Illinois’s cheapest routes into a trade are its public community colleges: City Colleges of Chicago charges city residents $163 a credit hour, Lincoln Land in Springfield $146.50 and Illinois Eastern in the southeast $140, and union electrical apprentices are paid while they train. Private schools add aviation, HVAC, welding, nursing, media and beauty programs, at prices from about $2,100 for a phlebotomy course to more than $40,000. This page sorts the 30 schools we profile by region, links to our Chicago and Springfield guides, and lists every school elsewhere in full, from Rockford and the Quad Cities to Peoria and southeastern Illinois.
Illinois at a glance
- Schools profiled
- 30, in 6 regions; 22 of them in the Chicago area
- City guides
- Chicago area · Springfield
- Lowest-cost routes
- Community colleges at $140 to $163 a credit hour for local residents; the union electrical apprenticeship in Moline charges $0 tuition
- Short entry courses
- Phlebotomy in about 40 hours to 5 weeks; Class A CDL in 16 days to 6 weeks; nursing assistant in 7 weeks
- Licensed trades
- The state licenses plumbers, nurses, cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians, nail technicians and massage therapists; cities license electricians
- Statewide median pay
- Electricians $99,560; plumbers $99,950; HVAC mechanics $77,410; LPNs $75,000 (BLS 2025)
Facts checked October 2026. Sources are linked in each section and in each school’s profile.
Illinois Trade Schools by Region
Pick a region. The Chicago and Springfield guides compare every school there in detail; for the rest of the state, each campus is listed here in full. Midwest Technical Institute, Tricoci, Rasmussen and Illinois Health Careers appear in several regions, with the programs taught at each campus.
Chicago area
Chicagoland has the widest choice: City Colleges of Chicago’s seven colleges, where Future Ready can make one certificate tuition-free for city residents, private HVAC, welding, automotive and aviation schools from Chicago to Willowbrook, Lisle and Melrose Park, practical nursing schools in Park Ridge and Matteson, two media schools and beauty schools across the suburbs.
The 22 schools on the Chicago page
- City Colleges of Chicago · Seven colleges and five satellite sites across Chicago
- DeVry University (Chicago and Lisle) · Chicago (Ravenswood and the Loop) and Lisle
- Fox College · Tinley Park (Oak Park Ave)
- Midwestern Career College · Chicago (LaSalle St and Wacker Dr), Evergreen Park and Naperville
- Rasmussen University (Romeoville, Aurora and Mokena) · Romeoville, Aurora and Mokena
- Aviation Institute of Maintenance (Chicago) · Chicago (S. Ashland Ave)
- ETI School of Skilled Trades · Willowbrook (Joliet Rd, DuPage County)
- HVAC Technical Institute · Chicago (W. 46th St, near Midway)
- Lincoln Tech (Melrose Park) · Melrose Park (W. North Ave)
- Universal Technical Institute (Lisle) · Lisle (Corporate West Dr)
- Americare Technical School · Park Ridge (Busse Hwy)
- CAAN Academy of Nursing · Matteson (Lincoln Mall Dr)
- Dental Assistant Academy of Chicago · Chicago Loop (E. Washington St)
- First Institute · Crystal Lake, Libertyville and Aurora
- Illinois Health Careers · Harwood Heights, Homewood, Mundelein and Arlington Heights (also Rockford)
- Illinois Media School · Chicago (O’Hare and downtown)
- SAE Institute Chicago · Chicago (N. Orleans St)
- Aveda Institute Chicago (Aveda Institutes) · Chicago (N. Clark St)
- Empire Beauty School (Stone Park) · Stone Park (W. North Ave)
- Paul Mitchell Schools (Chicago and Tinley Park) · Chicago (S. Halsted St, on the UIC campus) and Tinley Park
- Tricoci University of Beauty Culture (Chicago area) · Bridgeview, Chicago (Norwood Park and Rogers Park), Elgin, Glendale Heights and Libertyville
- University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology · Downers Grove (Curtiss St) and Chicago (Milwaukee Ave, Wicker Park)
Springfield
Lincoln Land Community College’s Workforce Institute teaches welding, HVACR, automotive, diesel, CDL and FAA-approved aviation maintenance; Midwest Technical Institute’s main campus adds shorter trade and health diplomas, and Springfield also has a public practical nursing school and a family-owned beauty school.
The 5 schools on the Springfield page
- Workforce Institute at Lincoln Land Community College · Springfield (Shepherd Rd main campus and the LRS Aviation Center at the airport)
- Capital Area School of Practical Nursing · Springfield (Toronto Rd, on the Capital Area Career Center campus)
- Capital Area Career Center (adult programs) · Springfield (Toronto Rd)
- Midwest Technical Institute (Springfield) · Springfield (Farmers Market Rd; CDL range on Rodger St)
- University of Spa & Cosmetology Arts · Springfield (W. White Oaks Dr)
Rockford and Northern Illinois
We have no city guide for Rockford yet, so its schools are listed here in full. Rockford Career College is the only school here teaching the trades, and it is on accreditor Warning; Rasmussen, Illinois Health Careers and Tricoci add nursing, short health courses and beauty.
Illinois Health Careers (Rockford)
Rockford is the only Illinois Health Careers site outside the Chicago area and the only one teaching every program in its 2026 catalog: evening dental assisting, Saturday orthodontic assisting and phlebotomy, clinical medical assisting on Mondays and Saturdays, and a one-day coronal polishing course. The school is not accredited and takes no federal aid.
- Length
- About 40 hours (phlebotomy) to 16 weeks plus an internship (medical assisting)
- Accredited
- None; approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education
- Federal aid
- No; payment plans and WIOA grants
Cost: $2,100 (phlebotomy) to $3,800 (medical assisting), plus a $210 admin fee (2026 catalog)
View school profile →Rasmussen University (Rockford)
Rockford teaches Rasmussen’s Illinois associate degree in nursing as an extension site of Romeoville, plus medical assisting and CAAHEP-accredited surgical technology; Rasmussen offers no practical nursing or BSN in Illinois. The Illinois ADN passed 63% of first-time takers in 2025, its sixth year below the state’s 75% standard.
- Length
- Nursing degree from 21 months (102 credits)
- Accredited
- Higher Learning Commission (through American Public University System since August 2026); ACEN initial accreditation for the Illinois ADN
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: $464 a credit for the nursing degree; medical assisting $339 a credit, about $21,239 in total
View school profile →Rockford Career College
Founded in 1862 and now owned by AHED, the college teaches 10-month electrical, HVAC/R and welding diplomas on campus, plus medical assisting, practical nursing, surgical technology, sonography and vet tech, with business and legal programs online. ACCSC has had it on Warning since October 2025, and in July 2026 its owner settled, without admitting liability, a federal case alleging inflated graduation rates. In its own figures, fewer than two-thirds of available graduates in electrical, HVAC/R, medical assisting, practical nursing and welding were employed.
- Length
- Diplomas 7 to 14 months (most about 10); campus AAS degrees 18 to 24 months
- Accredited
- ACCSC, on Warning since October 2025
- Federal aid
- Yes
Cost: $24,150 for electrical, HVAC/R or welding; $31,547 for practical nursing; $16,200 to $38,700 by program, before fees and books (2026-27)
View school profile →Tricoci University of Beauty Culture (Rockford)
The Rockford campus teaches 1,500-hour cosmetology, 750-hour esthetics and instructor training. The school’s campus list also shows barbering here, but the Illinois catalog approves only the 500-hour barber crossover for licensed cosmetologists at Rockford, so ask which barber option runs.
- Length
- Cosmetology about 10 to 13 months full-time; esthetics about 5 months
- Accredited
- NACCAS, according to the school’s catalogs
- Federal aid
- Yes, except the Illinois nail technology course
Cost: No Rockford price published; federal 2025 data put cosmetology tuition at Tricoci’s Peoria campus at $19,520 plus a $3,445 kit
Peoria, Bloomington-Normal and Champaign-Urbana
Midwest Technical Institute’s East Peoria campus teaches welding, HVAC/R, electrical and health programs, and Tricoci has beauty campuses in Peoria, Normal and Urbana. We have not yet profiled the region’s community colleges.
Midwest Technical Institute (East Peoria)
Opened in 2009, the East Peoria campus teaches welding and welding with pipefitting, HVAC/R, electrician, dental and medical assisting, nursing assistant, phlebotomy and massage therapy, but no CDL training. The Electrician program prepares for helper and apprentice jobs, not a license, and welding ends with MTI’s own tests rather than AWS certification.
- Length
- 5 weeks (phlebotomy) to 40 weeks (welding and pipefitting); most diplomas 30 to 35 weeks
- Accredited
- ACCSC; CAAHEP for medical assisting
- Federal aid
- Yes, except phlebotomy
Cost: About $15,800 for most diplomas and $21,196 for welding and pipefitting (undated state listing); nursing assistant $2,450; phlebotomy $2,600 (October 2026)
View school profile →Tricoci University of Beauty Culture (Peoria, Normal and Urbana)
All three campuses teach 1,500-hour cosmetology and 750-hour esthetics, with teacher training approved in the Illinois catalog; Peoria’s approval also covers a 350-hour nail course, which is not eligible for federal aid. Normal serves Bloomington-Normal and Urbana serves Champaign-Urbana.
- Length
- Cosmetology about 10 to 13 months full-time; esthetics about 5 months
- Accredited
- NACCAS, according to the school’s catalogs
- Federal aid
- Yes, except the Illinois nail technology course
Cost: $19,520 cosmetology tuition at Peoria plus a $3,445 kit; esthetics $13,184 plus a $2,220 kit (federal 2025 data)
Quad Cities
Both Quad Cities schools are in Moline: the IBEW Local 145 and NECA electrical apprenticeship, which charges no tuition, and Midwest Technical Institute’s trade and health campus.
Midwest Technical Institute (Moline)
MTI’s Quad Cities campus, opened in 2011, teaches welding and welding with pipefitting, HVAC/R, electrician, dental and medical assisting, nursing assistant and phlebotomy. Cosmetology and on-ground medical coding stopped taking new students in September 2026, and ACCSC renewed the campus for five years from March 2023.
- Length
- 5 weeks (phlebotomy) to 40 weeks (welding and pipefitting); most diplomas 30 to 35 weeks
- Accredited
- ACCSC; CAAHEP for medical assisting
- Federal aid
- Yes, except phlebotomy
Cost: About $15,800 for most diplomas and $21,196 for welding and pipefitting (undated state listing); nursing assistant $2,450; phlebotomy $2,600 (October 2026)
View school profile →Quad City Electrical Training Center
Apprentices are paid to work full time for signatory contractors and attend evening classes: five years for Inside Journeyman Wireman, three for Residential Wireman or Teledata Journeyman Technician. Only residents of 10 Quad Cities counties in Iowa and Illinois can apply, and entry takes an aptitude test, an interview and a ranking list.
- Length
- 3 or 5 years of paid work plus evening classes
- Accredited
- Not a college; curriculum from the Electrical Training Alliance
- Federal aid
- No tuition to finance; VA benefits for qualified veterans
Cost: $0 tuition; books about $1,100 a year, a laptop and a $50 application fee (2026)
View school profile →Southeastern Illinois
Illinois Eastern Community Colleges runs four colleges and a teaching center across Richland, Wayne, Crawford and Wabash counties, at the lowest in-district tuition on this page.
Illinois Eastern Community Colleges
Four colleges share one accreditation, each with its own specialties: radiography, automotive, welding and massage at Olney Central (with cosmetology at its Noble center), lineworker, gas utility, coal mining and EMS training at Frontier, medical assisting, process technology and broadband at Lincoln Trail, and diesel, agriculture and the PTA program at Wabash Valley. All four teach the ADN, whose graduates passed the NCLEX-RN at 98% in FY2025; there is no stand-alone LPN program.
- Length
- From a 6-week truck driving course to two-year AAS degrees
- Accredited
- Higher Learning Commission (reaffirmed April 2025); ACEN, JRCERT, CAPTE, NAACLS and ASE Master for some programs
- Federal aid
- Yes; Illinois MAP and veterans’ grants
Cost: $140 a credit hour in-district, $215 out-of-district and $240 out of state, plus $36 a credit in fees (2026-27); ADN $20,182 in total (2025-26 rates)
View school profile →We have not yet profiled most of Illinois’s 48 community colleges, including the College of DuPage, Joliet Junior College, Illinois Central College, Parkland, Rock Valley and the colleges of the Metro East and southern Illinois, or most union apprenticeship programs. Rasmussen College, linked from the old version of this page, is now Rasmussen University.
Costs and financial aid
These are prices the schools on this page published, with the date. Community college figures are per-credit tuition for local residents. They exclude tools, uniforms, and exam and license fees unless noted.
| Route | Example | Cost | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public colleges | Illinois Eastern; Lincoln Land; City Colleges of Chicago | $140 + $36 fees; $146.50 + $16 fees; $163 a credit hour | 2026-27; from Summer 2026 |
| Public certificates | City Colleges Combination Welder; Lincoln Land HVACR; Lincoln Land A&P certificates | About $4,200 tuition; $7,877 + $2,300.27 tools and books; $19,998 | 2026-27 |
| Apprenticeship | Quad City Electrical Training Center | $0 tuition; books about $1,100 a year | 2026 |
| Private trade programs | HVAC Technical Institute; MTI diplomas; Rockford Career College; Lincoln Tech HVAC | $15,000; about $15,800; $24,150; $32,869 | October 2026; undated state listing; 2026-27; 2025 |
| CDL | MTI Springfield; Lincoln Land; City Colleges (Olive-Harvey) | $4,250; $4,500; about $2,600 tuition | October 2026; 2026-27 |
| Short health courses | Illinois Health Careers; Capital Area CNA; MTI nursing assistant | $2,100 to $3,800 + $210 fee; $1,200 + $85 exam; $2,450 | 2026 catalog; 2026-27; October 2026 |
| Practical nursing | Capital Area (Springfield); Americare; CAAN; Rockford Career College | $17,252; $20,500; $24,045; $31,547 | 2026-27; 2024-25; 2025-26; 2026-27 |
| Nursing degrees | Illinois Eastern ADN; Rasmussen ADN | $20,182 total; $464 a credit | 2025-26 rates; latest published |
| Media | Illinois Media School; SAE Institute audio diploma | $18,495 to $18,695; $28,014 | October 2026; August 2026 |
| Beauty | USCA cosmetology (Springfield); Empire Stone Park; Tricoci Peoria | $20,750; $22,992; $19,520 + $3,445 kit | Effective June 2022; September 2026; 2025 federal data |
For most trades a community college costs far less than a private school, but out-of-district students pay more: $293 a credit at Lincoln Land without a chargeback and $429 at City Colleges for Illinois residents outside Chicago. We found no current prices to quote for UTI Lisle, Aveda Chicago or Tricoci’s Chicago-area campuses, so ask each school for the total in writing.
Paying for training
- Federal aid: 26 of the 30 schools on this page take Pell Grants or federal loans through the FAFSA, though not always for every program: short CDL and phlebotomy courses and nail technology programs are often excluded. Dental Assistant Academy of Chicago, Illinois Health Careers and the Quad City electrical apprenticeship do not take federal aid, and Aveda Chicago’s status should be confirmed.
- Illinois MAP Grant: Illinois Eastern, Fox College and Capital Area School of Practical Nursing list the state’s MAP grant among their aid sources. Ask any school whether you qualify.
- Chicago awards: City Colleges’ Future Ready pays tuition for one credential for eligible Chicago residents, the Chicago Star Scholarship covers Chicago Public Schools graduates with a 3.0 GPA, and the WEI grant makes Dawson Technical Institute’s trades certificates tuition-free for students who keep a 2.0 GPA and volunteer.
- Workforce funding: WIOA can pay for programs on the state’s training list on Illinois workNet, such as CAAN’s and Capital Area’s nursing programs and ETI’s HVAC/R. In Springfield, Lincoln Land points students to the Land of Lincoln Workforce Alliance.
- Veterans: AIM, Lincoln Tech, DeVry and MTI accept the GI Bill, Illinois Eastern lists veterans’ grants, and the Quad City apprenticeship says qualified veterans may use VA education benefits. Check with the VA that your program is approved.
Trade pathways and licensing
How each trade works in Illinois, where to train, what it pays and which license you need. Pay is the Illinois median annual wage for all experience levels (BLS 2025, via O*NET OnLine); the Chicago and Springfield guides show metro pay.
Electrical
Illinois has no statewide electrician license; cities and counties license electricians and electrical contractors. Chicago, for example, requires a City of Chicago Supervising Electrician license for supervising electricians: applicants must be 21 or older, have at least two years of supervised experience and pass a written exam on the Chicago Electrical Code. Most electricians learn the trade in a paid apprenticeship of several years, working for a contractor and taking evening classes.
- Length
- 3 or 5 years (Quad City apprenticeship); 30 weeks (MTI Electrician); 33 to 48 weeks (HVAC Technical Institute); 10 months (Rockford Career College)
- Illinois median pay
- $99,560 electricians
- License
- Local: cities license electricians and contractors; no state license
Step-by-step guide: How to become an electrician in Illinois
Where to train:
- Apprenticeship: Quad City Electrical Training Center (IBEW Local 145 and NECA, Moline, $0 tuition); in Chicago, City Colleges’ Daley College electrical construction program is a route into the IBEW Local 134 apprenticeship
- Private programs: HVAC Technical Institute (Chicago, $15,000), MTI (Springfield, East Peoria and Moline), Rockford Career College ($24,150), Lincoln Tech (Melrose Park) and UTI (Lisle)
- Maintenance and lineworker training: Lincoln Land’s Workforce Institute (Springfield) and Illinois Eastern’s Frontier Community College
A certificate is not a license: MTI’s and Lincoln Land’s electrical programs prepare for helper, apprentice or maintenance jobs, and HVAC Technical Institute’s for entry-level work. Ask your local building department what it requires. Sources: City of Chicago Supervising Electrician license; our school profiles.
HVAC, plumbing and welding
Illinois licenses plumbers statewide through the Illinois Department of Public Health: apprentices need a sponsoring licensed plumber or approved program, work at least four years as licensed apprentice plumbers and then pass the state exam. HVAC has no state license, but technicians who handle refrigerant need federal EPA 608 certification. Illinois does not license welders; employers test them.
- Length
- About 7 to 12 months (ETI); 33 to 48 weeks (HVAC Technical Institute); as little as 9 months (Lincoln Land HVACR); 30 or 40 weeks (MTI welding); at least 4 years as an apprentice (plumbing)
- License
- Illinois plumber license from the Illinois Department of Public Health; EPA 608 for refrigerant
Step-by-step guide: How to become an HVAC tech in Illinois · How to become a plumber in Illinois · Welding schools in Illinois
Where to train:
- HVAC: City Colleges, HVAC Technical Institute, ETI, Lincoln Tech and UTI in the Chicago area; Lincoln Land and MTI (HVAC Excellence-accredited at Springfield) in Springfield; MTI East Peoria and Moline; Rockford Career College; Industrial Maintenance HVAC at Illinois Eastern
- Plumbing: City Colleges’ Dawson Technical Institute (plumbing and fire protection certificate for plumber’s or fitter’s assistants); a license needs four years as a licensed apprentice
- Welding: City Colleges (Combination Welder, about $4,200 in tuition), ETI, Lincoln Tech and UTI around Chicago; Lincoln Land and MTI (all three Illinois campuses); Rockford Career College; Illinois Eastern (Olney Central and Lincoln Trail)
Most welding programs end with in-school tests; ask which, if any, lead to AWS certification. Lincoln Land’s welding program prepares for the AWS entry-level exam. Sources: Illinois Department of Public Health; our school profiles.
Automotive, diesel, aviation and truck driving
Illinois does not license auto or diesel mechanics; employers look for ASE certification and manufacturer training. Aircraft mechanics need the FAA Airframe and Powerplant certificates, and truck drivers need a Class A CDL from the Illinois Secretary of State after federal entry-level driver training.
- Length
- 16 days (MTI CDL) to 6 weeks (Lincoln Land CDL); most core programs 36 to 57 weeks (UTI, Lincoln Tech); about 10 months per aviation certificate (Lincoln Land) or 21 months (AIM)
- Illinois median pay
- $49,170 auto technicians; $64,340 diesel technicians; $81,680 aircraft mechanics; $60,320 truck drivers
- License
- None for auto or diesel work; FAA mechanic certificate; Class A CDL
Where to train:
- Automotive and diesel: City Colleges, Lincoln Tech and UTI around Chicago; Lincoln Land (Ford/Lincoln ACE and Toyota/Lexus T-TEN; diesel AAS); Illinois Eastern (ASE Master-accredited automotive at Olney Central, farm and truck diesel at Wabash Valley)
- Aviation maintenance: Aviation Institute of Maintenance (Chicago), Olive-Harvey College (general courses, with advanced courses at AIM) and Lincoln Land’s FAA Part 147 school at Springfield’s airport
- Truck driving: MTI (Springfield, 16 days, $4,250), Lincoln Land (4 or 6 weeks, $4,500) and Olive-Harvey College in Chicago (16-credit certificate)
MTI’s 16-day CDL course and Lincoln Land’s are not eligible for federal aid. AIM Chicago reported the lowest in-field employment rate in the AIM network (50%) in its 2025 report. Sources: FAA Airframe and Powerplant certificates; our school profiles.
Nursing and healthcare
Illinois nurses take the NCLEX after a program approved by the IDFPR, and the state lists programs whose first-time pass rates fall below its 75% standard. Nurse aides must be certified and listed on the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Health Care Worker Registry after an approved training course and the state test. Pharmacy technicians register with IDFPR; the certified designation needs the PTCB or ExCPT exam. Medical assistants, dental assistants and phlebotomists need no state license, and employers look for national certifications such as the NHA CCMA.
- Length
- About 40 hours to 7 weeks (phlebotomy and nursing assistant courses); 35 to 50 weeks (assisting diplomas); about 9 to 20 months (practical nursing); 21 months or more (associate degrees in nursing)
- Illinois median pay
- $95,990 RN; $75,000 LPN; $45,960 nursing assistants; $46,090 medical assistants; $48,610 dental assistants; $79,930 radiologic technologists
- License
- NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN and an Illinois nursing license; Illinois CNA certification; pharmacy technician registration
Step-by-step guide: Medical assistant · Dental assistant · Phlebotomist · EKG technician
Where to train:
- Registered nursing: Illinois Eastern (98% NCLEX-RN in FY2025), Malcolm X College (80% in 2025), Rasmussen (Romeoville, Aurora, Mokena and Rockford; 63%) and CAAN (LPN-to-RN only)
- Practical nursing: Capital Area School of Practical Nursing (Springfield, 90% NCLEX-PN in 2025), Americare (Park Ridge, 89%), CAAN (Matteson, 88%), Rockford Career College and Midwestern Career College (new)
- Assisting and short courses: MTI at all three Illinois campuses; Illinois Health Careers in the Chicago suburbs and Rockford; First Institute, Dental Assistant Academy of Chicago, Fox and Midwestern on the Chicago page
- Imaging, surgical tech, therapy assisting and vet tech: Midwestern, Fox College, Rockford Career College, Rasmussen and Illinois Eastern (JRCERT-accredited radiography at Olney Central; PTA at Wabash Valley)
Rasmussen’s Illinois ADN has been below the state’s 75% NCLEX standard for six years, and Rockford Career College’s vet tech graduates passed the VTNE at 49% for 2023 to 2025. Capital Area’s practical nursing program needs CNA registry eligibility before you apply. Sources: IDFPR; Health Care Worker Registry; our school profiles.
EMT, paramedic and fire
Illinois EMTs and paramedics are licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health after an approved course and the National Registry (NREMT) exam.
- Programs
- EMT, paramedic and fire service at Malcolm X College (Chicago); EMR, EMT, paramedic and fire science at Frontier Community College (Illinois Eastern)
- License
- NREMT exam and an Illinois EMS license
Where to train:
- City Colleges of Chicago (Malcolm X College; EMT is on the Future Ready free-tuition list)
- Illinois Eastern Community Colleges (Frontier Community College, Fairfield; EMT $988 in total at 2025-26 rates)
Cosmetology, barbering, esthetics and massage
Illinois requires 1,500 hours of school for a cosmetologist or barber license, 750 hours for an esthetician and 350 for a nail technician, then the state exam. Licensed cosmetologists can add a barber license with a 500-hour supplemental course. Massage therapists need at least 600 hours of training and the MBLEx or NCBTMB exam for a license from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR).
- Length
- 1,500 hours (cosmetology and barbering); 750 hours (esthetics); 350 hours (nail technology); 600 hours or more (massage)
- Illinois median pay
- $34,040 hairstylists and cosmetologists; $65,430 barbers; $45,330 skincare specialists; $60,490 massage therapists
- License
- Illinois cosmetologist, barber, esthetician, nail technician and massage therapist licenses
Where to train:
- Cosmetology and esthetics: Tricoci at 10 Illinois campuses, from Chicago and its suburbs to Rockford, Peoria, Normal and Urbana; University of Spa & Cosmetology Arts (Springfield, all four licenses); Empire, Paul Mitchell, UAC and Aveda around Chicago; Truman College and Illinois Eastern (Noble)
- Barbering: Tricoci Chicago Northwest (full-time) and Bridgeview (part-time); USCA in Springfield; Truman College
- Massage: First Institute (Crystal Lake), MTI (Springfield and East Peoria) and Illinois Eastern (Olney Central, evenings)
Nail technology programs often take no federal aid, including Tricoci’s Illinois course and USCA’s. Ask each school for its NACCAS graduation, placement and licensure rates; they are reported campus by campus. Sources: IDFPR cosmetologist, barber, esthetician and nail technician requirements; Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR); our school profiles.
IT, business and media
No state license is needed for IT support, networking or cybersecurity work, or for media jobs; employers look for industry certifications such as CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+, and for portfolios.
- Length
- 8-week online sessions (DeVry); 8 months (Illinois Media School); 12 months (SAE diplomas)
- Illinois median pay
- $59,860 computer support specialists; $124,180 information security analysts; $56,440 medical records specialists
- Certification
- Industry certifications; none required by the state
Step-by-step guide: How to become a medical biller and coder in Illinois
Where to train:
- IT and business: DeVry (Chicago and Lisle, $514 a credit), Midwestern Career College, City Colleges and Illinois Eastern (networking and broadband at Lincoln Trail)
- Media: Illinois Media School (Chicago) and SAE Institute (Chicago, on ACCSC Warning)
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to go to trade school in Illinois?
Public community colleges are usually cheapest for local residents: $140 a credit hour at Illinois Eastern and $146.50 at Lincoln Land in 2026-27, and $163 at City Colleges of Chicago for city residents, where Future Ready can make one certificate tuition-free. Union apprenticeships cost even less: the Quad City Electrical Training Center charges no tuition, and apprentices earn a wage while they train.
Do you need a license to be an electrician in Illinois?
Illinois has no statewide electrician license. Cities and counties license electricians and contractors; Chicago, for example, requires a Supervising Electrician license, with an applicant aged 21 or older, at least two years of supervised experience and a written exam on the Chicago Electrical Code. Most electricians train through paid apprenticeships, such as IBEW Local 145’s in Moline.
How do I become a plumber in Illinois?
The Illinois Department of Public Health licenses plumbers. You need an apprentice license sponsored by a licensed plumber or approved program, at least four years as a licensed apprentice plumber and a pass on the state exam.
Where can I get a CDL in Illinois?
Midwest Technical Institute runs a 16-day Class A course in Springfield for $4,250, Lincoln Land’s Workforce Institute a 4- or 6-week course for $4,500, and City Colleges’ Olive-Harvey College a 16-credit Commercial Driver Training certificate in Chicago. The two short courses take no federal aid.
Which Illinois trade schools take financial aid?
26 of the 30 schools on this page take Pell Grants or federal loans, including the community colleges and most private career schools, though some short courses are excluded. Dental Assistant Academy of Chicago, Illinois Health Careers and the Quad City electrical apprenticeship do not, but WIOA funding through Illinois workNet can pay for approved programs.
How many hours do you need for a cosmetology license in Illinois?
Illinois requires 1,500 clock hours for a cosmetologist or barber license, 750 for an esthetician and 350 for a nail technician, followed by the state exam. Licensed cosmetologists can add a barber license through a 500-hour supplemental course.
Facts checked October 2026. School facts come from each school’s profile on this site, where the original sources are linked. Pay figures are Illinois median annual wages from BLS 2025 data, via O*NET OnLine. Licensing requirements are from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the City of Chicago, the FMCSA and the FAA.