rank 9, Employment Outcome, 90.8%, Waubonsee Community College
Waubonsee Community College
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Rank 10, Employment Outcome, 90.5%, Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus
Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus
Top 10 trade schools in Illinois by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $60,350, Capital Area Career Center
Capital Area Career Center
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $59,807, Verve College
Verve College
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Rank 3, Mid-Career Earnings, $58,925, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Chicago
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Chicago
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Rank 4, Mid-Career Earnings, $55,688, Universal Technical Institute of Illinois Inc
Universal Technical Institute of Illinois Inc
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Rank 5, Mid-Career Earnings, $51,155, University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology
University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology
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Rank 6, Mid-Career Earnings, $50,874, ETI School of Skilled Trades
ETI School of Skilled Trades
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Rank 7, Mid-Career Earnings, $50,111, HVAC Technical Institute
HVAC Technical Institute
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Rank 8, Mid-Career Earnings, $46,622, DeVry University-Illinois
DeVry University-Illinois
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Rank 9, Mid-Career Earnings, $45,211, Oakton College
Oakton College
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Rank 10, Mid-Career Earnings, $45,104, College of DuPage
College of DuPage
Top 10 trade schools in Illinois by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $63,879, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Chicago
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Chicago
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $62,550, Capital Area Career Center
Capital Area Career Center
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Rank 3, 8-Yr Earnings, $62,158, Verve College
Verve College
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Rank 4, 8-Yr Earnings, $58,062, Universal Technical Institute of Illinois Inc
Universal Technical Institute of Illinois Inc
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Rank 5, 8-Yr Earnings, $53,115, ETI School of Skilled Trades
ETI School of Skilled Trades
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Rank 6, 8-Yr Earnings, $50,172, William Rainey Harper College
William Rainey Harper College
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Rank 7, 8-Yr Earnings, $49,902, DeVry University-Illinois
DeVry University-Illinois
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Rank 8, 8-Yr Earnings, $49,386, Oakton College
Oakton College
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Rank 9, 8-Yr Earnings, $49,354, College of DuPage
College of DuPage
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Rank 10, 8-Yr Earnings, $49,161, Elgin Community College
Elgin Community College
Top 10 trade schools in Illinois by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
None
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $72,072, Verve College
Verve College
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $64,453, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Chicago
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Chicago
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Rank 3, 10-Yr Earnings, $62,466, Universal Technical Institute of Illinois Inc
Universal Technical Institute of Illinois Inc
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Rank 4, 10-Yr Earnings, $58,631, Capital Area Career Center
Capital Area Career Center
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Rank 5, 10-Yr Earnings, $56,505, ETI School of Skilled Trades
ETI School of Skilled Trades
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Rank 6, 10-Yr Earnings, $54,357, William Rainey Harper College
William Rainey Harper College
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Rank 7, 10-Yr Earnings, $53,439, Oakton College
Oakton College
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Rank 8, 10-Yr Earnings, $51,716, DeVry University-Illinois
DeVry University-Illinois
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Rank 9, 10-Yr Earnings, $51,188, College of DuPage
College of DuPage
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Rank 10, 10-Yr Earnings, $51,097, Elgin Community College
Elgin Community College
Top 10 trade schools in Illinois by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year ROI among trade schools and community colleges with enrollment ≥ 50.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $286,616, Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Chicago
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Chicago
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $285,544, Capital Area Career Center
Capital Area Career Center
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Rank 3, 10-Yr ROI, $266,199, Universal Technical Institute of Illinois Inc
Universal Technical Institute of Illinois Inc
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Rank 4, 10-Yr ROI, $245,334, ETI School of Skilled Trades
ETI School of Skilled Trades
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Rank 5, 10-Yr ROI, $242,799, Oakton College
Oakton College
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Rank 6, 10-Yr ROI, $237,874, William Rainey Harper College
William Rainey Harper College
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Rank 7, 10-Yr ROI, $236,170, Elgin Community College
Elgin Community College
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Rank 8, 10-Yr ROI, $227,820, HVAC Technical Institute
HVAC Technical Institute
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Rank 9, 10-Yr ROI, $227,651, College of DuPage
College of DuPage
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Rank 10, 10-Yr ROI, $225,750, Waubonsee Community College
Waubonsee Community College
Top 10 most affordable trade schools in Illinois (net price)
Lowest median net price among trade schools and community colleges with enrollment ≥ 50.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $2,551, Waubonsee Community College
Waubonsee Community College
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Rank 2, Net Price, $4,998, Lewis and Clark Community College
Lewis and Clark Community College
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Rank 3, Net Price, $3,419, Kankakee Community College
Kankakee Community College
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Rank 4, Net Price, $2,011, South Suburban College
South Suburban College
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Rank 5, Net Price, $4,349, Black Hawk College
Black Hawk College
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Rank 6, Net Price, $3,090, Highland Community College
Highland Community College
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Rank 7, Net Price, $3,659, Lincoln Land Community College
Lincoln Land Community College
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Rank 8, Net Price, $3,398, Danville Area Community College
Danville Area Community College
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Rank 9, Net Price, $3,176, Illinois Valley Community College
Illinois Valley Community College
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Rank 10, Net Price, $3,385, Rock Valley College
Rock Valley College
Student debt: Illinois vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Illinois is $8,713 (-8.3% vs U.S. median $9,500). Regional median: $9,500. Rank: #11 nationally of 58 (lower debt = better rank); #1 in Great Lakes of 5.
Median earnings (10 years out): Illinois vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Illinois center around $39,732 (-0.4% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Illinois vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 87.0% at the median Illinois campus (+1.5 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Median graduate debt is $8,713 (-8.3% below the U.S. median of $9,500, and -8.3% vs the Great Lakes regional median of $9,500). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Student debt rank: #11 nationally of 58 (lower debt = better rank); #1 in Great Lakes of 5 (1 = lowest median debt).
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Illinois are $39,732, about -0.4% vs the U.S. campus median ($39,899).
The median campus reports 87.0% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 85.5% (+1.5 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 64.9% vs a U.S. median of 65.2%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 10.3% (U.S. 11.1%); 3-yr repayment progress 56.3% (U.S. 50.5%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Nationally, Illinois ranks earnings #27 and employment proxy #20 on these outcome medians (1 = best).
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include State Career College (97.3%), University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology (97.1%), Capital Area Career Center (95.8%), Verve College (93.6%), Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Peru (92.6%), MDT College of Health Sciences (91.4%), Universal Technical Institute of Illinois Inc (91.3%), Sauk Valley Community College (90.8%), Waubonsee Community College (90.8%), Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus (90.5%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Within Illinois, sector medians diverge: Private for-profit median 10-yr earnings $33,419 (61 campuses); Public median 10-yr earnings $42,873 (46 campuses). Public campuses often dominate enrollment while private nonprofits can show higher earnings medians at selective institutions.
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Illinois is 61.6% (national institution average about 66.8%).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do trade schools cost in Illinois?
Among trade schools and community colleges in Illinois, median net price is $14,284 vs $14,111 nationally (+1.2% vs U.S.).
What is typical student debt at Illinois trade schools?
Median federal loan debt among completers at trade and vocational campuses in Illinois is $8,713 vs a U.S. median of $9,500 (Illinois ranks #11 nationally for median debt among states.)
What do trade school graduates earn in Illinois?
Median earnings 10 years after entry for Illinois trade schools and community colleges reporting to the College Scorecard is $39,732 vs $39,899 nationally. Six-year medians are $35,740.
What share of Illinois trade school students are working after completion?
The federal employment-outcome proxy on this site (8-year cohort working and not enrolled) has a median of 87.0% in Illinois vs 85.5% nationally.
How many trade schools are in Illinois?
This profile covers 113 trade schools and 11 community colleges (124 total) in Illinois with roughly 209,523 total reported enrollment.
How many public vs. private trade schools are in Illinois?
Among trade schools and community colleges with outcomes in the College Scorecard extract: 46 public, 0 private nonprofit, and 61 private for-profit institutions.
What are the top trade schools in Illinois?
Rankings on this page use College Scorecard medians for trade schools and community colleges; standouts include highest completion rate: Capital Area Career Center; highest 10-year earnings: Verve College; lowest net price among large campuses: Waubonsee Community College. See the ranked lists below for full details.
Are there Hispanic-serving or other designated trade schools in Illinois?
Among 236 campuses in Illinois, 73 campuses report at least 25% Hispanic undergraduate enrollment in U.S. Department of Education data; examples include Aurora University, Cannella School of Hair Design-Villa Park, and Cannella School of Hair Design-Chicago; 39 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campuses (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Roman Catholic (13), Presbyterian Church (USA) (4), United Methodist (3).
How does Illinois compare to its Census region for trade schools?
Illinois is in the Great Lakes region. Regional median net price is $15,307 and median 10-year earnings are $38,917 vs $14,284 net price and $39,732 earnings in Illinois.
Sources & related
- All trade school profiles
- Illinois college profile
- Trade school costs by state
- Trade schools and public community colleges (College Scorecard)
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
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