| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private, for-profit two-year college; all programs on campus, none fully online |
| Campuses | 1, in Tinley Park, Illinois (Chicago area) |
| Credentials | Associate degrees (Occupational Therapy Assistant, Physical Therapist Assistant, Veterinary Technology AAS) and a 12-month Medical Assisting program |
| Program length | 12 to 18 months, full time, in cohorts |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission, continued in January 2026; each program also has a programmatic accreditor |
| Federal aid | Yes: Pell Grants, Illinois MAP grants and Direct Loans |
| Tuition and fees | $17,670 for 2024-25 (federal data); one rate regardless of residency |
| Founded | 1932 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Fox College: four health and animal-care programs in Tinley Park
Fox College is a private, for-profit two-year college founded in 1932. It now teaches four career programs at one campus in Tinley Park, in the Chicago area: Medical Assisting, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Physical Therapist Assistant and Veterinary Technology. All four are full-time and on campus, and students move through them as a cohort, with labs from the start and an externship, fieldwork or clinical rotations as part of each program.
The veterinary program runs under a second name, Vet Tech Institute at Fox College, at the same address. Federal data report it as a separate school, so federal enrollment and cost figures for “Fox College” leave out the vet tech students. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and lists a separate programmatic accreditor for each program.
Programs and the exams they lead to
| Program | Credential | Length | Prepares for | Programmatic accreditor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Assisting | Program the college calls a degree | 12 months, including a 2-month externship | CMA (AAMA) or RMA (AMT) exam | ABHES |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | Associate degree | 18 months, including 4 months of fieldwork | NBCOT exam (COTA), then state licence | ACOTE |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | Associate degree | 18 months, including 4 months of clinicals | National PTA exam (NPTE) | CAPTE |
| Veterinary Technology (Vet Tech Institute at Fox College) | AAS | 18 months; 1,900+ hours, 300+ on externship; starts 3 times a year | VTNE | AVMA CVTEA |
The Occupational Therapy Assistant and Physical Therapist Assistant programs train assistants; they are not routes to becoming an occupational or physical therapist. Medical Assisting is the only program shorter than 18 months.
What the main programs cover
Medical Assisting
Medical Assisting is the shortest program at 12 months. Students spend ten of the 12 months in classes and labs on campus, with hands-on labs from the first day, and two months on an externship. Completing the program makes graduates eligible for either of two national certifications: the CMA from the American Association of Medical Assistants or the RMA from American Medical Technologists. The college does not publish externship hours on its program page, so ask admissions how many are required and how sites are assigned.
Occupational Therapy Assistant
The OTA degree takes 18 months. The final four months are Level II fieldwork, and students must complete it within 18 months of finishing the classroom part of the program. Graduates then take the NBCOT certification exam to become a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA) and apply for a state licence. The college publishes an essential-functions document for the program, and it warns that a felony conviction may affect whether a graduate can sit for the NBCOT exam.
Physical Therapist Assistant
The PTA degree also takes 18 months, including four months of clinical rotations. Students practise in the college’s on-site gym. Graduates take the National Physical Therapy Examination for PTAs (NPTE-PTA). Like the OTA program, it has an essential-functions document that applicants should read before applying. The college reports that the ultimate pass rate, counting retakes, averaged 97.4% across its 2023 and 2024 graduates.
Veterinary Technology
Veterinary Technology is an 18-month AAS degree offered as Vet Tech Institute at Fox College. It requires more than 1,900 hours of in-person study, including more than 300 hours on an externship. The campus has an on-site kennel for the program. It starts three times a year. Graduates take the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE). The college counts its pass rate by attempts, which the results table below explains.
Tuition and how students pay
Fox College charges one rate regardless of where a student lives; there are no in-state or out-of-state tiers. Federal data reported by Niche put tuition and fees at $17,670 for 2024-25 and the average net price, after grants and scholarships, at $9,576 a year. These federal figures cover the Fox College unit and not Vet Tech Institute at Fox College, which is reported separately.
We could not read a 2026-27 price list from the college. The college says tuition is set when a student starts and stays at that rate as long as the student remains full time. Confirm the current cost for your program with admissions and use the college’s net price calculator for a personal estimate.
The college takes federal student aid, including Pell Grants, FSEOG, Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans and PLUS loans, as well as Illinois MAP grants. It also offers payment plans, and it says it is approved for training veterans.
Admissions and schedule
Applicants need a high-school diploma or GED by the time classes start, and no ACT or SAT score is required; the college admits students on their previous academic record and asks for any college transcripts. Applications are taken all year, and the admissions process includes a campus tour with an admissions representative. Each program also has its own requirements, which the college does not list on that page, so ask before applying.
All programs are full time. The program pages do not say whether classes run during the day, in the evening or both, so check the schedule for your program with admissions.
Accreditation and results
Fox College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which continued its accreditation in January 2026 after a comprehensive evaluation. In February 2022 HLC placed the college on interim monitoring, asking for a report on its audited finances by November 2023 and a report on general-education learning outcomes by June 2025.
The programs are accredited by ABHES (Medical Assisting), ACOTE (Occupational Therapy Assistant), CAPTE (Physical Therapist Assistant) and the AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (Veterinary Technology), according to the college.
Exam pass rates and graduation results
| Program | Measure | Result | Cohort and source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Therapist Assistant | First-time NPTE pass rate | 90.8% of 76 candidates | 2023 and 2024 graduates, Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy; matches the college’s figure |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | Graduation; employment | 67.6%; 97% | 2023 and 2024 averages, per the college |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | NBCOT pass rate | 93% | 2025 graduates, per the college |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | Graduation | 83% (73 of 88) | Students who entered 2021-22 to 2023-24, as of January 2026, per the college |
| Veterinary Technology | VTNE pass rate | 64% (125 of 196 attempts) | 2023 to 2025 testers within a year of graduating; counts attempts, Vet Tech Institute |
| Veterinary Technology | Graduation; employment | 64% within 27 months; 93% (75 of 81) employed in the field | 2023 entrants, per the college |
We could not find a certification exam pass rate or a graduation rate for Medical Assisting.
Before you enroll
- Veterinary Technology has the weakest exam result: 64% of VTNE attempts by recent graduates passed from 2023 to 2025, and because the college counts attempts, the share of graduates who eventually passed is not shown. The OTA and PTA results are much higher.
- About a third of PTA students did not graduate: the college’s two-year average graduation rate is 67.6%. In Veterinary Technology, 64% of 2023 entrants graduated within 27 months.
- The programs are full time, and Niche reviewers say they are hard to combine with a job. Ask admissions about class times before you commit.
- We could not read a 2026-27 price. The 2024-25 federal figure of $17,670 excludes Vet Tech Institute at Fox College, so get a written cost for your own program.
Externships and job help
Every program includes supervised work outside the classroom: the Medical Assisting externship, OTA fieldwork, PTA clinical rotations and the vet tech externship. The college’s career services office says it helps each graduate look for a job, but it does not list specific services.
What students say
On Niche, Fox College is rated 4.21 out of 5 from 98 reviews (checked 18 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise kind, patient instructors and staff, short programs focused on a specific job, and one-on-one help with admissions and the FAFSA. The most common complaints are cost, an intense full-time workload with strict attendance, dress-code and grade rules that make working hard, and thin tutoring; older reviews also mention facilities and credits that did not transfer. Treat the score with caution: many reviews date from 2020 and 2021, several share the same posting date, and few are recent.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Healthcare
- Medical Assisting (12 months, including a 2-month externship)
- Occupational Therapy Assistant (associate degree, 18 months)
- Physical Therapist Assistant (associate degree, 18 months)
Veterinary
- Veterinary Technology (AAS, 18 months; Vet Tech Institute at Fox College)
Campus Locations
Chicago (Tinley Park), IL 18020 Oak Park Avenue, Tinley Park, IL 60477