Community Colleges in Illinois

The programs offered at the 48 community colleges in Illinois vary depending on the specific college, but generally, most community colleges offer a range of programs including:

  • General education courses for transfer to a four-year college or university
  • Career and technical education programs in fields such as healthcare, business, computer technology, and manufacturing
  • Continuing education and workforce development courses to help individuals update their skills or acquire new ones
  • Adult education and literacy programs to help individuals obtain a high school equivalency certificate or improve their basic literacy and numeracy skills
  • Dual credit programs that allow high school students to earn college credit while still in high school
  • Personal enrichment courses in areas such as art, music, and fitness.

Some of the specific programs offered at the Illinois community colleges include:

  • Nursing programs
  • Automotive technology programs
  • Welding programs
  • Early childhood education programs
  • Information technology programs
  • Culinary arts programs
  • Graphic design programs
  • Criminal justice programs
  • Dental hygiene programs
  • HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) programs.

The specific programs offered can vary by college, so it’s important to research the programs offered at each community college to find the best fit for your educational goals and career aspirations. Here are the locations and website link to the 48 community colleges in Illinois:

  1. Black Hawk College – Moline, IL – https://www.bhc.edu/
  2. Carl Sandburg College – Galesburg, IL – https://www.sandburg.edu/
  3. City Colleges of Chicago – Chicago, IL – https://www.ccc.edu/
  4. College of DuPage – Glen Ellyn, IL – https://www.cod.edu/
  5. College of Lake County – Grayslake, IL – https://www.clcillinois.edu/
  6. Danville Area Community College – Danville, IL – https://www.dacc.edu/
  7. Elgin Community College – Elgin, IL – https://elgin.edu/
  8. Frontier Community College – Fairfield, IL – https://www.iecc.edu/fcc/
  9. Harper College – Palatine, IL – https://www.harpercollege.edu/
  10. Heartland Community College – Normal, IL – https://www.heartland.edu/
  11. Highland Community College – Freeport, IL – https://highland.edu/
  12. Illinois Central College – East Peoria, IL – https://icc.edu/
  13. Illinois Eastern Community Colleges – Olney, IL – https://www.iecc.edu/
  14. Illinois Valley Community College – Oglesby, IL – https://www.ivcc.edu/
  15. John A. Logan College – Carterville, IL – https://www.jalc.edu/
  16. John Wood Community College – Quincy, IL – https://www.jwcc.edu/
  17. Joliet Junior College – Joliet, IL – https://www.jjc.edu/
  18. Kankakee Community College – Kankakee, IL – https://www.kcc.edu/
  19. Kaskaskia College – Centralia, IL – https://www.kaskaskia.edu/
  20. Kishwaukee College – Malta, IL – https://www.kish.edu/
  21. Lake Land College – Mattoon, IL – https://www.lakelandcollege.edu/
  22. Lewis and Clark Community College – Godfrey, IL – https://www.lc.edu/
  23. Lincoln Land Community College – Springfield, IL – https://www.llcc.edu/
  24. McHenry County College – Crystal Lake, IL – https://www.mchenry.edu/
  25. Moraine Valley Community College – Palos Hills, IL – https://www.morainevalley.edu/
  26. Morton College – Cicero, IL – https://www.morton.edu/
  27. Oakton Community College – Des Plaines, IL – https://www.oakton.edu/
  28. Parkland College – Champaign, IL – https://www.parkland.edu/
  29. Prairie State College – Chicago Heights, IL – https://prairiestate.edu/
  30. Rend Lake College – Ina, IL – https://www.rlc.edu/
  31. Richland Community College – Decatur, IL – https://www.richland.edu/
  32. Rock Valley College – Rockford, IL – https://www.rockvalleycollege.edu/
  33. Sauk Valley Community College – Dixon, IL – https://www.svcc.edu/
  34. Shawnee Community College – Ullin, IL – https://www.shawneecc.edu/
  35. South Suburban College – South Holland, IL – https://www.ssc.edu/
  36. Southeastern Illinois College – Harrisburg, IL – https://www.sic.edu/
  37. Southwestern Illinois College
  38. Spoon River College – Canton, IL – https://www.src.edu/
  39. Triton College – River Grove, IL – https://www.triton.edu/
  40. Wabash Valley College – Mt. Carmel, IL – https://www.iecc.edu/wvc/
  41. Waubonsee Community College – Sugar Grove, IL – https://www.waubonsee.edu/
  42. Wilbur Wright College – Chicago, IL – https://www.ccc.edu/colleges/wright/
  43. William Rainey Harper College – Palatine, IL – https://www.harpercollege.edu/
  44. College of Business at the University of Illinois – Urbana, IL – https://giesbusiness.illinois.edu/programs/bachelor-science-business-administration-community-college-pathway
  45. Daley College – Chicago, IL – https://www.ccc.edu/colleges/daley/
  46. Kennedy-King College – Chicago, IL – https://www.ccc.edu/colleges/kennedy-king/
  47. Malcolm X College – Chicago, IL – https://www.ccc.edu/colleges/malcolm-x/
  48. Olive-Harvey College – Chicago, IL – https://www.ccc.edu/colleges/olive-harvey/

24 Vocational Schools in Illinois

There are several vocational training options in Illinois that are not affiliated with any community colleges. Here are some examples:

  1. Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT) – Provides vocational training and apprenticeship programs for women seeking careers in the construction trades
  2. Illinois Health Careers – Offers training programs for individuals interested in pursuing careers in healthcare, including Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Patient Care Technician (PCT) training
  3. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) – Offers apprenticeship and training programs for individuals interested in becoming electricians
  4. Illinois Pipe Trades Association – Offers apprenticeship and training programs for individuals interested in pursuing careers in the plumbing and pipefitting trades
  5. Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership – Provides job training and employment services for individuals seeking careers in various industries, including healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, and transportation
  6. National Able Network – Offers job training and career development services for individuals seeking employment in a variety of fields, including healthcare, IT, and customer service
  7. Midwest Technical Institute – Provides vocational training programs in areas such as welding, HVAC, diesel technology, and cosmetology
  8. Lincoln Tech – Offers vocational training programs in areas such as automotive technology, healthcare, skilled trades, and information technology
  9. The Academy of Creative Hair Design – Offers cosmetology training programs in Joliet and Park Forest, IL
  10. Great Lakes Truck Driving School – Provides CDL training programs in Columbia, IL
  11. Illinois Center for Broadcasting – Offers programs in radio and television broadcasting in Chicago, IL
  12. Joliet Junior College Workforce Development – Provides vocational training programs in areas such as welding, CNC machining, and truck driving
  13. Kendall College – Offers culinary arts and hospitality management programs in Chicago, IL
  14. Parkland College Institute of Aviation – Offers aviation training programs in areas such as aviation maintenance, avionics, and pilot training in Champaign, IL –
  15. Paul Mitchell The School Chicago – Provides cosmetology and barbering training programs in Chicago, IL
  16. PCCTI Healthcare (VERVE) – Offers healthcare training programs in areas such as medical assisting, medical billing and coding, and pharmacy technician training in Oak Brook and Chicago, IL
  17. Taylor Business Institute – Offers business and information technology programs in Chicago, IL
  18. Universal Technical Institute (UTI) – Provides automotive and diesel technician training programs in Lisle, IL –
  19. Hair Professionals Career College – Offers cosmetology and esthetics training programs in areas such as hair styling, nail technology, and esthetics in Sycamore, IL and Palos Hills, IL
  20. American Institute of Beauty Culture – Provides cosmetology and esthetics training programs in areas such as hair styling, nail technology, and esthetics in Wheaton and Frankfort, IL
  21. Tricoci University of Beauty Culture – Provides cosmetology and esthetics training programs in areas such as hair styling, nail technology, and esthetics in locations throughout Illinois, including Chicago, Rockford, and Peoria
  22. Refrigeration School Inc. (RSI) – Provides HVAC and refrigeration training programs in Skokie, IL
  23. Estelle Skin Care and Spa Institute – Offers esthetics and makeup training programs in Skokie, IL
  24. Chicago Dental Assistant School – Provides dental assistant training programs in Chicago, IL