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2023 Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in Illinois
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
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 Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 37 schools in Illinois to see which basic certificate programs offered the best value experiences for trade school students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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Top Value Trade Basic Certificate Schools in Illinois
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named John A Logan College the best value school in Illinois for trade school students working on their basic certificate. This small public school is located in Carterville, Illinois, and it awarded 150 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at John A Logan College are $7,370 per year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at John A Logan College. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 45% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Kaskaskia College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in Illinois list. Kaskaskia College is a small public school located in Centralia, Illinois that handed out 251 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Kaskaskia College undergraduate students pay an average of $12,330 in tuition and fees each year.
Online courses are available at Kaskaskia College, 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, 55% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Kaskaskia College also made our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Illinois list, coming in at #5.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Highland Community College is a great place for trade school students working on their basic certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Located in Freeport, Illinois, the small public school handed out 234 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Highland Community College are $7,048 a year.
Highland 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 49% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lincoln Land Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in Illinois list. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 656 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at LLCC are $10,068 a year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at LLCC. In 2020-2021 about 54% 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 value ranking, College of Lake County landed the # 5 spot on the list. Grayslake, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 1,378 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at College of Lake County are $13,118 per year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at College of Lake County. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 78% took at least some of their classes online.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, College of Lake County is ranked #4 for overall quality in Illinois.
Oakton Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in Illinois list. Located in Des Plaines, Illinois, the medium-sized public school handed out 640 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Oakton Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $12,462 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Oakton Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2020-2021 year, about 80% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Oakton Community College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #2 on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Illinois list.
With a ranking of #7, William Rainey Harper College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Harper College is located in Palatine, Illinois and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1,494 basic certificates to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Harper College are $11,754 per year.
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. During the 2020-2021 year, about 71% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Harper College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Illinois list.
Rend Lake College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in Ina, Illinois, the small public school awarded 487 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Rend Lake College are $7,200 per year.
Rend Lake 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 48% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Southwestern Illinois College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value basic certificate trade school programs. Located in Belleville, Illinois, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,146 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SWIC are $6,210 per year.
SWIC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 45% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #10, Elgin Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. ECC is located in Elgin, Illinois and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 576 basic certificates to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ECC are $9,516 per year.
ECC 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 2020-2021 about 80% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Moraine Valley Community College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in Illinois list. This fairly large public school is located in Palos Hills, Illinois, and it awarded 2,781 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at MVCC are $9,630 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since MVCC does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 61% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Lake Land College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking. Lake Land College is a small public school situated in Mattoon, Illinois. It awarded 836 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Lake Land College are $13,905 a year.
Online courses are available at Lake Land College, 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, 47% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #13, Rock Valley College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Rock Valley College is a public institution located in Rockford, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 429 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Rock Valley College are $20,384 per year.
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. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 64% took at least some of their classes online.
Rasmussen University - Illinois ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in Illinois list. Rasmussen University - Illinois is a private for-profit institution located in Rockford, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 231 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Rasmussen University - Illinois are $14,294 a year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Rasmussen University - Illinois does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 65% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Rasmussen University - Illinois is ranked #1 for overall quality in Illinois.
Waubonsee Community College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in Illinois list. This medium-sized public school is located in Sugar Grove, Illinois, and it awarded 485 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Waubonsee are $11,496 per year.
Online courses are available at Waubonsee, 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, 62% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Morton College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #16 on the list. Morton College is a small public school located in Cicero, Illinois that handed out 89 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Morton College are $10,900 a year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Morton College. In 2020-2021 about 36% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Morton College also claimed a spot on our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Illinois list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Kishwaukee College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in Illinois list. Located in Malta, Illinois, the small public school handed out 205 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
Kishwaukee College undergraduate students pay an average of $13,800 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Kishwaukee College. In 2020-2021 about 59% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Prairie State College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #18 on the list. Chicago Heights, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 292 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Prairie State College are $11,064 a year.
Prairie State 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 2020-2021 about 63% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking. Malcolm X College is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 695 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Malcolm X College undergraduate students pay an average of $14,430 in tuition and fees each year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Malcolm X College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 77% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Malcolm X College also is in the top 15% of our Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in Illinois ranking.
Read full report on City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College
Illinois Central College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in Illinois list. Located in East Peoria, Illinois, the medium-sized public school awarded 881 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.
ICC undergraduate students pay an average of $11,336 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at ICC. In fact, around 62% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Richland Community College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in Decatur, Illinois, the small public school handed out 326 basic certificate awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Richland Community College are $17,070 a year.
Richland 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. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 47% took at least some of their classes online.
South Suburban College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking. SSC is a public institution located in South Holland, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 161 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
SSC undergraduate students pay an average of $12,683 in tuition and fees each year.
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.
With a ranking of #23, Heartland Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 484 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Heartland Community College are $14,880 a year.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Heartland Community College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 58% took at least some of their classes online.
Lewis and Clark Community College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in Illinois list. Godfrey, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out basic certificates to 412 students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Lewis and Clark Community College are $12,552 per year.
One thing to take note of is that Lewis and Clark Community College does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 33% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Sauk Valley Community College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in Illinois list. Sauk Valley Community College is a small public school situated in Dixon, Illinois. It awarded 264 basic certificates in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Sauk Valley Community College are $12,840 per year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Sauk Valley Community College does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 49% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Best Value Trade Basic Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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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