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2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Illinois
Today's trade school students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Illinois ranking. This report analyzed 37 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs for trade school students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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Top Trade Associate Degree Schools in Illinois
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Rasmussen University - Illinois the best school in Illinois for trade school students working on their associate degree. Rasmussen University - Illinois is a private for-profit institution located in Rockford, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 950 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Rasmussen University - Illinois does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $14,294. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $21,089 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Rasmussen University - Illinois. In 2020-2021 about 65% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DeVry University - Illinois. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Illinois list. Located in Naperville, Illinois, the large private for-profit school awarded 1,611 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $15,032 to cover tuition and fees at DeVry University - Illinois. The school does not offer an in-state discount. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $29,129 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at DeVry University - Illinois. In 2020-2021 about 99% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Oakton Community College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree. This medium-sized public school is located in Des Plaines, Illinois, and it awarded 691 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $10,446 in tuition and fees if they attend Oakton Community College full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $12,462. On average, associate degree students take out $7,638 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Oakton Community College. In 2020-2021 about 80% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Out of the 37 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, National Louis University landed the # 4 spot on the list. NLU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 50 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend NLU, expect to pay an average of $14,244 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. Associate Degree recipients from NLU accumulate an average of $13,165 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at NLU. In fact, around 51% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means William Rainey Harper College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree. This fairly large public school is located in Palatine, Illinois, and it awarded 1,920 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Illinois pay an average of $9,942 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Harper College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $11,754. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,214 in student loans.
Harper College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 71% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Rock Valley College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Illinois ranking. Rock Valley College is a medium-sized public school situated in Rockford, Illinois. It awarded 1,051 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Illinois pay an average of $10,484 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Rock Valley College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $20,384. On average, associate degree students take out $10,885 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Rock Valley College does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 64% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Triton College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Triton College is located in River Grove, Illinois and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 944 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Triton College is $11,490. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $14,430. On average, associate degree students take out $11,572 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Triton College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 45% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #8, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 73 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
SIUC does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $15,416. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since SIUC does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2020-2021 year, about 46% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Illinois Central College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in East Peoria, Illinois, the medium-sized public school handed out 988 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
Associate Degree recipients from ICC accumulate an average of $10,443 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that ICC does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 62% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Joliet Junior College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Illinois ranking. Joliet Junior College is a fairly large public school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 1,391 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $12,750 in tuition and fees if they attend Joliet Junior College full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $13,800. On average, associate degree students take out $10,692 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Joliet Junior College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 64% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #11, South Suburban College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. SSC is located in South Holland, Illinois and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 304 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at SSC is $11,033. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $12,683.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at SSC. In fact, around 46% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
College of Lake County ranked #12 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Illinois list. College of Lake County is a fairly large public school located in Grayslake, Illinois that handed out 1,588 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at College of Lake County is $9,842. Out-of-state students pay an average of $13,118. On average, associate degree students take out $10,385 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at College of Lake County, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 78% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Carl Sandburg College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Illinois list. Carl Sandburg College is a small public school located in Galesburg, Illinois that handed out 306 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $7,860 in tuition and fees if they attend Carl Sandburg College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $8,760. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $5,479 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Carl Sandburg College. In 2020-2021 about 76% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. This medium-sized public school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 688 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
On average, associate degree students take out $10,367 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Malcolm X College does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 77% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Read full report on City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College
With a ranking of #15, Parkland College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Parkland College is a medium-sized public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 753 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Parkland College is $11,580. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $15,930. Associate Degree recipients from Parkland College accumulate an average of $9,935 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Parkland College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 51% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #16, Elgin Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. ECC is a public institution located in Elgin, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,091 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at ECC is $7,140. Out-of-state students pay an average of $9,516. On average, associate degree students take out $8,366 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since ECC does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 80% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Richland Community College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Illinois list. Richland Community College is located in Decatur, Illinois and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 292 associate degrees to qualified students.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Richland Community College is $10,800. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $17,070. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $8,385 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that Richland Community College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 47% took at least some of their classes online.
Moraine Valley Community College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Illinois list. This fairly large public school is located in Palos Hills, Illinois, and it awarded 2,089 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $8,310 in tuition and fees if they attend MVCC full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $9,630. On average, associate degree students take out $12,220 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at MVCC. In 2020-2021 about 61% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Kankakee Community College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Illinois list. Kankakee Community College is located in Kankakee, Illinois and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 299 associate degrees to qualified students.
In-state students pay an average of $13,200 in tuition and fees if they attend Kankakee Community College full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $25,560. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $14,543 in student loans.
Kankakee Community College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2020-2021 year, about 36% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Lake Land College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #20 on the list. Lake Land College is located in Mattoon, Illinois and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 754 associate degrees to qualified students.
In-state students pay an average of $8,104 in tuition and fees if they attend Lake Land College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $13,905. On average, associate degree students take out $7,042 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Lake Land College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 47% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #21, Kaskaskia College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Kaskaskia College is a small public school situated in Centralia, Illinois. It awarded 366 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $7,530 in tuition and fees if they attend Kaskaskia College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $12,330.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Kaskaskia College does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 55% took at least some of their classes online.
Black Hawk College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #22 on the list. BHC is a small public school situated in Moline, Illinois. It awarded 455 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Associate Degree recipients from BHC accumulate an average of $9,219 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that BHC does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 59% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #23, McHenry County College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. MCC is located in Crystal Lake, Illinois and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 777 associate degrees to qualified students.
In-state students pay an average of $11,341 in tuition and fees if they attend MCC full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $14,692. Associate Degree recipients from MCC accumulate an average of $7,857 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
MCC does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 38% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #24, Danville Area Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Danville Area Community College is a small public school located in Danville, Illinois that handed out 256 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at DACC is $8,650. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. On average, associate degree students take out $7,756 in loans while pursuing their degree.
DACC does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 46% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #25, Waubonsee Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Sugar Grove, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 994 students in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $10,626 in tuition and fees if they attend Waubonsee full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $11,496. Associate Degree recipients from Waubonsee accumulate an average of $8,891 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Waubonsee does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 62% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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