Home › Illinois › Automotive Technology schools
40 schools in Illinois offer automotive technology-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 25 registered apprenticeship sponsors in Illinois train automotive technology apprentices — see apprenticeships. Federal program data groups automotive technology with diesel mechanics and aviation maintenance — schools below may offer any of these.
Illinois does not license auto mechanics — IDFPR regulates more than 100 professions, and automotive technician is not one of them, so no state credential is needed to work anywhere in the state, including Chicago. Voluntary ASE certification is the standard employers expect, requiring a passing exam plus 2 years of hands-on experience (1 year with a 2-year automotive degree). A registered apprenticeship or entry-level lube-tech job is a recognized way to build that experience without tuition.
Official source: None — Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation does not license auto mechanics · Exam: No state exam. ASE A-series exams are the employer-expected credential, renewed every 5 years. · Typical requirement: None mandated. Employers typically expect a high school diploma plus an automotive technology program or equivalent shop experience; ASE certification requires 2 years of hands-on experience (or 1 year plus a 2-year degree).
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joliet Junior College | Joliet | public | $1,672 | 20.4% | $42,889 |
| Illinois Valley Community College | Oglesby | public | $2,232 | 37.2% | $40,810 |
| Lake Land College | Mattoon | public | $2,254 | 55% | $38,877 |
| Moraine Valley Community College | Palos Hills | public | $2,829 | 29.6% | $43,892 |
| Lewis and Clark Community College | Godfrey | public | $3,349 | 50% | $37,724 |
| Richland Community College | Decatur | public | $3,741 | 31.3% | $38,793 |
| Triton College | River Grove | public | $4,138 | 18.5% | $41,728 |
| Carl Sandburg College | Galesburg | public | $3,662 | 51.5% | $35,274 |
| Oakton College | Des Plaines | public | $5,183 | 16% | $47,852 |
| Lincoln Land Community College | Springfield | public | $4,299 | 39.4% | $38,479 |
| Kishwaukee College | Malta | public | $4,574 | 36.6% | $39,657 |
| Kankakee Community College | Kankakee | public | $4,665 | 33.6% | $38,767 |
| Morton College | Cicero | public | $5,191 | 26.2% | $42,406 |
| Shawnee Community College | Ullin | public | $4,162 | 42.1% | $32,999 |
| Prairie State College | Chicago Heights | public | $4,738 | 20.4% | $36,696 |
| Elgin Community College | Elgin | public | $6,026 | 32.5% | $45,516 |
| Rock Valley College | Rockford | public | $5,242 | 32.4% | $39,158 |
| Danville Area Community College | Danville | public | $4,777 | 35.2% | $34,867 |
| Highland Community College | Freeport | public | $5,713 | 36.6% | $37,928 |
| McHenry County College | Crystal Lake | public | $7,042 | 36.4% | $45,143 |
| College of DuPage | Glen Ellyn | public | $7,401 | 24.7% | $46,909 |
| John A Logan College | Carterville | public | $5,541 | 31.7% | $34,096 |
| Kaskaskia College | Centralia | public | $6,477 | 39.1% | $38,801 |
| College of Lake County | Grayslake | public | $7,607 | 34.1% | $43,424 |
| John Wood Community College | Quincy | public | $7,050 | 42.1% | $38,631 |
| Black Hawk College | Moline | public | $6,944 | 31.7% | $37,253 |
| Parkland College | Champaign | public | $8,048 | 29.5% | $38,320 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College | Chicago | public | $7,863 | 23.8% | $36,484 |
| Waubonsee Community College | Sugar Grove | public | $11,442 | 32.2% | $44,788 |
| Rend Lake College | Ina | public | $9,187 | 55.8% | $35,775 |
| Illinois Eastern Community Colleges | Olney | public | $10,092 | 56.1% | $37,533 |
| Southwestern Illinois College | Belleville | public | $10,427 | 33.1% | $36,884 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Olive-Harvey College | Chicago | public | $9,038 | 49.2% | $31,114 |
| Heartland Community College | Normal | public | $12,013 | 26.5% | $40,768 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College | Chicago | public | $9,494 | 27.4% | $28,467 |
| Southeastern Illinois College | Harrisburg | public | $11,437 | 39.3% | $33,763 |
| Illinois Central College | East Peoria | public | $12,961 | 36.3% | $37,366 |
| Universal Technical Institute of Illinois Inc | Lisle | private for-profit | $27,060 | 61% | $52,873 |
| Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Chicago | Chicago | private for-profit | $27,347 | not reported | $53,341 |
| Lincoln College of Technology-Melrose Park | Melrose Park | private for-profit | $25,598 | 61.7% | $38,683 |
Ranking = median earnings 10 years after entry per $1,000 of average yearly net price (methodology). Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.
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