In Springfield, Lincoln Land Community College’s Workforce Institute is the main public route into the trades, at $146.50 a credit hour for district residents plus a surcharge on trade courses, and it runs the area’s FAA-approved aviation maintenance school. Midwest Technical Institute teaches shorter private diplomas, Capital Area School of Practical Nursing trains LPNs, and University of Spa & Cosmetology Arts covers the beauty licenses. This page compares the 5 schools we profile in Springfield, what they cost and which license each trade leads to.
Springfield at a glance
- Schools listed
- 5: Lincoln Land’s Workforce Institute, the Capital Area School of Practical Nursing and Capital Area Career Center’s adult programs, Midwest Technical Institute and University of Spa & Cosmetology Arts
- Where
- Springfield, including the LRS Aviation Center at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport
- Lowest-cost route
- Lincoln Land Community College at $146.50 a credit hour in-district (2026-27), plus fees and trade-course surcharges
- Short entry courses
- Class A CDL in 16 days (MTI) or 4 to 6 weeks (Lincoln Land); phlebotomy in 5 weeks; nursing assistant in 7 weeks (MTI)
- Federal aid at
- All 5, with exceptions: MTI’s CDL and phlebotomy courses and USCA’s nail program are not eligible, and Lincoln Land’s CDL is paid up front
- More in Illinois
- All Illinois trade schools
Facts checked October 2026. Sources are linked in each section and in each school’s profile.
Springfield Trade Schools and Career Programs
Listed alphabetically within each group, not ranked. Each card links to a full profile with programs, outcomes and sources. Pick a trade to filter the list; each trade’s pay, length and license are in Trades and licensing.
Public college and career center programs (3)
Workforce Institute at Lincoln Land Community College
Lincoln Land’s trades unit teaches in-person certificates and associate degrees in welding, HVACR, automotive (with Ford/Lincoln ACE and Toyota/Lexus T-TEN partnerships), diesel, construction, commercial electrical maintenance, lineman work, industrial technology and culinary arts, plus a Class A CDL course of 4 or 6 weeks and an FAA Part 147 aviation maintenance school at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport. It publishes no completion, placement or FAA pass rates, and tools can cost almost as much as tuition.
- Length
- Four weeks (CDL) to two years (AAS degrees); HVACR certificate in as little as 9 months
- Accredited
- Higher Learning Commission, through LLCC (reaffirmed 2023); FAA Part 147 for aviation maintenance
- Federal aid
- Yes through LLCC, but ask whether your certificate qualifies; CDL is paid up front
Cost: $146.50 a credit in-district plus $16 in fees and a $73.25 surcharge on trade courses (2026-27); HVACR certificate about $7,877 plus $2,300.27 for tools and books; CDL $4,500
View school profile →Capital Area School of Practical Nursing
Springfield’s public adult LPN school teaches one ACEN-accredited Practical Nursing certificate in about nine months, by day, with August and February starts and 65 seats a class, plus an evening CNA course. In 2025, 90% of its first-time takers passed the NCLEX-PN (Illinois: 88%), down from 98% in 2023 and 2024. Applicants must already be eligible on the state CNA registry.
- Length
- About 9 months (1,330 clock hours) for Practical Nursing; CNA three evenings a week
- Accredited
- ACEN (continuing accreditation, April 2025); full approval from the Illinois Board of Nursing
- Federal aid
- Yes; Illinois MAP Grant and WIOA too
Cost: $17,252 tuition plus testing for Practical Nursing (2026-27); CNA $1,200 plus an $85 state exam
View school profile →Capital Area Career Center (adult programs)
Most of CACC’s programs, including barbering, EMT, welding, HVAC, electrical and automotive, are for high-school juniors and seniors from member schools only. Adults can take Practical Nursing (taught by the Capital Area School of Practical Nursing), an evening CNA course and, if a session is running, cosmetology. The adult cosmetology page still advertised an August 2025 session in October 2026 and gives no price, so confirm before you plan around it.
- Length
- About 9 months (Practical Nursing); evening CNA course
- Accredited
- Practical Nursing: ACEN; CNA approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health
- Federal aid
- Yes for Practical Nursing; ask about cosmetology
Cost: Practical Nursing $17,252 (2026-27); CNA $1,200 plus an $85 exam; no cosmetology price published
View school profile →Private trade and health school (1)
Midwest Technical Institute (Springfield)
MTI’s main campus has its longest program list: welding and welding with pipefitting, HVAC/R (the only MTI program accredited by HVAC Excellence), an Electrician program added in September 2025, medical and dental assisting, massage therapy, nursing assistant and phlebotomy, and a 16-day Class A CDL course. 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
- 16 days (CDL) to 40 weeks (welding and pipefitting); most diplomas 30 to 35 weeks
- Accredited
- ACCSC; CAAHEP for medical assisting; HVAC Excellence for HVAC/R at Springfield
- Federal aid
- Yes, except the CDL course and phlebotomy
Cost: CDL $4,250, nursing assistant $2,450 and phlebotomy $2,600 (October 2026); about $15,800 for most diplomas and $21,196 for welding and pipefitting (undated state listing)
View school profile →Beauty school (1)
University of Spa & Cosmetology Arts
USCA teaches cosmetology (day or evening), classic barbering, esthiology, nail technology and teacher training, with clinic hours in its own student salon. For its 2023 cohort it published 70% graduation, 87% licensing exam passes and 85% placement among graduates who responded.
- Length
- 350 to 1,500 clock hours; cosmetology 55 weeks full-time or 110 weeks part-time
- Accredited
- NACCAS since 1979 (next renewal May 2028)
- Federal aid
- Yes, except nail technology
Cost: $20,750 cosmetology, $13,750 barbering, $11,000 esthiology, $4,475 nail technology, including registration and kit (prices effective June 2022)
No schools on this page match. Try another trade, or see all Illinois trade schools.
Our Workforce Institute profile covers Lincoln Land’s trade programs only, not its nursing and health programs. We have not yet profiled Springfield’s union apprenticeships, and no Springfield school we profile teaches plumbing.
- Compare Lincoln Land with MTI. Lincoln Land’s HVACR certificate is about $7,877 in tuition and fees plus $2,300.27 for tools and books, against about $15,800 all-in for MTI’s HVAC/R diploma on an undated state listing.
- Neither electrical program makes you an electrician. Lincoln Land’s Commercial Electrical Maintenance is a maintenance credential, and MTI’s Electrician program prepares for helper and apprentice jobs.
- Practical nursing needs a CNA first. Capital Area School of Practical Nursing only admits applicants already eligible on the state CNA registry; its evening CNA course and MTI’s 7-week course are two ways in.
- Lineman training at Lincoln Land needs a Class A CDL first, so budget for the $4,500 truck driving course and the extra weeks.
More in Illinois: All Illinois trade schools
Where to start, by goal
| Your goal | Schools to consider | Why they may fit |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest-cost route | Lincoln Land’s Workforce Institute | $146.50 a credit in-district, plus fees and surcharges |
| Electrical | Lincoln Land (Commercial Electrical Maintenance; lineman); MTI (Electrician, 30 weeks) | No state license; both prepare for maintenance, helper or apprentice jobs |
| HVAC | Lincoln Land (HVACR certificate, as little as 9 months); MTI (35 weeks, HVAC Excellence-accredited) | EPA 608 to handle refrigerant |
| Welding | Lincoln Land (8 to 32 weeks, AWS entry-level exam prep); MTI (30 or 40 weeks with pipefitting) | Illinois does not license welders; employers test them |
| Automotive or diesel | Lincoln Land (Ford/Lincoln ACE and Toyota/Lexus T-TEN; diesel AAS) | ASE and manufacturer certifications |
| Aircraft mechanic | Lincoln Land (Airframe and Powerplant certificates, about 10 months each; $19,998 for both) | FAA Airframe and Powerplant certificates |
| Truck driver (CDL) | MTI (16 days, $4,250); Lincoln Land (4 or 6 weeks, $4,500) | Class A CDL; neither course takes federal aid |
| Practical nurse (LPN) | Capital Area School of Practical Nursing (about 9 months, $17,252; 90% NCLEX-PN in 2025) | NCLEX-PN |
| CNA, phlebotomy, medical or dental assisting | Capital Area (CNA $1,200); MTI (CNA $2,450; phlebotomy $2,600; medical and dental assisting) | Illinois CNA exam and Health Care Worker Registry |
| Cosmetology, barbering, esthetics or nails | University of Spa & Cosmetology Arts | Illinois license after 1,500 hours (cosmetology or barber), 750 (esthetics) or 350 (nails) |
| Massage therapy | MTI (600 hours) | At least 600 hours and the MBLEx or NCBTMB exam |
| Culinary or hospitality | Lincoln Land (Bistro Verde student restaurant) | ServSafe certificates earned in the courses |
These match goals to published program features. They are not rankings.
Costs and financial aid
These are the prices each school published, with the date. Lincoln Land figures are its 2026-27 in-district estimates of tuition and fees; the rest are school or state-listed totals. They exclude tools, uniforms, and exam and license fees unless noted.
| Route | Example | Cost | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public college | Lincoln Land Workforce Institute | $146.50 a credit in-district, $293 elsewhere in Illinois without a chargeback, $439.50 out of state; plus $16 fees and $73.25 trade surcharges | 2026-27 |
| Public certificates | Lincoln Land HVACR; Advanced Welding; Commercial Electrical Maintenance | $7,877 + $2,300.27 tools and books; $7,267 + $1,387.48; $4,062.50 + $1,502.43 | 2026-27 |
| Aviation maintenance | Lincoln Land A&P certificates; A&P AAS | $19,998; $22,390.50, before a $5,512.66 tool set | 2026-27 |
| CDL | MTI; Lincoln Land | $4,250; $4,500 | October 2026; 2026-27 |
| Private diplomas | MTI welding, HVAC/R, medical or dental assisting; welding and pipefitting | About $15,800; $21,196 | Undated state listing |
| Short health courses | Capital Area CNA; MTI nursing assistant; MTI phlebotomy | $1,200 + $85 exam; $2,450; $2,600 | 2026-27; October 2026 |
| Practical nursing | Capital Area School of Practical Nursing | $17,252 tuition plus testing; about $18,354 with books and licensure | 2026-27 |
| Beauty | USCA cosmetology; barbering; esthiology; nails | $20,750; $13,750; $11,000; $4,475 | Effective June 2022 |
Paying for training
- Federal aid: all five schools take part in federal student aid, but not for every program. MTI’s 16-day CDL course and phlebotomy and USCA’s nail technology program are not eligible, Lincoln Land’s CDL course is paid in full up front, and Lincoln Land says to ask whether a given certificate qualifies.
- State grants: Capital Area School of Practical Nursing lists the Illinois MAP Grant among its aid sources.
- Workforce funding: Lincoln Land names the Land of Lincoln Workforce Alliance as the contact for WIOA training funds, and Capital Area’s practical nursing program is on the state’s WIOA training list on Illinois workNet.
- Veterans: MTI’s catalog covers Post-9/11 GI Bill and Chapter 31 students, and Lincoln Land is recognized by the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Trade pathways and licensing
How each trade works in Springfield, how long training takes, what it pays and which license you need. Pay is the Springfield, IL metro median annual wage for all experience levels (BLS 2025, via O*NET OnLine).
Electrical
Illinois has no statewide electrician license; cities and counties license electricians and electrical contractors. Check the rules of the city or county where you will work. Most electricians learn the trade in a paid apprenticeship of several years, working for a contractor and taking evening classes.
- Length
- 30 weeks (MTI Electrician); 9 or 11 months (Lincoln Land Commercial Electrical Maintenance); 16 to 22 weeks (Lincoln Land lineman certificate)
- Springfield median pay
- $84,780 (electricians)
- License
- No state license; local rules apply
Schools on this page: Lincoln Land’s Workforce Institute (electrical maintenance and lineman) and MTI (Electrician).
Neither program leads to a journeyman license on its own, and Lincoln Land’s lineman program needs a Class A CDL first. Read our guide on how to become an electrician in Illinois. Sources: 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
- As little as 9 months (Lincoln Land HVACR); 35 weeks (MTI HVAC/R); 8 to 32 weeks (Lincoln Land welding); 30 or 40 weeks (MTI welding)
- License
- Illinois plumber license from the Illinois Department of Public Health; EPA 608 for refrigerant
Schools on this page: HVAC and welding at Lincoln Land and MTI. No Springfield school we profile teaches plumbing.
MTI requires students to pass EPA 608 Core, Type I and Type II, and its Springfield HVAC/R program is the only one at MTI accredited by HVAC Excellence. Our guides: HVAC tech, plumber and welding schools in Illinois. Sources: Illinois Department of Public Health; our school profiles.
Automotive, diesel, aviation and trucking
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); 4 or 6 weeks (Lincoln Land CDL); about 10 months per aviation certificate; 1 semester to 2 years (automotive)
- License
- None for auto or diesel work; FAA mechanic certificate; Class A CDL
Schools on this page: Lincoln Land (automotive, diesel, aviation maintenance and CDL) and MTI (CDL).
Lincoln Land’s aviation students buy a $5,512.66 Snap-On tool set and pay $475 for each of three FAA test sections. Neither CDL course takes federal aid. 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
- 5 weeks (MTI phlebotomy); 7 weeks (MTI nursing assistant); 35 weeks (MTI medical or dental assisting); about 9 months (practical nursing)
- Springfield median pay
- $60,110 LPN; $40,070 nursing assistant; $45,140 medical assistant; $45,390 dental assistant; $41,420 phlebotomist
- License
- NCLEX-PN and an Illinois LPN license; Illinois CNA certification
Schools on this page: Practical nursing and CNA at Capital Area School of Practical Nursing; nursing assistant, phlebotomy and medical and dental assisting at MTI.
Capital Area’s clinical placements can be in Decatur, Jacksonville, Taylorville or Lincoln, and students arrange their own transport. MTI’s medical assisting is CAAHEP-accredited. Our guides: medical assistant, dental assistant and phlebotomist in Illinois. Sources: IDFPR; Health Care Worker Registry; our school profiles.
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 (esthiology); 350 hours (nail technology); 600 hours (MTI massage)
- License
- Illinois cosmetologist, barber, esthetician or nail technician license; Illinois massage therapist license
Schools on this page: University of Spa & Cosmetology Arts (all four beauty licenses and teacher training); massage at MTI.
USCA’s nail program is not eligible for federal aid, and its posted prices date from June 2022. Sources: IDFPR cosmetologist, barber, esthetician and nail technician requirements; Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR); our school profiles.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest trade school in Springfield, Illinois?
Lincoln Land Community College’s Workforce Institute: in-district students pay $146.50 a credit hour in 2026-27, plus $16 in fees and a $73.25 surcharge on trade courses. Its HVACR certificate is estimated at $7,877 in tuition and fees plus $2,300.27 for tools and books.
Where can I get a CDL in Springfield?
Midwest Technical Institute runs a 16-day Class A course for $4,250, and Lincoln Land’s Workforce Institute a 4-week day or 6-week night course for $4,500, paid in full up front. Neither takes federal aid, and both need a DOT physical and drug screen.
How do I become an LPN in Springfield?
Capital Area School of Practical Nursing teaches a nine-month, ACEN-accredited Practical Nursing certificate for $17,252 including testing (2026-27); 90% of its first-time takers passed the NCLEX-PN in 2025. You must be eligible on the state CNA registry before you apply.
Can I train as an aircraft mechanic in Springfield?
Yes. Lincoln Land’s FAA Part 147 school at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport teaches Airframe and Powerplant certificates of about 10 months each ($19,998 for both in 2026-27) and a two-year A&P associate degree. Students buy a Snap-On tool set and pay their own FAA test fees.
Facts checked October 2026. School facts come from each school’s profile on this site, where the original sources are linked. Pay figures are Springfield, IL metro 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 FMCSA and the FAA.