| Fact | Midwest Technical Institute |
|---|---|
| Type | Private, for-profit career school (Midwest Technical Institute, Inc.); campus programs plus one online diploma |
| Campuses | 4 in 2 states: Springfield, IL (main); East Peoria, IL; Moline (Quad Cities), IL; Springfield, MO. CDL driving ranges in Springfield, IL and Springfield, MO |
| Credentials | Diplomas and certificates, plus Class A CDL training; no degrees |
| Program length | 16 days (CDL) to 40 weeks (Welding & Pipefitting); most diplomas 30–35 weeks |
| Accreditation | ACCSC (since May 1999; each campus accredited separately); Medical Assisting CAAHEP; HVAC/R HVAC Excellence at Springfield, IL |
| Federal aid | Yes (Pell Grants and Direct Loans), except the 16-day CDL course and Phlebotomy |
| Founded / owner | 1995 in Lincoln, IL; privately held |
| Enrollment | 1,326 full-time at the Illinois campuses (federal data via Niche; year not shown); 570 in Missouri (third-party summary of 2023 IPEDS data) |
| Facts checked | 11 October 2026 |
A Springfield-based trade and allied health school
Midwest Technical Institute has trained students for skilled trades and allied health jobs since 1995, when it was founded in Lincoln, Illinois. Its main campus has been in Springfield, IL since 2007, and it added East Peoria in 2009, Moline in the Quad Cities in 2011 and Springfield, Missouri in 2012. Programs run from 16 days to 40 weeks: welding, HVAC/R and electrical training, truck driving, and medical and dental assisting, massage therapy, phlebotomy and nursing assistant courses. On 3 September 2026 MTI announced that it would stop new enrollment in several programs (see below) and said it will grow welding, HVAC/R and electrical training and may add trades such as plumbing. No campus is closing.
Programs closed to new students (announced 3 September 2026)
- Cosmetology: no new students at Moline, IL or Springfield, MO.
- Medical Coding (on-ground): no new students at any campus; the subject continues as a 30-week online diploma through MTI Online.
- Dental Assisting and Medical Assisting: no new students at Springfield, MO; both still enroll at the three Illinois campuses.
MTI says current students in these programs can finish. It gave no effective date for the changes and said some positions were affected.
MTI’s 12 enrolling programs and where they run
| Program | Credential | Length | Schedule | Where | Prepares for | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welding | Diploma (720 clock h) | 30 weeks | Day and evening | All four | MTI in-house plate and pipe tests | about $15,800* |
| Welding & Pipefitting | Diploma (960 clock h) | 40 weeks | Day and evening | All four | MTI in-house tests; adds pipefitting | $21,196* |
| HVAC/R Technician | Diploma (735 clock h, 28 semester credits) | 35 weeks | Day and evening | All four | EPA 608 Core, Type I, Type II (required); HVAC Excellence test | about $15,800* |
| Electrician | Program (720 clock h) | 30 weeks | Day; evening at Springfield, MO | All four | Electrician helper or apprentice jobs (no license) | Not published |
| Medical Assisting | Diploma (765 clock h incl. 225-h externship) | 35 weeks | Day and evening, Mon–Thu | Illinois campuses | AAMA CMA; CAAHEP-accredited | about $15,800* |
| Dental Assisting | Diploma (765 clock h incl. 225-h externship) | 35 weeks | Day, Mon–Thu | Illinois campuses | DANB RHS and ICE | about $15,800* |
| Massage Therapy | Diploma (600 clock h) | 25 weeks (program page) | Day | Springfield, IL; East Peoria | MBLEx review | about $12,800* |
| Basic Nursing Assistant | Certificate (136 clock h) | 7 weeks | Day | Illinois campuses | Illinois CNA exam; IDPH Health Care Worker Registry | $2,450 |
| Phlebotomy | Certificate (100 clock h) | 5 weeks | Day; evening at Springfield, MO | All four | NCCT CPT | $2,600 (no federal aid) |
| CDL Training Course | Class A CDL training | 16 days | Day | Springfield, IL; Springfield, MO (ranges) | Class A CDL | $4,250 (no federal aid) |
| Professional Truck Driving | Class A CDL with endorsements | 20 weeks day / 24 weeks night | Day or evening | Springfield, MO | Class A CDL; Hazmat, Doubles/Triples, Tanker | Not published |
| Medical Billing & Coding | Diploma | 30 weeks | 100% online | MTI Online (residents of 10 states) | AAPC CPC and CPB (exam fee included) | Not published |
Prices without an asterisk are from MTI’s program pages (October 2026). Prices marked * are undated and may be out of date: they come from MTI’s Illinois workNet training-provider profile for Springfield, IL, which gives all-in costs (tuition, fees, books, equipment, testing and uniforms). Most diploma programs also set outside study hours, for example 180 for Welding and 182 for HVAC/R. The online Medical Billing & Coding diploma is open only to residents of Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee.
What the main programs cover
Welding and Welding & Pipefitting
Both welding diplomas teach four processes: shielded metal arc (stick), gas tungsten arc (TIG), gas metal arc (MIG) and flux-cored arc welding. Students finish with MTI’s own tests on beveled plate, on pipe and on 3-inch stainless steel pipe; the program pages do not mention American Welding Society certification. The 30-week Welding diploma is 720 clock hours. The 40-week Welding & Pipefitting track adds ten weeks of basic and advanced pipefitting, for 960 hours in all. Day and evening sections run, depending on campus.
HVAC/R Technician
The HVAC/R diploma is 735 clock hours over 35 weeks, worth 28 semester credits, with 182 hours of assigned outside work. Passing the EPA Section 608 Core, Type I and Type II exams is a program requirement. Springfield, IL is the only campus whose HVAC/R program is accredited by HVAC Excellence, but students at any campus can take the HVAC Excellence exam there. Classes run on day and evening schedules.
Electrician
MTI added its Electrician program (Industrial, Commercial, Residential) in September 2025, first at Springfield, IL and now at all four campuses. The 720 clock hours cover the National Electrical Code, conduit bending, three-phase systems, motor controls, fire alarm systems and construction safety. Day sections meet Monday to Thursday from 8am to 2pm; Springfield, MO also runs an evening section from 5pm to 11pm. MTI presents it as preparation for electrician helper and apprentice jobs; it does not by itself lead to an electrician’s license.
Medical Assisting and Dental Assisting
Both diplomas are 765 clock hours over 35 weeks, including a 225-hour externship at a medical or dental office, plus 135 outside hours. Medical Assisting is CAAHEP-accredited; it opens with a two-week trial enrollment in which students must meet attendance rules and a 70% grade standard, and MTI names the AAMA’s Certified Medical Assistant exam as an example credential. Dental Assisting students must take the DANB Radiation Health and Safety and Infection Control exams. Health students sign an Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act affidavit.
Truck driving
The CDL Training Course is a 16-day Class A course (the catalog lists 4 weeks) with driving practice at MTI’s driving ranges on Rodger Street in Springfield, IL and South Empire Avenue in Springfield, MO. Applicants need a DOT physical and drug screen before they start. Springfield, MO also runs Professional Truck Driving, a 20-week day or 24-week night program that adds Hazmat, Doubles/Triples and Tanker endorsements to the Class A license and, unlike the 16-day course, is eligible for federal aid.
Medical Billing & Coding (online)
Since the on-ground Medical Coding diploma closed to new students, MTI Online’s Medical Billing & Coding diploma is the school’s only coding program. It takes 30 weeks and is fully online, with weekly live sessions that are recorded for students who miss them, and a virtual internship in place of an on-site externship. It prepares students for AAPC’s Certified Professional Coder (CPC) and Certified Professional Biller (CPB) exams; the exam fee and a Chromebook are included. Enrollment is limited to residents of ten states.
Cost: one price per program, few prices we could confirm
MTI charges one price per program, the same for every student, with no in-state or out-of-state rates. Its own program pages list three prices (October 2026): $4,250 for the 16-day CDL course, $2,450 for Basic Nursing Assistant and $2,600 for Phlebotomy including books and supplies. MTI’s tuition page gives no per-program prices, and we could not read the tuition pages of its catalog. For diplomas, MTI’s Illinois workNet profile (undated) gives all-in costs of about $15,800 for most programs, including Welding, HVAC/R, Medical Assisting and Dental Assisting, $12,800 for Massage Therapy and $21,196 for Welding & Pipefitting. Those figures may be out of date, so confirm 2026-27 diploma prices with MTI. Niche lists an average net price of $27,968 a year for MTI’s Illinois campuses, from federal data (year not shown).
MTI is approved for federal student aid (Pell Grants and Direct Loans), but the 16-day CDL course and Phlebotomy are not aid-eligible. Students can also pay with personal loans, cash, check, credit card or outside scholarships, and the catalog says self-pay balances carry no interest. The catalog covers Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) and Chapter 31 students. We found no MTI scholarships with published amounts. MTI’s net price calculator gives an estimate for your own situation.
Admissions, trial days and start dates
- A campus visit and a personal interview.
- Proof of a tetanus (Td) shot within the last 10 years, and, for health programs, a background-check affidavit under the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act.
- CDL: a DOT physical and drug screen. Basic Nursing Assistant: seats go first to students who pay in full.
- No advanced placement or credit for experience: at least 25% of a program must be completed at MTI.
Programs start often; upcoming starts include 26 October and 30 November 2026 for Welding, Electrician and Phlebotomy and 2 November 2026 for CDL. Most trades programs and Medical Assisting run day and evening sections Monday to Thursday, though evening options vary by campus. New students can attend up to three days with no financial obligation apart from the registration fee and the CDL and nursing assistant checks, and tuition is waived for students who withdraw within three class days of starting.
Accreditation and results
ACCSC, the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, first accredited MTI in May 1999, and each campus now holds its own ACCSC accreditation. ACCSC renewed the Moline campus for five years from March 2023. We found no probation or warning from ACCSC. The Medical Assisting program is accredited by CAAHEP, and the HVAC/R program at Springfield, IL by HVAC Excellence. MTI is approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development.
MTI reported to ACCSC that 73% of its graduates from June 2024 to June 2025 had a full-time job offer within six months of graduating; the figure appears on its Illinois workNet profile, which does not say whether it covers one campus or all of them. MTI says per-program graduation and employment rates for its Illinois campuses are in disclosure documents on its site, but we could not read the figures. We found no published pass rates for the Illinois CNA exam, the MBLEx, the DANB exams or the CPC. There is no NCLEX rate because MTI has no RN or LPN program.
Before you enroll
- Check what your campus still enrolls. Under changes announced on 3 September 2026, Springfield, MO no longer takes new Medical Assisting, Dental Assisting or Cosmetology students, Moline no longer takes Cosmetology students, and medical coding is online only, for residents of ten states.
- MTI’s tuition page lists no per-program prices, and we could not read the tuition pages of its catalog. The only diploma figures we found are undated state listings (about $15,800 for most programs), and Niche puts the average net price at $27,968 a year for the Illinois campuses (year not shown). Ask MTI for a written 2026-27 price before enrolling.
- The 16-day CDL course ($4,250) and Phlebotomy ($2,600) cannot be paid for with federal aid. In Missouri, Professional Truck Driving is the aid-eligible alternative.
- The Electrician program, new in September 2025, prepares for helper and apprentice jobs, not a license. Welding ends with MTI’s own tests; AWS certification is not mentioned.
- MTI gives no credit for prior learning or experience, and HVAC Excellence accreditation applies only to the Springfield, IL HVAC/R program.
MTI’s four campuses and two CDL ranges
- Springfield, IL: 2731 Farmers Market Rd., Springfield, IL 62707
- East Peoria, IL: 280 High Point Ln., East Peoria, IL 61611
- Moline (Quad Cities), IL: 3620 Avenue of the Cities, Moline, IL 61265
- Springfield, MO: 3600 S. Glenstone Outer Rd., Springfield, MO 65804
Welding, Welding & Pipefitting, HVAC/R, Electrician and Phlebotomy run at all four campuses. Medical Assisting, Dental Assisting and Basic Nursing Assistant enroll at the three Illinois campuses, and Massage Therapy at Springfield, IL and East Peoria. The CDL course trains at two driving ranges, at 4600 Rodger St., Springfield, IL and 1551 S. Empire Ave., Springfield, MO; these are training yards, not separate campuses. Online coding students enroll through MTI Online.
Externships and job placement help
MTI has no student housing. It offers job placement assistance to eligible graduates and says it does not guarantee employment. Medical Assisting and Dental Assisting include 225-hour externships at outside offices, and the nursing assistant course includes a long-term-care clinical.
Sources
Checked 11 October 2026: MTI Illinois catalog 2026 (rev. 17 Sep 2026) · MTI program changes FAQs (3 Sep 2026) · MTI accreditation page · MTI CDL training page · MTI Online Medical Billing & Coding · Illinois workNet profile, Springfield, IL · KY3 report (3 Sep 2026) · Niche, MTI Springfield, IL
Programs & Courses
Mechanical Trades
- Welding (diploma)
- Welding & Pipefitting (diploma)
- HVAC/R Technician (diploma)
- Electrician: Industrial, Commercial, Residential
Allied Health
- Medical Assisting (diploma)
- Dental Assisting (diploma)
- Massage Therapy (diploma)
- Basic Nursing Assistant (certificate)
- Phlebotomy (certificate)
Online (MTI Online)
- Medical Billing & Coding (online diploma)
Trucking & Transportation
- CDL Training Course (Class A, 16 days)
- Professional Truck Driving (Springfield, MO)
Campus Locations
Springfield, IL 2731 Farmers Market Rd., Springfield, IL 62707
East Peoria, IL 280 High Point Ln., East Peoria, IL 61611
Moline (Quad Cities), IL 3620 Avenue of the Cities, Moline, IL 61265
Springfield, MO 3600 S. Glenstone Outer Rd., Springfield, MO 65804