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HVAC schools in Illinois
Illinois has 29 accredited campuses awarding hvac credentials. If you finish and work as an HVAC technician in Illinois, expect to start around $46,690–$60,200 and reach a median of $77,410 with experience; the top quarter earn $96,030 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, Illinois). Graduates of these Illinois programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $32,040 in their first year, against $32,848 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What hvac and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn in Illinois
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 9,740 employed in Illinois. National median: $61,010.
Campuses in Illinois, ranked by what their graduates earned
Cities: BellevilleCartervilleCentraliaChampaignChicagoChicago HeightsCiceroDecaturDes PlainesDixonEast PeoriaElginGlen EllynGrayslakeJolietKankakeeMattoonOglesbyOlneyPalatinePalos HillsProspect HeightsQuincyRockfordSpringfieldSugar GroveUllinWillowbrook
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Illinois College | Belleville | Public | 42 | $37,204 | not reported | 37% | not reported |
| ETI School of Skilled Trades | Willowbrook | for-profit | 203 | $33,837 | $9,500 | 80% | $26,842 |
| Lincoln Land Community College | Springfield | Public | 39 | $32,040 | $7,445 | 48% | not reported |
| HVAC Technical Institute | Chicago | for-profit | 116 | $31,990 | $6,851 | 86% | $24,268 |
| Stautzenberger College-Rockford Career College | Rockford | for-profit | 21 | $27,767 | $13,682 | 66% | not reported |
| Chicago Professional Center | Prospect Heights | for-profit | 255 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| College of Lake County | Grayslake | Public | 227 | not reported | not reported | 37% | not reported |
| Moraine Valley Community College | Palos Hills | Public | 168 | not reported | not reported | 40% | not reported |
| Elgin Community College | Elgin | Public | 82 | not reported | not reported | 41% | not reported |
| Illinois Central College | East Peoria | Public | 40 | not reported | not reported | 49% | not reported |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College | Chicago | Public | 39 | not reported | not reported | 31% | not reported |
| William Rainey Harper College | Palatine | Public | 34 | not reported | not reported | 48% | not reported |
| College of DuPage | Glen Ellyn | Public | 26 | not reported | not reported | 25% | not reported |
| Richland Community College | Decatur | Public | 22 | not reported | not reported | 60% | not reported |
| Joliet Junior College | Joliet | Public | 20 | not reported | not reported | 21% | not reported |
| Kankakee Community College | Kankakee | Public | 20 | not reported | not reported | 32% | not reported |
| Kaskaskia College | Centralia | Public | 18 | not reported | not reported | 49% | not reported |
| Waubonsee Community College | Sugar Grove | Public | 17 | not reported | not reported | 39% | not reported |
| John A Logan College | Carterville | Public | 16 | not reported | not reported | 46% | not reported |
| Prairie State College | Chicago Heights | Public | 16 | not reported | not reported | 21% | not reported |
| Oakton College | Des Plaines | Public | 14 | not reported | not reported | 37% | not reported |
| Parkland College | Champaign | Public | 14 | not reported | not reported | 32% | not reported |
| Lake Land College | Mattoon | Public | 10 | not reported | not reported | 58% | not reported |
| Illinois Valley Community College | Oglesby | Public | 8 | not reported | not reported | 42% | not reported |
| Morton College | Cicero | Public | 8 | not reported | not reported | 31% | not reported |
| Sauk Valley Community College | Dixon | Public | 8 | not reported | not reported | 49% | not reported |
| John Wood Community College | Quincy | Public | 5 | not reported | not reported | 49% | not reported |
| Olney Central College | Olney | Public | 4 | not reported | not reported | 63% | not reported |
| Shawnee Community College | Ullin | Public | 1 | not reported | not reported | 60% | not reported |
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.