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31 schools in Illinois offer hvac-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 52 registered apprenticeship sponsors in Illinois train hvac apprentices — see apprenticeships.
Illinois has no state HVAC license, and even Chicago issues no HVAC-specific trade license — Chicago separately licenses only electrical, plumbing, mason, and elevator trades, so HVAC contracting there runs under the city's general contractor license (Classes A–E by project value). Some downstate municipalities such as Springfield license HVAC contractors locally, so check the city where the work happens. EPA Section 608 certification is the one universal requirement for refrigerant handling.
Official source: None statewide — locally, City of Chicago Department of Buildings and individual municipal building departments · Exam: None at the state level; municipal requirements vary. EPA Section 608 required federally for refrigerant work. · Typical requirement: No state training-hour, experience, or exam requirements. Chicago's general contractor license classes (A–E) are based on maximum project value with insurance requirements (up to $5M per occurrence for Class A); HVAC subcontractors in Chicago are listed on permits rather than separately trade-licensed. Local requirements vary elsewhere.
| 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 |
| Richland Community College | Decatur | public | $3,741 | 31.3% | $38,793 |
| Triton College | River Grove | public | $4,138 | 18.5% | $41,728 |
| Oakton College | Des Plaines | public | $5,183 | 16% | $47,852 |
| Lincoln Land Community College | Springfield | public | $4,299 | 39.4% | $38,479 |
| 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 |
| Danville Area Community College | Danville | public | $4,777 | 35.2% | $34,867 |
| 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 |
| Sauk Valley Community College | Dixon | public | $8,493 | 47.3% | $40,458 |
| Parkland College | Champaign | public | $8,048 | 29.5% | $38,320 |
| William Rainey Harper College | Palatine | public | $11,607 | 38.4% | $48,071 |
| Waubonsee Community College | Sugar Grove | public | $11,442 | 32.2% | $44,788 |
| 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-Kennedy-King College | Chicago | public | $9,494 | 27.4% | $28,467 |
| Illinois Central College | East Peoria | public | $12,961 | 36.3% | $37,366 |
| ETI School of Skilled Trades | Willowbrook | private for-profit | $22,126 | 78.5% | $52,800 |
| Stautzenberger College-Rockford Career College | Rockford | private for-profit | $21,601 | 51.6% | $34,104 |
| HVAC Technical Institute | Chicago | private for-profit | $20,403 | 81% | not reported |
| Chicago Professional Center | Prospect Heights | private for-profit | not reported | not reported | not reported |
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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