Best Bookkeeper Schools in Illinois (2026)

Quick answer: Bookkeepers in Illinois earn a median of $49,560 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited bookkeeper schools in Illinois with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

If you want to train as a bookkeeper in Illinois, start by weighing program length, schedule, and cost at nearby schools. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $49,560 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Illinois Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$49,560BLS OEWS, May 2025
Illinois pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$32,360 to $71,480BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying Illinois metro for this fieldChicago, IL, $51,440BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2025 to 2035)-5.6% growth, about 144,100 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2025-2035
State employment51,470 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
Illinois location quotient0.96BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the Bookkeeper 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 81 miles, 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

Moraine Valley Community College

Palos Hills, IL 74.3 miles away BOC Score 60.0
Tuition $3,822 in-state / $9,846 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 39.8%
  • Programs offered: 48
  • Annual completions: 1881
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,357 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Waubonsee Community College

Sugar Grove, IL 59.8 miles away BOC Score 59.6
Tuition $3,504 in-state / $10,477 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 38.9%
  • Programs offered: 27
  • Annual completions: 669
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,678 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Sauk Valley Community College

Dixon, IL 65.1 miles away BOC Score 59.1
Tuition $5,340 in-state / $12,900 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 49.1%
  • Programs offered: 19
  • Annual completions: 305
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,209 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Illinois Valley Community College

Oglesby, IL 21.7 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

#5

Richland Community College

Decatur, IL 77.9 miles away BOC Score 53.4
Tuition $4,680 in-state / $17,070 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 60.3%
  • Programs offered: 36
  • Annual completions: 322
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,785 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Kankakee Community College

Kankakee, IL 57.3 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

#7

Heartland Community College

Normal, IL 33.3 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

#8

Elgin Community College

Elgin, IL 76.7 miles away BOC Score 50.2
Tuition $3,252 in-state / $9,516 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 41.1%
  • Programs offered: 39
  • Annual completions: 1339
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,220 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Illinois Central College

East Peoria, IL 36.5 miles away BOC Score 50.0
Tuition $4,800 in-state / $12,150 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 49.0%
  • Programs offered: 39
  • Annual completions: 1005
  • 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

#10

South Suburban College

South Holland, IL 80.9 miles away BOC Score 48.6
Tuition $5,093 in-state / $12,683 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 28.2%
  • Programs offered: 29
  • Annual completions: 148
  • 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

#11

College of DuPage

Glen Ellyn, IL 73.2 miles away BOC Score 47.7
Tuition $4,560 in-state / $12,750 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 25.2%
  • Programs offered: 66
  • Annual completions: 1885
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $55,984 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#12

Prairie State College

Chicago Heights, IL 76.7 miles away BOC Score 47.7
Tuition $4,176 in-state / $11,064 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 21.0%
  • Programs offered: 37
  • Annual completions: 463
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,647 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Bookkeeper Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile, United States - Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks annual wage percentiles, BLS OEWS May 2025P10 $36000, P25 $43520, P50 $50670, P75 $61470, P90 $74550.10th$36,00025th$43,52050th (median)$50,67075th$61,47090th$74,550
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks annual wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wage
10th$36,000
25th$43,520
50th (median)$50,670
75th$61,470
90th$74,550
Projected employment growth, United States, Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks, 2025-2035
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks employment 2025 vs 2035 projection, BLS Employment Projections2025 employment 1.5324e+06; 2035 projected employment 1.4468e+06; percent change -5.6%.20251,532,400 jobs2035 (proj.)1,446,800 jobsChange: -5.6%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025-2035
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks employment projection 2025 to 2035
YearEmployment
20251,532,400
2035 projected1,446,800
Percent change-5.6%

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does bookkeeper training take in Illinois?

Bookkeeper 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 bookkeepers earn in Illinois?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), bookkeepers in Illinois earned a median annual wage of approximately $49,560. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $32,360 to $71,480 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many bookkeeper 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 Statistics2025-2035
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)