Best Trade Schools in Pontiac, Illinois (2026)

Updated June 20, 2026 | TradeCareerPath Editorial Team

Start here to compare accredited trade schools near Pontiac. This guide links to programs, state licensing steps, and related career paths so you can get job-ready quickly in Illinois.

How to Get Started in Pontiac

  • Compare schools and program lengths above
  • Check your state licensing steps: Illinois
  • Explore careers: Skilled trades hub
  • Ask each school about tuition, schedules, and embedded certifications (EPA 608, NCCER, ASE)

Compare Trade Schools Near Pontiac, Illinois

We could not confirm enough colleges teaching this subject within range of this location, so the list below shows nearby institutions instead. Confirm with each school that it offers the program before you apply.

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

This page lists 10 schools within 44 miles, nearest first in 25-mile distance bands, then by BOC Score inside each band with the highest at the top. 9 of them carry a score. 1 does not have enough federal outcome data to score, and appears last rather than being hidden.

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

Illinois State University

Normal, IL 32.0 miles away BOC Score 71.9
Tuition $16,144 in-state / $28,210 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 88.1%
  • Graduation rate: 64.5%
  • Programs offered: 24
  • Annual completions: 1038
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $62,507 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, IL 32.9 miles away BOC Score 62.4
Tuition $57,704
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 39.3%
  • Graduation rate: 74.7%
  • Programs offered: 4
  • Annual completions: 21
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $69,265 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Illinois Valley Community College

Oglesby, IL 37.4 miles away BOC Score 58.3
Tuition $4,200 in-state / $16,385 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 41.8%
  • Programs offered: 28
  • Annual completions: 695
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,989 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL 43.9 miles away BOC Score 54.0
Tuition $38,900
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 55.9%
  • Graduation rate: 60.8%
  • Programs offered: 10
  • Annual completions: 95
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $64,769 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Kankakee Community College

Kankakee, IL 43.5 miles away BOC Score 53.4
Tuition $5,220 in-state / $25,830 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 32.4%
  • Programs offered: 31
  • Annual completions: 530
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,343 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Heartland Community College

Normal, IL 31.4 miles away BOC Score 51.7
Tuition $5,550 in-state / $13,110 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 53.6%
  • Programs offered: 28
  • Annual completions: 731
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,942 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Eureka College

Eureka, IL 34.8 miles away BOC Score 37.6
Tuition $29,096
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 85.0%
  • Graduation rate: 41.6%
  • 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

BOC Score, tuition, graduation rate, and median graduate earnings from federal IPEDS and U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard data. Tuition is the published annual figure for the latest reported year and excludes room, board, books and fees. Earnings are reported across all programs at the school (all majors), not a single trade. Distance is measured from the main population center in Illinois.
#SchoolBOC Score (0–100)Tuition (published, per year)Median grad earnings (all majors)Graduation rateOnlineDistance
158.3$4,200 in-state / $16,385 out-of-state$48,98942%Yes*37 mi
253.4$5,220 in-state / $25,830 out-of-state$50,34332%Yes*44 mi
351.7$5,550 in-state / $13,110 out-of-state$48,94254%Yes*31 mi
447.7Contact school for pricing$23,67483%—40 mi
540.2Contact school for pricing$28,32679%—31 mi
6Not ratedContact school for pricingNot reportedNot reported—31 mi

Schools closest to the main population center in Illinois are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the main population center in Illinois is shown for reference. The BOC Score is an independent measure of school outcomes (graduation, earnings, net price, retention) expressed as a 0–100 percentile within each school's peer group; higher is better and advertising never affects it. *Online availability refers to coursework; hands-on trade training is completed in person. Read the full methodology.

Median Graduate Earnings by School - Best Trade Schools in Pontiac, Illinois (2026)
Median graduate earnings by school, Best Trade Schools in Pontiac, Illinois (2026) (College Scorecard)Kankakee Community College $50343; Illinois Valley Community College $48989; Heartland Community College $48942; Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Normal $28326; Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Peru $23674.Kankakee Community College$50,343Illinois Valley Community Co...$48,989Heartland Community College$48,942Tricoci University of Beauty...$28,326Educators of Beauty College ...$23,674
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard - median earnings of all graduates at each school (not a single program).
Median graduate earnings by school for schools serving Best Trade Schools in Pontiac, Illinois (2026)
SchoolMedian graduate earnings
Kankakee Community College$50,343
Illinois Valley Community College$48,989
Heartland Community College$48,942
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Normal$28,326
Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Peru$23,674

Illinois Trade Career Outlook

Building & Construction Trades

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Plumber4.5%
Carpenter4.5%
Flooring Installer9.5%
Construction Worker7.3%
Welder2.2%

Construction Management & Inspection

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Construction Manager8.7%
Home Inspector-0.8%

Electrical & Energy Systems

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Lineworker6.6%
Electrician9.5%
HVAC Technician8.1%
Wind Turbine Technician49.9%
Tower Technician8.6%
Solar Installer42.1%

Mechanical, Automotive & Transportation

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Heavy Equipment Operator3.6%
Aircraft Mechanic (A&P)4.0%
Diesel Technician2.4%
Truck Driver (CDL)4.0%
CNC Machinist0.0%
Maintenance Technician3.8%
Gunsmith2.0%
Auto Mechanic4.2%
Automotive Technician4.2%

Healthcare: Nursing & Patient Care

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)2.6%
Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)2.6%
Hemodialysis Technician5.2%
Mental Health Technician20.0%
Medical Assistant12.5%
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)2.3%
Patient Care Technician2.3%
Home Health Aide17.0%

Healthcare: Allied Health & Diagnostics

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer13.0%
Radiologic Technologist4.3%
Surgical Technologist4.5%
EKG Technician3.0%
Dental Assistant6.4%
Sterile Processing Technician10.0%
Pharmacy Technician6.4%
Phlebotomy Technician5.6%
Optician2.9%

Healthcare: Administration & Office Support

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Medical Billing & Coding Specialist7.1%
Medical Office Administrator4.2%

Therapy, Rehab & Fitness

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Occupational Therapy Assistant19.2%
Massage Therapist15.4%
Personal Trainer11.9%
Physical Therapy Aide2.8%

Animal Care & Training

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Veterinary Technician9.1%
Dog Trainer5.1%
Veterinary Assistant8.7%

Beauty & Personal Care

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Esthetician6.7%
Beauty Professional5.6%
Cosmetologist5.6%

Culinary & Hospitality Careers

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Culinary Chef7.1%
Pastry Chef7.1%

Business & Legal Support

TradeJob Growth (2024-2034, US)
Digital Court Reporter-0.3%
Paralegal0.2%
Bookkeeper-5.8%

Job growth uses state projections when available and national projections (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034) when state data is unavailable. Median pay for each trade is shown in the comparison table above.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections (2024-2034). Projected U.S. change shown for each trade.

Next Steps

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)