Best Occupational Therapy Assistant Programs in Illinois (2026)

Quick answer: Occupational therapy assistants in Illinois earn a median of $64,120 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited occupational therapy assistant schools in Illinois with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Several training options serve occupational therapy assistant students in Illinois, from short certificates to longer hands-on programs. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $64,120 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Illinois Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$64,120BLS OEWS, May 2025
Illinois pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$47,830 to $80,150BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying Illinois metro for this fieldChicago, IL, $67,840BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+19.2% growth, about 7,200 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment2,470 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
Illinois location quotient1.23BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the Occupational therapy assistant Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Programs. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the Illinois figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.

How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention. Advertising plays no part.

This page lists 12 schools within 89 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 12 of them carry a score.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%

Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.

#1

Midwestern University-Downers Grove

Downers Grove, IL 74.7 miles away
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 92
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $129,232 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Lewis University

Romeoville, IL 61.1 miles away BOC Score 73.8
Tuition $39,200 - $47,313
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 71.3%
  • Graduation rate: 64.6%
  • Programs offered: 30
  • Annual completions: 440
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $66,586 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

North Central College

Naperville, IL 67.2 miles away BOC Score 67.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 67.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 15
  • Annual completions: 130
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $61,656 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL 80.1 miles away BOC Score 64.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 67.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 18
  • Annual completions: 251
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $63,784 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College

Chicago, IL 88.8 miles away BOC Score 59.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 31.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 17
  • Annual completions: 358
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,501 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Fox College

Tinley Park, IL 71.4 miles away BOC Score 56.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 4
  • Annual completions: 98
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $52,545 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Governors State University

University Park, IL 70.8 miles away BOC Score 51.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 17
  • Annual completions: 287
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $56,405 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Illinois Central College

East Peoria, IL 36.5 miles away BOC Score 50.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 67
  • Annual completions: 2210
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $55,058 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

South Suburban College

South Holland, IL 80.9 miles away BOC Score 48.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42
  • Annual completions: 250
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $45,069 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Parkland College

Champaign, IL 69.9 miles away BOC Score 40.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 32.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 72
  • Annual completions: 811
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $47,315 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#11

Eureka College

Eureka, IL 26.5 miles away BOC Score 37.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 41.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 19
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $49,625 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#12

Chicago State University

Chicago, IL 84.8 miles away BOC Score 36.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 16.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 9
  • Annual completions: 48
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $56,486 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Occupational Therapy Assistant Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile, United States - Occupational Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapy Assistants annual wage percentiles, BLS OEWS May 2025P10 $51490, P25 $61710, P50 $72300, P75 $79160, P90 $89780.10th$51,49025th$61,71050th (median)$72,30075th$79,16090th$89,780
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Occupational Therapy Assistants annual wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wage
10th$51,490
25th$61,710
50th (median)$72,300
75th$79,160
90th$89,780
Projected employment growth, United States, Occupational Therapy Assistants, 2024-2034
Occupational Therapy Assistants employment 2024 vs 2034 projection, BLS Employment Projections2024 employment 49200; 2034 projected employment 58700; percent change +19.2%.202449,200 jobs2034 (proj.)58,700 jobsChange: +19.2%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Occupational Therapy Assistants employment projection 2024 to 2034
YearEmployment
202449,200
2034 projected58,700
Percent change+19.2%

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does occupational therapy assistant training take in Illinois?

Occupational therapy assistant certificate programs in Illinois typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do occupational therapy assistants earn in Illinois?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), occupational therapy assistants in Illinois earned a median annual wage of approximately $64,120. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $47,830 to $80,150 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many occupational therapy assistant schools are in Illinois?

The schools listed above are within about 800 miles of Programs. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)